"This little lobster shack became so much more than a restaurant to us," Nicole Rabena told Patch in May, when she announced that La La Lobster would close at the end of June after six years on Main Street.
The same Patch story said something else that got less attention. La La Lobster was not going dark. Rabena said the business would pass to a new tenant who would bring a new restaurant concept to the space. Two months later she announced her retirement and put her other businesses up for sale.
That is the shape of 2026 in Yardley Borough. Two well-known restaurants closed within weeks of each other, and the borough's most historic dining room is scheduled to be torn down and rebuilt. Look at each change closely, though, and most of them were planned by the owners, announced ahead of time, and arranged so that someone else could take over the space.
35 South Main Street, Passed Along Twice
La La Lobster served its last meals at 35 South Main Street on June 28, and it honored gift cards through that day. The new tenant Rabena mentioned now appears to have a name. Taralli, which calls itself a Puglia-inspired Italian restaurant, is listed on OpenTable at 35 S Main St. It describes a market-and-dining room built around a communal table, with daily baked specialties and Southern Italian dishes made with local ingredients.
As of today, Taralli isn't open. Taralli's own website reads "coming soon," and the reservation page says the restaurant isn't bookable yet. Its listed menu was updated on September 15, 2026, which shows recent work but no opening date.
The second hand-off at this address involves the Yardley Distillery, founded in 2021. Patch lists it at the same 35 South Main Street address. In July, Rabena put the Distillery and the Yardley Distillery Tex Mex Grill at 897 West Trenton Avenue in Morrisville up for sale together for $550,000. "No real estate is included in the offering," Frederick Rabena told Patch. That means a buyer gets the businesses and their operating equipment, not the buildings.
"This was not an easy decision, but after years of building and operating Yardley Distillery, I have decided that the time is right to retire," Rabena said in the statement Patch published. Frederick Rabena said both locations would stay open while the sale goes on and asked customers to keep coming in for dinner and events. The July 23 story named no buyer and said the sale is being handled privately. The Distillery's current website lists only the West Trenton Avenue address, where it serves Tex-Mex, cocktails, and online orders.
Where Each Change Stands on September 30
| Business | Address | What happened in 2026 | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|
| La La Lobster | 35 S. Main St. | Closed June 28 after six years | Space passing to a new tenant |
| Taralli | 35 S. Main St. | Listed as the incoming Italian concept | Coming soon, not taking reservations |
| Yardley Distillery and Tex Mex Grill | 35 S. Main St. per Patch; 897 W. Trenton Ave., Morrisville | Offered together for $550,000 in July | Both locations to stay open during the sale |
| Burritos Yardley | Main Street | Closed May 8 after more than a decade | Closed; Patch named no next tenant |
| Cookies N' Cream | 175 S. Main St., No. 4 | Soft opening July 25 | Open daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Yardley Inn | 82 E. Afton Ave. | Rebuild approved by Borough Council | Open through 2026, work expected in 2027 |
The Yardley Inn Gave a Year of Warning
The biggest planned exit in the borough belongs to the oldest business. The Yardley Inn, at 82 East Afton Avenue, opened in 1832 as the White Swan Inn and served ferry passengers on the Delaware River. Borough Council voted unanimously to approve its reconstruction, with work expected to start in 2027.
The Bucks County Herald reported that the building has to be replaced rather than repaired. At an earlier Historical Architectural Review Board meeting, it was pointed out that lifting the 194-year-old structure to replace a basement that has flooded several times would be too dangerous. The new inn is expected to look much like the current one. It will add:
- An elevator and larger restrooms for accessibility
- A higher first floor
- Larger banquet rooms
- An outdoor dining area
- Stormwater handling through an underground pipe, a rain barrel for roof runoff, and an outfall to Buck Creek
Michael Meginniss, the attorney for owner Genesis Hospitality, said the inn "will remain open throughout 2026." The Courier Times reported the same plan in February: diners welcome all year, demolition and rebuilding in 2027. Once work starts, it is expected to take 12 to 16 months.
No closing date has been announced. Councilwoman Michelle Sharer asked the inn to post updates on when construction will start, so that if the start slips into next year, patrons can keep supporting the restaurant until it has to close. For anyone hoping to book a holiday dinner or a gathering in the old building, those updates are the ones to watch.
The Storefront Without a Successor
Not every change came with a hand-off. Burritos Yardley closed on Friday, May 8, after more than a decade in business. Patch's report did not name a next tenant for the space. Of this year's Main Street changes, it is the only one where the closing story pointed to no one taking over.
The new arrival came from the opposite direction. Cookies N' Cream, run by Khaled Mehmood, opened at 175 South Main Street, No. 4. It sells cookies, ice cream, shakes, and sundaes, and it is open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It held a soft opening at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. Those late hours keep a storefront lit on South Main well after most of the block has closed.
The Borough Is Planning Its Own Long Game
The borough government is planning ahead too. Patch reported today that Yardley Borough received a $350,000 state grant to restore Borough Hall. The proposed work covers structural and accessibility repairs, a new HVAC system, interior updates, windows and doors, and the parking lot. The story did not give a construction schedule.
The borough is also writing a new comprehensive plan with the Bucks County Planning Commission. The county's project page shows a kickoff on June 3, an internal workshop on July 13, and analysis of survey and workshop results on August 17. Yardley Borough's current business page says the resident survey opens in September 2026. With several Main Street storefronts changing hands, residents who answer that survey can help shape what the plan says about the commercial core.
October Is Already on the Calendar
Some of Yardley's fall calendar isn't changing at all. Experience Yardley has set its 2026 dates, and both events go on rain or shine.
- Carve-O-Thon, Sunday, October 25, noon to 3 p.m. The event is free, at the open lot on the corner of Fuld Road and Morgan Avenue, 102 Morgan Ave. The pumpkins come already gutted. Carving tools are provided, but there aren't many, so bring your own if you have them.
- Canal-O-Ween, sundown October 25 through Saturday, October 31. Volunteers light nearly 500 jack-o'-lanterns from the Carve-O-Thon along the Delaware Canal on North Edgewater Avenue, between Fuld Road and East Afton Avenue.
Yardley Harvest Day took place on September 19, so the canal week is the borough's main remaining fall event. If you take the train to these events or anywhere else, SEPTA's West Trenton Line is single-tracking between Noble and Neshaminy Falls on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October 23. Weekend track work is set for October 16 through 18, and more weekends are expected in November.
I've lived in Yardley since 1985 and have watched a lot of Main Street storefronts pass from one owner to the next. Each hand-off changes what a walk through the borough is like. If you're curious about what this year's changes mean for your own corner of town, or you're thinking about your own next step, Amy VanDenburgh would be glad to talk it through over coffee. Let's Connect.
