Isaac Newton's Restoration Progress

Sadly, Isaac Newton's a popular restaurant and mainstay in the heart of Newtown, Bucks County suffered a tremendous fire on June 13th, 2002.

The good news is, Isaac Newton's will be rebuilt and better than ever. This page will show you photos and news of the restaurants progression as it is re-built to open in 4 to 6 months. Check back for updates to the rebuild and news of the new opening!

The Bucks County Courier Times printed 2 articles about the tragedy. Click here for the first article and click here for the second. Click here to read an article published by both the Newtown Advance and The Trentonian.

Update April 23

Unexpected delays have meant pushing our expected date back several times. Things are finally coming together! If all goes well with inspections we should be opening our doors on May 12. Stay Tuned.

The new bar room.

Update March 25, 2003

With spring, a new addition to our extended family. Beth gave birth to a beautiful 8lb 7oz girl. We will try to persuade Beth to provide a picture of baby Jade to post on the website.

A big congratulations to Mother and daughter!

I can’t believe a whole month has passed since our last update. As most of you know our target opening was the end of March but…

Things have not gone as we had hoped, the contractors are doing a fine job but their suppliers are not. Product delays have been a serious problem. When the equipment finally does show up it is often the wrong size, the wrong color or just plain wrong.

Glenn and Ed have done such a fantastic job planning the equipment and layout of the kitchen that we will be able to produce a greater variety of dishes in a multitude of styles.

The bar has been stained and varnished. The beer taps are all in place, including the only Belgian Triple Tap in the U.S. Most of the painting is finished and the electrical fixtures are being installed. One of our most serious problems (getting a new water supply to the restaurant) has been resolved and is now in place. Ameridrill, a local company, saved us by drilling from the parking lot to Main Street and running a new pipe. This was all done without any open trench digging. The second floor is almost ready for carpet, the new booths are in, upstairs bathrooms are complete and floors are finished. The outside work, abandoned mid-winter has begun. Hopefully, the weather will remain Spring-like and allow us to complete this exterior work.

Which brings us to the new Target opening date…Mid-April…we hope.

Update - February 18, 2003

Some days go very well and other days can’t be commented on in print.

On the first floor:

The new bar and bar top is in place. The bar flooring, plumbing, electric and some of the equipment have been installed.

The first floor kitchen tile and exhaust hood system are in place. This state of the art hood system is so new we have the 4th in the USA. Our soon to be installed deep fat fryer filters and cleans the oil every hour. All this will make Isaac’s kitchen the most modern in the Tri State Area.

On the second floor:

Heat, air conditioning and exposed ductwork are ready. The walls and ceilings are painted. The server and hostess station cabinets are almost complete. As expected, the walls for the steel and glass stairway are arriving piece by piece which is slowing down completion.

Kudos to our electrician, Ed and Tile man, Jerry – they are both doing an excellent job.

On the personal side:

As hoped, most of our former staff are waiting in the wings for opening day. Several will be back soon to help with all the preparation details. The bar manager will be on site as of March 18. Other bar people - Brad, John, Kathy, Kathi, Jenn and Maggie will all be returning when we reopen. Longtime Front of House people - Debbie, Kim, Patty, Andy, Colleen, Christine, Nick, Arianne, Mark, Julianna and many more will return. Beth, after the latest addition to her family arrives on March 21st at 8:30AM (leave it to Beth to have things planned well in advance), will also return. Her sister, (and soon to be Aunt) Blaine will be the new Front of House manager. Most of the kitchen staff has been on the payroll since the fire. These dedicated men have been designing and perfecting the new menu. All of us at Isaac’s excitedly await the reopening where we will present to customers a new and very improved Isaac Newton’s.

Update - January 29, 2003

Murphy’s law has taken effect – if it can go wrong, it will.

Plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electric and sprinkler system people are all working at the same time. These contractors are vying for the same space to install pipes, lines, etc. This has really bogged down the process and has it moving at a snail’s pace.

As you can see from our new pictures, some things have happened with construction since the last update. The second level is almost complete and painting has begun – unfortunately with the wrong color. On the first level, the dining area is being drywalled, the kitchen floor is complete and the bar is under construction.

The pile of lumber in this photo is from the barn mentioned in the last update. We will be using this wood for our bar floor and bar top. Most of our kitchen equipment has been delivered to the supplier’s warehouse. There it will sit until yet another contractor installs the kitchen hood and fire system. When that is finished, our shiny new equipment will have a permanent home.

Some really astounding news of great historical importance has been revealed to us. We are presently trying to verify the facts but we could soon be divulging the true history of Newtown. You won’t find this in the history books!

Stay tuned.

The new bar.

Above: Front view of restaurant and new second floor dining area.

Above: Back view of restaurant and the first floor dining area.

Update December 2, 2002

In the good old days of Sir Isaac Newton’s first lifetime, you could build a hut, tavern or castle and only need worry about where you were going to put it. Progress is wonderful…

Our plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electric permits have finally been issued. We have passed the trial by Fire Marshall. The water company has agreed to provide us with water and the sewer company has agreed to remove it.

Most of the exterior is complete. The last doors, skylights and windows will be in by mid-week. The heating units are in place and will hopefully be warming the building by Wednesday December 4, 2002.

Off in a far-away part of Bucks County, we are tearing down an old barn. We will be using this wood to replace areas in the bar damaged by fire and as a beautiful new floor for the bar area. Wait until you see it –

Our target Grand Reopening date (if the weather, suppliers, contractors and inspectors comply) will be mid February - perhaps in time for a Valentine’s Day gala. A worst-case opening date will be in time for a St. Patrick’s Day festival.

You are welcome to stop by the restaurant in person to check out our progress or to say hello.

Isaac misses all of you.

UPDATE – October 10, 2002

It seems like years ago that I last looked into the dining room to see our friends enjoying one of Isaac's great meals.

Fortunately, we have seen many of you around the restaurant checking our progress or stopping by to chat. Although until last week there has not been much to see, we have enjoyed the updates and appreciate the well wishes. We know for many of you Isaac's was part of your daily routine. The good news is last week we finally started to rebuild the restaurant. Until that time we had only worked inside, totally gutting the interior.

Isaac's will be completely redesigned and redecorated. The bar will extend into the patio room and the dining loft will now be a true second floor with restroom facilities. This large room will accommodate 85 guests and can be used for more private affairs such as meetings or parties. This room is sure to be a knockout.

Now that we have something to report, please check back often for updates.

UPDATE – August 28, 2002

All our approvals have come back from the State Department of Labor and Industry. We had made accommodations to make Isaac's handicap accessible and the plans were approved as presented. Now we must seek other approvals from the fire marshal and local building inspector. This would normally take a week to ten days. We expect a building permit by the middle of September.

Our August 11, 2002 picnic to benefit the Newtown Fire Association was a great success. We gave away over 900 hot dogs and gallons of Root Beer. We collected donations totaling $2073, which were delivered to Chief George Forsythe.

UPDATE – July 25, 2002

Not much to report since the last update. Demolition has resumed. The historic review board and borough council have approved all our plans for reopening. The PA Dept. of Labor and Industry rejected our blue prints. This was not unexpected since we are not handicap accessible. The next step is an application for variances previously granted.

Welcome to the political process – Isn't it great.

Update - Friday July 12

New plans and blueprints for the reconstruction of Isaac's will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry on Monday, July 14. As a result of the fire and PA. law, all previously granted variances and grandfathered conditions go out the window. PA. State law treats the rebuild as if it were an entirely new project. Since we must "start over" our all new plans include enlarging the bar area and adding extra dining room seating on the parking lot end of the building. A very modern smoke eater and filtering system will be added to the bar as well. A talented interior decorator has been working with Glenn on the new décor. It looks like it will be beautiful.

We are finalizing plans for a benefit to be held Sunday August 11th. This is to thank our volunteer firemen for saving Isaac Newton's from total destruction. The initial plans include free hot dogs and soda (we hope you will make a donation-you never know when you will need them).

Restaurant Progress Report – July 1, 2002

Cleanup of all debris resulting from the fire is 98% complete. Salvageable items in the restaurant have been cataloged, cleaned, and stored in a secret location known only to Isaac himself (he needs these things to continue his experiments). The 2nd floor roof and rafters have been removed and replaced. This week the roof over the bar will be demolished and rebuilt.

It is our intention to proceed with an addition off the rear of the restaurant, which has been approved by borough council. These plans will be in Harrisburg for inspection and licensing by the middle of July. Until approval is received, we are not certain whether we will be permitted to go forward with the expansion. Check back after the 15th for news.

Glenn and I have all sorts of exciting ideas for changes and improvements. Many of these incorporate suggestions and requests that you, our customers, have made over the years.

A popular restaurant that some consider the heart of Newtown Borough erupted in flames yesterday morning, damaging the three-story wooden building.

Officials say the two-alarm fire at Isaac Newton's American Fun Food began about 9 a.m. yesterday. Four employees at the restaurant preparing for its 11 a.m. opening escaped without injury.

A popular restaurant that some consider the heart of Newtown Borough erupted in flames yesterday morning, damaging the three-story wooden building.

Isaac Newton's, nestled between upscale boutiques and a bank building in a municipal parking lot off Sycamore Street, suffered heavy damage in the fast-moving two-alarm fire that apparently started in the kitchen around 9 a.m.

Four employees working in the restaurant escaped without injuries. The building owner and restaurant operators vowed to rebuild.

"I can't believe it. It's your whole life," a tearful Anna Osborn Heaney said as she watched firefighters on the scorched roof. "I know every inch of this place. When I saw the [TV news] helicopter, I knew it was bad."

Her father owns the building, which at one time was called the Academy House, named after a boys school next door that once occupied the building where the First National Bank and Trust Co. of Newtown now stands, she said.

The Academy catered to a mostly upscale dining crowd, she said. Then, nearly 12 years ago, Alex Haff and business partner Glenn Blakely took over its operation. They revamped the menu and d‚cor and renamed it Isaac Newton's American Fun Food, offering eclectic fare and an extensive beer selection.

It became a huge success. An hour's wait for a table on Friday and Saturday nights was a given, and the polished-wood bar was usually packed with regulars. The parking lot was frequently jammed.

"We've been the hottest place in Bucks County for years," Haff said. "There is no way we won't rebuild."

More than an hour after the blaze started, firefighters perched atop ladder trucks were putting out hot spots, and smoke trails curled out of holes in the roof. Hours later, an acrid smell hung in the air.

There was extensive fire damage to the attic area, and there was heat, smoke and water damage to "significant" portions of the building, said Northampton Fire Marshal Frank Fenton III, who was handling the case. He was assisted by Upper Southampton Fire Marshal Mark Showmaker.

The two-alarm call brought firefighters from eight area departments to the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Fenton said officials are looking into the possibility it started in the hood-duct exhaust system in the kitchen.

"Any restaurant is susceptible to any fire that conveys a grease-laden vapor," he said. "We're looking in that direction.''

Fenton said the second floor and attic sustained the heaviest fire damage and the remainder of the restaurant sustained water damage.

The scenario appears to support accounts given by Haff, Blakely and two employees who were there.

Haff said he was told the cooking staff, who typically arrive at 6 a.m., had finished preparing food including making a portobello mushroom dish and blackened salmon. The restaurant was slated to open at 11 a.m. for lunch. The appliances, including the grill and the stove, had been shut down for a half-hour.

Workers were downstairs unloading the food delivery truck, taking out garbage or washing kitchen mats when a dishwasher noticed fire had broken out on the second floor.

Dave Rice, a cook who has worked there six years, said he ran upstairs and dumped a gallon of milk on the grill, which was on fire. Rice said the milk put out the grill fire, but when he went out the kitchen's back door, he saw flames had spread up the back of the building, which faces the First National Bank building.

The business has 85 full- and part-time employees, Haff said. The restaurant carried business interruption insurance that would cover salaries for the 35 full-time employees, he added.

People who live nearly a mile away could smell the heavy smoke. News of the fire brought dozens of neighbors and restaurant employees to the parking lot to see for themselves the remains of the burned-out shell.

"They have the best beer," said Michael McFarland, who lives in Newtown Township.

Isaac's carried hard-to-find varieties, such as a wheat beer called hefeweizen that's McFarland's favorite. This is the only place - outside of Germany - that he has found it.

McFarland came here a couple of times a month, most recently three weeks ago. He remembers when the place was called the Academy.

"I've been coming here so many years, I was shocked when I saw it," he said. "It's a landmark here in Newtown."

Amy Charen moved to Upper Makefield a little more than six years ago and almost immediately heard Isaac's was the place to go. Soon she was coming three or four times a week for drinks or a meal.

"This is my home away from home," said Charen, who had dinner there Tuesday night. "The staff is amazing. It's one big family. It's so sad."

The place attracted a regular crowd, who stopped at the bar every day for an after work beer or two, she said. Charen smiled remembering how one year around Christmas, some of the regulars came in with special plaques they had made for their bar stools.

Charen paused to glance at the hollow shell of the cornflower-blue building, the blackened holes punched in the roof and the shattered windows and shook her head slightly.

Flames severely damage popular Newtown eatery

Fire severely damaged a popular eatery in Newtown Borough Thursday morning, June 13.

Employees reporting for work along State Street were surprised to see flames and smoke pouring from the roof of Isaac Newton's Restaurant, located in the center of the borough parking lot, behind stores on the west side of State Street.

Four employees were inside the three-story building when fire broke out around 8:55 a.m. Dishwasher Ronnie Sims was first to notice the flames which originated around the grill area in a kitchen on the main level. "I got to work and put the first mat in the dishwasher," said Sims. "I noticed a light out of the corner of my eye."

Sims walked around a corner to find where the light was coming from and saw a flame at the back of the grill. "I yelled 'there's a fire in here' to Dave. He was downstairs," said Sims.

Sous Chef Dave Rice was in the ground level prep kitchen with Cook Sean O'Brien. Both men ran upstairs. "Dave took a gallon of milk and threw it on the grill," said Sims. "But the fire was already up inside the smokestack."

O'Brien grabbed a fire extinguisher to help. "We put out the fire on the grill, but realized it was already too far gone," said O'Brien.

While O'Brien and Rice were attempting to douse the blaze, Head Chef Ed Chapman, who had been taking garbage out to a dumpster and saw flames on the roof outside, ran into the restaurant and called 911.

Chapman, who has worked at the restaurant for eight years, said that the day's preparations begin at 6 a.m. The crew had finished preparing Portobello mushrooms and blackened salmon about a half hour before the fire was discovered.

The employees evacuated the building as the fire companies began arriving. Employees and residents in buildings adjacent to the restaurant watched as hose was laid and firefighters began the task of attacking the blaze. Ladder trucks were used to fight the fire and gain access to the roof.

Companies responding to the fire included Newtown Fire Association, Northampton Fire Company, Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company, Parkland Fire Company, Penndel Fire Company, Feasterville Fire Company, Yardley-Makefield Fire Company, Lingohocken Fire Company and Newtown American Legion Ambulance Squad.

Upper Makefield and Fairless Hills Fire Companies covered Newtown's Station 45 on Liberty Street and Midway Fire Company covered Newtown's Station 55 on Municipal Drive.

Lingohocken Fire Company was on scene with a rapid intervention team, prepared to rush the building in case of collapse or entrapment, according to Chief John Bailey.

Witnesses who had watched the event unfold told how they saw flames shooting out the vent on the chimney on the restaurant's south side. First National Bank & Trust Company employee Karen Dolton also called 911.

According to Newtown Borough Police Chief Jack Feeney, traffic was blocked on Washington Avenue between State Street and Sycamore Street for about two hours. Sycamore Street at Centre Avenue was closed while additional fire companies were responding to the scene.

Son-in-law of the building's owner, Len Heaney, learned about the fire at the family's facility when he called First National Bank & Trust Company to inquire about a MAC card. "The teller told me there was a big fire going on in town," said Heaney, who lives in Morrisville. "I asked where it was and she told me Isaac Newton's. I said, 'that's my father-in-law's building.' She said she was sorry I had to learn it over the telephone."

Heaney called his wife, Anna, who works as a nurse in Northeast Philadelphia. She left worked and rushed to the scene. "I saw the smoke and the helicopter overhead and knew it was bad," she said.

Anna Heaney's father, Stephen Osborn lives in New York and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. "It's an eight hour drive for him," she said. "We take care of the property matters here for him."

Isaac Newton Restaurant owners Glen Blakely and Alex Haff witnessed the firefighters efforts to squelch the blaze. Haff and Blakely lease the building from Osborn. According to Blakely, he and his partner have operated the restaurant in its present location for about 11 years.

Newtown Ambulance Squad Chief Colleen Campbell reported that there were no serious injuries. "We had one firefighter who needed rehab. He was suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. He did not need to go to the hospital."

Campbell praised the firefighters. "When I got here the flames were through the roof. They did an excellent job of putting a stop on the fire."

Campbell also praised the community response. "The local businesses were wonderful," she said. "Starbuck's, Becky's Deli and 7-11 were right there. They didn't blink an eye, just said we'll have it ready when you need it. Thank goodness this happened today and not yesterday when the temperature was in the 90s."

Restaurant regulars were in the crowd watching the burning building. Amy Charan, who had just had dinner at Isaac's on Tuesday night asked, "Where am I going to get my beer this afternoon?"

Another regular pointed out that Isaac's is the only place he can get his favorite brew on tap.

Employees, who thought they would be reporting to work, stood around the borough parking lot, easily recognizable in the familiar burgundy shirts with the Isaac Newton's apple tree logo. The restaurant employs about 85 people.

Head Chef Chapman said that even though the restaurant suffered a lot of damage, he thought that the catering side of the business would be able to keep its commitments. Blakely said that anyone with questions about scheduled catering contracts should call him at 215-860-0971 or 215-968-9191.

Isaac Newton's Restaurant has been involved in community events such as Newtown's Market Day and First Fourth celebration. The restaurant was a participant in the June 7th Bucks County Community College Foundation's Tyler Tasting Party fundraiser.

"This is a great place to work," said Chapman, who said that the restaurant serves as many as 400 people or more a day.

His sentiments were echoed by many of the employees who stood in the parking lot, wondering what the future held for them. "It's like a close family," said one young man. "I don't know if I'll get to see a lot of these people again."

Haff, who learned about the fire while doing his morning gardening, was adamant about reopening the restaurant. "Of all the businesses I've been involved in during my life, this has been fun. All the rest were work, work, work. This one is fun," said Haff.

Haff said that he has been offered assistance from area restaurateurs. "They have offered their kitchens. They have offered our employees temporary jobs until we can get open again," said Haff. "I would like to say we would be open as soon as possible -- 60 to 90 days is our goal."

At press time the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. Northampton Township Fire Marshal Frank Fenton, who is conducting the investigation, indicated that preliminary findings point to some sort of grease fire around the grill area. "I won't have a final report until next week," said Fenton.

Morning fire guts Isaac Newton's

'There is no way we won't rebuild'

Flames severely damage popular Newtown eatery