Becky’s Newtown Deli, a go-to spot on South State Street in Newtown for three decades, has closed. Jeff Werner covered its exit from the local quick-stop food service options for Bucks Local News.

The decision to flip the “Open” sign to “Closed” for the last time came from its owner-operator, Becky Betz.

Her onsite history is long. She worked for the business’ forebear, Dick’s Deli, starting in 1979. By 1990, she bought it, and her husband renamed it for her.

Betz cites health concerns among the reasons she’s hanging up her apron. But she’s also noted a tectonic shift in the lunchtime crowds that once streamed into her place. They’ve been replaced by customers opting for quick service and drive-through meals.

“There are so many places to eat around here now,” she said. “The Village at Newtown is like a food court. What I don’t like about it is that it’s all chains.”

As Betz tidied the lunchroom for the last time, regulars stopped by to commiserate on the business’s demise.

“I’m sorry to hear,” a customer said. “I just saw it on my Facebook today.”

“That’s life,” Betz replied. “Everything changes.”

More on the closure of Becky’s Newtown Deli is at Bucks Local News.