At the corner of West Butler Avenue and Main Street, a grand, white Victorian building stands. To the residents of Chalfont, this aged building is most notably known to hold the restaurant Borghi’s Bar and Grille, a favorite of the locals. But with the closing of their Chalfont restaurant (Borghi’s has another Stone Harbor, NJ location which will remain open) in the recent months, the building has been refurbished with a new kind of atmosphere and vibe and is aptly named Pop Inn.

Following the goodbyes to the former owners after Super Bowl Sunday, many Chalfont residents were curious as to what would be done with the stoic building located on the busy intersection. At that time, rumors circulated regarding a new “comic book themed” restaurant moving in.

Now in recent weeks, this rumor has been confirmed, and we welcomed the up-and-coming restaurant, Pop Inn. The speculations had held true; the restaurant is indeed comic book themed, along with all things geeky, like anime, video games, board games and more.

Brent Tutwiler, the owner of Pop Inn, responded to questions regarding the development of Pop Inn, his current plans and the future of the restaurant itself during an interview.

Brent began the journey towards a restaurant business in his earlier years, saying that “he still [has] blue print drawings from high school” of dream restaurants, but “life had taken [him] in another direction.” He had previously owned the store “My Favorite Shoppe” in Peddler’s Village, which remained open for 27 years until it closed a few years ago.

As stated on Pop Inn’s website, PopInnBar.com, Brent joined heads with his friend Darin, the former owner of Cyborg-One in Doylestown, to create the restaurant the residents know today.

While the idea for a pop culture themed restaurant may be questionable in some people’s eyes, Brent says that the theme is “what [he] enjoy[s]” and that the atmosphere caters to the “inner geek in all of us.” And, if not, there will always be interesting stuff to look at during the visit.

With any starter company, Brent and his team faced many issues regarding the old structure of the building and inclement weather. He listed off some of the complications he faced in the development process of the building, including frozen pipes, the Pop Inn display sign falling out due to high winds, and the overall deep cleaning of the building.

The menu includes many entrees and appetizers paired with fitting pop culture names, such as SinSin-City Chili, the Poison Ivy burger, and Olive Oil’s BF, a family recipe that comes from a “childhood neighbor in Churchville, Bucks County,” Brent added. A preview of the menu is also present on their website.

With any new addition to a small town, the residents of Chalfont have shown resistance to the up-and-coming restaurant. Myles Collier, a South senior and a local Chalfont resident, passes the building every day on his way to work and school.

Myles says “Pop Inn doesn’t fit the style of the building it’s in.” When asked if he intends to visit the restaurant, Myles says, “probably, depending how costly it is.” As for the future of the new restaurant, he “hope[s] for the best”.

On the contrary, other residents of Chalfont are curiosity-stricken by the quirky idea and are anticipating its grand opening. Lila Tefft, who is also a senior at South and a Chalfont resident, says “I think this idea could bring in a lot more customers.” She also says that, regarding the restaurants theme, “as long as [the food] taste[s] good, aesthetic comes second.”

Lila, although, does question its lack of advertising, saying “I wouldn’t have known the place existed if it weren’t for one person telling me”. Similarly, when asked if she considered visiting the restaurant, Lila said she would be willing to try it out if a couple of her friends were willing, too.

In response to the criticism, Brent says that although “[he] understand[s]”, he encourages the residents of Chalfont to “try [them] out first”. He also feels that even though he can’t please all newcomers, he and his team will attempt to please everyone.

With the grand opening nearing, Brent says that he is excited and hopes to meet many new people. To the people of Chalfont whose interest have been caught, Brent encourages them to come in for a visit, saying “Pop Inn! Give us a shot!”