A popular “daytime dining” restaurant is set to replace the spot where Applebee’s Grill and Bar stood for decades in the Barn Plaza in Doylestown Township.
First Watch, a Florida-based chain, will be opening later this year in the shopping center that stretches along Route 611 in the southern end of the township, according to the company. With locations in 29 states, including Pennsylvania, First Watch restaurants can be found in Montgomeryvillle, Abington and Huntingdon Valley. The Barn Plaza location will be its first in Bucks County.
Known for its made-to-order breakfasts, brunches and lunches, First Watch emphasizes the use of fresh ingredients.
“Every season brings change to First Watch, but commitment to quality and sourcing exceptional ingredients never skips a beet,” the website says. From farmstand breakfast tacos and avocado toast to chickichanga and spiked lavender lemonade, First Watch describes itself as offering “elevated executions of classic favorites.”
After opening in 1998, Applebee’s was shuttered in 2023, as other parts of the shopping complex, including the Regal Barn Cinema closed.
Today, the shopping complex is undergoing a major makeover. Besides First Watch, the Philadelphia-based Honeygrow eatery is coming, as is a Barnes & Noble, a Whole Foods and a cluster of retail, medical and office space where the movie theater was.
Yelp’s list of the top 50 “most-loved” brands in the U.S. included First Watch last year. In 2022 and 2023, the chain was also named a Top 100 Most Loved Workplace in Newsweek by the Best Practice Institute, the company said.
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