The corner of Guernsey Avenue and Old York Road has seen its share of retail shops, businesses and the like over the years, and a local franchise is slated to inherit its rich history.

1140 Old York Road in Abington’s Ward 11 will be the new home of a Nifty Fifty’s, a 1950s-themed restaurant and the eighth of its kind. Based in Ridley Township, the franchise is thriving, though local residents aren’t sold quite yet.

“When a lot of developers come in, they tend to try to buy up a bunch of parcels, or they want to tear down whatever’s there, and build a mixed-use, so apartments above and retail below, for example,” Abington commissioner John Spiegelman said. “It’s very profitable now. But people in the suburbs bristle because the assumption is that the Abington version of skyscrapers is next. These are the overarching conditions that are in people’s minds. It’s been a hot topic for months.”

“The current friction is because Nifty Fifty’s is an outstandingly popular local chain,” Spiegelman said. “The Warminster branch is always packed. It’s almost a destination for some folks.”

Businesses ranging from pizza and coffee shops to a LabCorp to a Jimmie John’s have tried their hands at making the location work, though each eventually closed or moved. It was only a matter of time before someone else came along.

Enter new owner Chanthol Nuth, a Nifty Fifty’s franchisee, who bought the property in July.

“The new owner is very grateful to be in Abington, and he really wants to be a good neighbor,” Spiegelman said. “They have agreed to take this as an opportunity to actually make changes based on neighbor observations to the block, to parking, to make things better than they are now. If we can put together a combination of strategies, we hope to improve. Possibilities might include making the entire block permanent parking only, working with Mr. Nuth to find cooperative shared parking agreements with anyone in the area, and making the block one-way before the residential area begins.”

A special meeting on October 11 intends to quell concerns and listen to suggestions.

“We’ll get everyone there to hear concerns, ideas, plans, and so forth. The owner will be there. We’ll hope to get everyone on the same page and show our commitment to make things better after Nifty Fifty’s comes in. I’m sure there will be points of contention and emotion, but it’s not just a task, it’s a mission. We hope to find a model that works across the Township,” Spiegelman said.

The location is zoned such that a restaurant is by-right use. Special zoning permission wasn’t needed from the Township, and minor variances were granted by the Board of Commissioners. While there’s no construction plan or date set at the moment, “the owner will want to move quickly, but he doesn’t want to do so until after the meeting. He wants to hear the neighbors’ viewpoints first,” Spiegelman said.

“It’s a small space, and this will be a smaller restaurant by necessity. It doesn’t have a ton of parking. The folks on the 1900 block of Guernsey are concerned because parking is already limited as it is, and traffic is busy and speedy. And that block is surrounded by busy, active institutions,” Spiegelman said. “Everything’s right there.”

The term Nifty Fifty is a throwback unto itself, originally referring to a group of 50 large-cap stocks on the New York Stock Exchange which were favored by investors in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Our major corridors, the oldest main drags in the Township are old growth. They were built as horse-and-buggy roads, and retail has developed along those stretches. There was never thought given to buffering, trees, for example, between commercial and residential areas,” Spiegelman said. “As things developed and filled in, circumstances changed. For a long time we didn’t live in an era of three cars per family. There’s a lot of commerce now. It’s not easy to put up a new business because there isn’t enough parking. Any noise you make or odors you produce, it’s going to affect those nearby neighbors.”