On the Sunday of the PGA Championship in May, Nicholas Sebastian Salon & Spa was running a parking lot. The salon had closed for four days because of the expected traffic. It sold spaces in its large lot, a few minutes' walk from a spectator entrance, for $150 to $200 a day. By that afternoon it was on track to have parked 322 cars. The owner told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he would have earned more by staying open, because the four days cost the salon about 800 appointments.
That detail sums up the whole week. More than 200,000 spectators were expected at Aronimink Golf Club, and Gov. Josh Shapiro put the tournament's economic value at about $200 million. The money landed in some parts of Newtown Square and skipped others. Five months on, that unevenness is a useful map of how the township is laid out. Ellis Preserve serves visitors and anyone looking for a large-format dinner. St. Alban's Circle runs on regulars. This October, much of the township's own calendar has moved to a farm at 395 Bishop Hollow Road.
Who Got the PGA Crowd
The Inquirer's reporting from tournament weekend didn't show one story. It showed several, block by block.
- AC Hotel Newtown Square, at Ellis Preserve, was "mostly sold out" across its 140 rooms. Guests included golfers, staff, families, spectators and wedding parties at Ellis Preserve's two event venues.
- A Cut Above Deli saw sales run 20% to 30% above a typical May week, helped by hoagie trays for TV crews and for locals hosting PGA gatherings.
- Luigi and Giovanni, the Italian market on St. Alban's Circle, had a slow week. A tournament catering contract made up some of the gap.
- Bunny Hare's gift shop, across the Circle, watched shuttle buses carry fans to the official lots on Route 252 and West Chester Pike. Few of those fans stopped to shop.
- Weinrich's Bakery put golf-ball cookies in the case. The week felt like an ordinary post-Mother's Day week.
The gift shop explained the mechanics. Admission included food and nonalcoholic drinks, so fans spent their money at the on-site merch tent. Meanwhile, the owner believed many locals stayed away from town because of traffic. Sheila Turner-Hilliard, president of the Newtown Square Business Association, said the restaurants did very well and that some Ellis Preserve spots were "packed" with golf fans.
In short, outside visitors went to Ellis Preserve, and St. Alban's Circle depends on the neighbors who drove around the traffic that week.
Ellis Preserve Keeps Adding Tables
The pattern from May has continued all year at Ellis Preserve. The Equus Capital Partners development already had LaScala's Fire, Sedona Taphouse, a Whole Foods Market and two hotels. In 2026 it has added two restaurants and announced a third tenant.
Napa Kitchen and Wine opened on Feb. 11, after two years in development. It's the second location of a Richmond, Virginia, concept and its first franchise. The restaurant covers more than 7,500 square feet, with an 80-seat private dining room and a 100-seat patio. The menu runs from steaks and seafood to hand-rolled sushi. There's an on-site sommelier, self-serve wine and bourbon stations, guided tastings and pairing dinners. Dennis Barbaro, CEO of DJB Hospitality, told the Philadelphia Business Journal in March 2024 that Ellis Preserve "hit all the buttons."
In June, the Center City cheesesteak shop Cleavers opened its second location at 103 Squire Drive. It serves cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks, burgers, fries and milkshakes. The Inquirer included it in its roundup of new suburban restaurants this summer. In April, Ellis Preserve announced Livewell Animal Hospital as coming soon. The development's directory lists it at 101 Squire Drive. That's a tenant for errands rather than evenings out, the kind of business a local neighborhood center usually attracts.
The development describes its Village Green as a space for weekend and evening live music, outdoor exercise classes, community events and outdoor dining. No fall schedule for the Green has been posted yet. So the township's three biggest October Saturdays are taking place a few miles away.
Three Saturdays at 395 Bishop Hollow Road
Garrett Williamson's property includes a 26-acre working farm, livestock pastures and about 5 miles of wooded trails. It hosts this month's three main public events, one each weekend.
- Saturday, October 10, 8 to 10 a.m.: Fall Migratory Bird Walk. This Saturday's walk is free, but you need to register. Ecologist Mike McGraw leads it through the property's habitats. Newtown Township announced it in September, and Bird Town PA, the Newtown Square EAC, Garrett Williamson and CRC are co-sponsors.
- Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Harvest Festival. Garrett Williamson's annual festival offers hayrides, barnyard animals and fall crafts, according to the Garrett Williamson events calendar.
- Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m.: 250th History Hike. The Newtown Square Historical Society hosts this free hike with local historian Douglas Humes and society president Cathy Cavalier. It starts with coffee and donuts in the Ram Barn behind the Garrett Williamson Barn, then goes past the farm buildings and pastures and into the woods. Sign-up is free through the group's Meetup page, which the township's news post links to.
The History Hike is the most local event of the three. Among the buildings it will cover is one that most people who drive Bishop Hollow Road probably don't know by name:
"...the Daniel Williamson House, which is considered to be the oldest home in Newtown Township, Delaware County."
The hike's announcement says it will also cover "the stalwart and colorful personalities who populated Newtown Township years ago." As part of the 250th programming, the event connects the township's history to a specific address. For people who drove around Newtown Square all through May, it's a chance to see a part of the township the PGA never touched.
What's Next for St. Alban's Circle
The events after October bring the focus back toward the Circle, and toward decisions that haven't been made yet.
The most visible open question is at West Chester Pike and St. Albans Circle. The former Rite Aid building there drew a proposal from Florida-based El Car Wash, which applied in February. If approved, it would be the township's first car wash. Delco Today reported in July that the Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board had taken up the proposal after a June meeting, with a decision expected within weeks. Some nearby residents worried about added traffic. Others saw a chance to bring new life to a prominent corner that was struggling even before Rite Aid closed. That July report is the most recent coverage we found. Treat the corner as undecided until the township says otherwise.
Two more dates follow the October Saturdays:
- Wednesday, October 28, 7 to 9 p.m. Newtown Township will hold a public meeting on its 2026 Comprehensive and Strategic Plan at the Municipal Building, 209 Bishop Hollow Road. You can attend in person or by Zoom.
- Saturday, November 7. The township's Parks and Recreation Board is planning a community tree-planting event in Lower Saint Albans and is looking for volunteers. The township says more details will follow.
The comprehensive plan meeting is where residents can weigh in on how the township's commercial areas, Ellis Preserve and the older district alike, fit together over the coming years. It's on the same road as the three October Saturdays.
The Business Association, for its part, says it supports the older district with flowers, banners and an annual St. Albans Circle tree lighting. A 2026 date for the lighting hasn't been posted. When it is, the Circle that Luigi and Giovanni and Bunny Hare's share will have its own event on the calendar again.
How a busy season plays out in Newtown Square depends heavily on which part of town the activity lands in, and the same is true when a home here goes on the market. If you're curious how your block and your corner of the township figure into a current valuation, The MacDonald Team PA can walk you through it with care and discretion. Start with Get Home Value.
