Posted by Store Reporter on Jun 14, 2018 in Current Issue
Slapfish on the way to Rockville
Opening next month at Montrose Crossing on Rockville Pike: Slapfish, the fast-casual seafood restaurant that’s expanding to the D.C. area. The California-based chain offers a moderately priced menu ranging from fish tacos to shrimp salad to a seafood/grilled cheese mashup called the Clobster. Slapfish is set to open July 13th next to CAVA and newcomer Honeygrow, part of the new restaurant row that’s rising where Timpano once stood. Also on the way: Five Guys , relocating from its longtime home on the other side of Rockville Pike. For more on Slapfish in our Feb. 8th edition, click here.
New boutique for Park Potomac
New boutique on the way to Park Potomac: Gym & Tonic, featuring high-end workout wear plus blazers, sweaters and cute tank tops that can transition from day to night. The store is a new venture from longtime local retailer Wendy Abelman, who previously worked for Lucky Brand and My Best Friend’s Closet, and business partner Amy Morgan Block, who once ran a similar store in Miami. The duo are hoping to open by early fall next to Addie’s — right in the sweet spot between Life Time Athletic and Orangetheory Fitness.
Revamp for Rio’s movie theater
The AMC Loews theater at Rio Washingtonian Center will be fully renovated by fall, the company tells us, with reclining seats, improved lighting and sound equipment, and an upgraded food and beverage menu. AMC is freshening up its properties across the country to meet the expectations of today’s audiences, who have grown accustomed to posh competitors like iPic and ArcLight. No word yet on how all these changes will affect ticket prices. For more on what’s happening at Rio Washingtonian, click here for our June 7th edition.
Summer kickoff at Wildwood this weekend
What’s happening this weekend? The annual Summer Sidewalk Sale at Wildwood Shopping Center. Stop by for great summertime deals at many of your favorite stores and restaurants: Belina Boutique, Blanca Flor, Coco Blanca, Hadlee, Irresistibles, Oakville Grille and Wine Bar, Red Orchard, Salon Nader, Sanctuary Interior Designs, Sandy Springs Bank, Secrete Jewelry, Sequel, [SOLIDCORE], South Moon Under, Voorthuis Opticians, Wildwood Italian Cuisine and Yves Delorme. The fun kicks into high gear on Saturday (June 16th) with live music and giveaways from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — including a chance to win $500 in gift cards to Wildwood merchants. Wildwood Shopping Center, 10241 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-998-8100.
SPONSORED CONTENT
Local Services Guide
Browse our listings for:
- Home Services: AC, electrical, flooring, locksmiths, moving & more. Click here.
- Parties & Specialty Gifts: Party swag, monograms, custom art & more. Click here.
- Professional Services: Dentists, orthodontists & therapists. Click here.
- Pet Services: Only the best for your pet. Click here.
Did you miss these stories?
- Poki D.C. and The Baked Bear heading to Rio Washingtonian Center. Click here.
- MOM’s Organic Market opens on Shady Grove. Click here.
- China Garden to fill Paladar space on Rockville Pike. Click here
- Trader Joe’s at Travilah Square: the latest. Click here.
- Wildwood Shopping Center summer update. Click here.
- Branded 72 becomes Crossroads BBQ and Grill. Click here.
- Westfield Montgomery Mall has new food on the way. Click here.
- Karma Erwin Gomez opens at Park Potomac. Click here.
- Cabin John Q&A: What’s the plan? Click here.
- True Food Kitchen spinoff for Wildwood & Travilah. Click here.
- Wegmans in Rockville: your questions answered. Click here.
- Pike & Rose will get an Asian food hall: Click here.
read more
Posted by Store Reporter on Jun 7, 2018 in Current Issue
More poke on the way
Poki D.C., the Hawaiian-inspired restaurant chain that launched last year in Penn Quarter, is expanding throughout the D.C. area with three locations in Montgomery County. Much like Honeyfish Poke at Congressional Plaza (but spelled with an “i” instead of an “e”), Poki D.C. offers custom-made bowls of raw fish, rice and salad greens with various sauces and toppings. A Gaithersburg location at Rio Washingtonian Center will open in the next week or two. After that comes a Rockville location at The Spot, an all-Asian food hall under construction in the ground floor of The Metropolitan (click here for more on that). The third location will be at Georgetown Square Shopping Center off Democracy Boulevard, in the empty space next to Not Your Average Joe’s. Gary Ngo, co-owner of Poki D.C., says he hopes to open there by fall. For a peek at the menu, click here.
Another Baked Bear for MoCo
Last week we told you that The Baked Bear was looking to open a second location at Rio Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg. This week it’s official: The bakery/ice cream shop is taking the former 16 Handles space between Muse Paintbar and Starbucks, where it’s expected to open later this year. The Baked Bear, a California chain known for its custom-made ice cream sandwiches, has been generating incredible lines at Pike & Rose every weekend since it opened May 19th. Click here for more in our June 1st issue.
MOM’s on the move
MOM’S Organic Market opened its doors last weekend at the new Upper Rock center on Shady Grove Road. This is the 19th and largest location for MOM’s — and the first to include an on-site bakery as well as the Naked Lunch organic restaurant. Upper Rock, across from Home Depot and Nordstrom Rack, is already home to CAVA and Firehouse Subs.
Dim sum on the Pike
Moving into the former Paladar space at North Bethesda Market on Rockville Pike: China Garden, a dim sum restaurant from the owners of Rockville’s Pandora Seafood House & Bar. “This group ran another China Garden in Arlington for many years, and now they’re relocating it here,” says broker Shang Wang, who handled the deal for JGB Companies. Known as a popular place for weddings and other large events, China Garden originally was supposed to move into the former REI space on Rockville Pike. That deal never materialized, but the Paladar space became available when the Latin restaurant closed its doors last winter. The new China Garden is expected to open by the end of this year.
Did you miss these stories?
- Trader Joe’s at Travilah Square: the latest. Click here.
- Wildwood Shopping Center has changes ahead. Click here.
- Branded 72 becomes Crossroads BBQ and Grill. Click here.
- Westfield Montgomery Mall has new food on the way. Click here.
- Karma by Erwin Gomez opens its doors at Park Potomac. Click here.
- Cabin John Q&A: What’s the plan? Click here.
- True Food Kitchen spinoff for Wildwood & Travilah. Click here.
- The Beach opens at Pike & Rose. Click here.
- Wegmans in Rockville: your questions answered. Click here.
- Pike & Rose will get an Asian food hall: Click here.
- Corned Beef King opens on the Pike. Click here.
Store Reporter Services Guide
- Home Services: AC, electrical, flooring, locksmiths, moving & more. Click here.
- Parties & Specialty Gifts: Party swag, monograms, custom art & more. Click here.
- Professional Services: Dentists, orthodontists & therapists. Click here.
- Pet Services: Only the best for your pet. Click here.
read more
Posted by Store Reporter on May 31, 2018 in Current Issue
Hitting the sweet spot
Hottest ticket in town for a sweet treat: The Baked Bear at Pike & Rose, where lines have snaked around the block every weekend since the ice cream shop opened on May 19th. Everyone is waiting to try those instantly Instagrammable ice cream sandwiches, which are made to order with customized combinations of brownies, cookies and donuts. We tried them. We liked them. And it looks like we’ll be seeing more of them: Baked Bear owners tell us they’re already eyeing another location at Rio Washingtonian Center.
Rendering via Mushinsky Voelzke Associates
Summer opening for Trader Joe’s?
Update on the new Trader Joe’s at Travilah Square Shopping Center: The company tells us it’s shooting to open sometime this summer. Trader Joe’s fans have been waiting impatiently for this store since it was first announced in the fall of 2016. It will be the company’s second location in Rockville, replacing a Gaithersburg store in Montgomery Village that will close when the new one opens. Trader Joe’s has been a game-changer for the newly revitalized Travilah Square, helping the center attract new tenants like Cafe Rio Mexican Grill and the True Food Kitchen spinoff Flower Child. (For more on Flower Child in our May 17th edition, click here.)
A summer of change for Wildwood
This summer will be a busy one at the Wildwood Shops, where a portion of the parking lot has been blocked off to accommodate construction in and around the now-closed Red Door Spa. The entire space is being reconfigured to make room for the new Flower Child restaurant (same as the one coming to Travilah Square — details in our May 17th edition) as well as a relocating Salon Nader. There’s still room one more tenant on that end of the shopping center — and we hear it will be another restaurant. More details soon.
All new BBQ in Rockville
Branded 72, a longtime fixture on Gude Drive, is under new ownership with a new menu and a new name: Crossroads BBQ and Grill. Co-owner Paul Poto, who purchased the restaurant with a partner earlier this year, says many of the new recipes are actually throwbacks to the restaurant’s original identity as O’Brien’s Pit BBQ. “Ken O’Brien was an American Airlines pilot who sampled the barbecue in Texas and brought it here in 1972,” Poto says. “We’re extending his idea to include barbecue from St. Louis, Memphis and the Carolinas — an intersection of where four great barbecues meet.” To check out the restaurant’s new menu, click here.
More Sears closings
This week brought another announcement of closings for the struggling Sears chain. Once again, the Westfield Montgomery Mall location is not on the list of stores that are slated to close. But it’s only a matter of time.
Did you miss these stories?
- Westfield Montgomery Mall has new eateries on the way. Click here.
- Karma Erwin Gomez opens at Park Potomac. Click here.
- Cabin John Q&A: What do the new owners have planned? Click here.
- The Beach opens at Pike & Rose. Click here.
- Wegmans in Rockville: your questions answered. Click here.
- Pike & Rose will get an Asian food hall. Click here.
- Corned Beef King opens on the Pike. Click here.
Store Reporter Services Guide
- For the Home: Electrical work, flooring, locksmiths, moving & more. Click here.
- Parties & Specialty Gifts: Party swag, monograms, custom art & more. Click here.
- Professional Services: Dentists, orthodontists & therapists you can trust. Click here.
- Pet Services: Only the best for your pet. Click here.
read more
Posted by Store Reporter on May 24, 2018 in Current Issue
New eats at the mall
Lots of new food on the way to Westfield Montgomery Mall, where several restaurants and a trendy new dessert place are set to open in the next few months. In the Dining Terrace, the Spice 6 Indian eatery is shooting for a late-June opening while newcomer EG Ramen is taking over the former Boardwalk space. Upstairs, across from the ArcLight Cinema, Viva Steakhouse & Asian Fusion should be open by early fall. Owner Calvin Yang tells us the restaurant will have a pan-Asian menu (Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese) plus several Japanese hibachi tables, an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet, and a full bar that overlooks the Dining Terrace. And another Asian food craze, Thai rolled ice cream, is on the way to the Sears wing in the spot just vacated by Menchie’s.
What’s new, what’s coming to the mall
What else is happening at Westfield Montgomery Mall? Furniture Place has opened in the former Victoria’s Secret/Pink space near Nordstrom. The Dormify showroom is now open as well (click here for more in our May 10th edition). And Zumiez, featuring skateboards and skater-inspired fashions, will be moving into the former VIP space.
Karma opens at Park Potomac
Karma by Erwin Gomez, the newest venture from the D.C.-based celebrity makeup artist, made its debut this week at Park Potomac. Located across from Addie’s in the ground floor of The Perry, Karma offers hair, makeup and nail services, lash and brow styling and an array of skin treatments — plus the chance to schedule a session with Gomez himself. For more on Karma, click here.
Did you miss these stories?
- Cabin John Q&A: What do the new owners have planned? Click here.
- True Food Kitchen spinoff heading to Wildwood and Travilah. Click here.
- The Beach opens at Pike & Rose. Click here.
- Seven Seas Chinese restaurant to close. Click here.
- Wegmans in Rockville: your questions answered. Click here.
- Pike & Rose will get an Asian food hall: Click here.
- Corned Beef King opens on the Pike. Click here.
- Aldi will open a no-frills grocery store in Rockville. Click here.
Store Reporter Services Guide
- For the Home: Electrical work, flooring, locksmiths, moving & more. Click here.
- Parties & Specialty Gifts: Party swag, monograms, custom art & more. Click here.
- Professional Services: Dentists, orthodontists & therapists you can trust. Click here.
- Pet Services: Only the best for your pet. Click here.
read more
Posted by Store Reporter on May 17, 2018 in Current Issue
Cabin John Q&A
The new owners of Cabin John Village held a public meeting at Churchill High School this week to talk about their plans for redevelopment. After presenting renderings for the first phase of a potentially decade-long project, reps from Edens and EYA answered questions about what the next three years will bring. Here are the most important takeaways.
What’s going to happen with parking? This was the number one question of the evening, with many expressing concern that the center’s new restaurants — not to mention pop-up tenants like the new plant nursery — will attract more traffic while taking away places to park. Developers say the existing parking areas will be largely reconfigured, with a net loss of about 115 spaces from the current total of 1,030. They may eventually add some kind of parking garage, but that won’t happen in the next few years.
How will the strip center be renovated? Plans call for an improved roofline, wider sidewalks, more outdoor dining areas and a new pedestrian walkway between CVS and Giant. A section of the strip mall will be removed to create that walkway, improving pedestrian traffic flow and allowing easier access between the front and back of the center.
What about the mini-mall? It will remain standing with a mix of mostly local tenants. National chains are more likely to move into the strip center.
What’s happening with the four new restaurants? Shake Shack, Le Pain Quotidien, CAVA and Sisters Thai are all scheduled to open in late fall. Developers promise that the view from the corner of Seven Locks and Tuckerman will eventually become an attractive “front door” to Cabin John.
What’s the plan for housing? Local home builder EYA (Park Potomac, Grosvenor Heights et al.) will construct 48 multi-story townhouses in the area behind Lahinch Tavern and Grill. Pricing has not been determined, but an EYA rep says the homes would likely cost between $900,000 and $1.2 million in today’s dollars.
What about green space? The pedestrian-friendly plan includes multiple grassy and tree-lined areas, walkable paths between the buildings, plenty of outdoor seating and a large courtyard for community events.
When can I view these plans? They should be posted online this summer. We’ll let you know when a link is available.
True Food Kitchen spinoff heading this way
Coming soon to Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda and Travilah Square Shopping Center in Rockville: Flower Child, a new restaurant chain from the founders of True Food Kitchen. The menu is quite similar to True Food’s, focusing on healthy but flavorful dishes that cater to specialty diets like sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and paleo. At Wildwood, Flower Child will be taking the space that was recently vacated by the Red Door Spa & Salon (more on that in our March 15th issue.) At Travilah Square, it will be part of a new wave of tenants lured by the upcoming Trader Joe’s grocery store (more on that in our Feb. 22nd issue). Opening dates for Flower Child are TBD, but you can check out the menu here.
Food & fun at Pike & Rose
This is a busy month at Pike & Rose, where the long-delayed sandwich shop Taylor Gourmet finally opened its doors and The Baked Bear dessert shop arrives this weekend. (Click here for details in our April 19th issue). Also arriving on Memorial Day weekend: The Beach, a simulated shoreline near L.L. Bean complete with real sand and umbrellas, faux cabanas and seaside cocktails. The Beach is a seasonal installation that will be around all summer. Click here for more renderings on our Facebook page.
Did you miss these stories?
- Dormify and Untuckit to open at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Click here.
- Corner Market opens at Woodley Gardens. Click here.
- MOM’s Organic Market update for Upper Rock. Click here.
- Cabin John mini-mall gets a new bakery. Click here.
- Seven Seas Chinese restaurant to close. Click here.
- Wegmans in Rockville: your questions answered. Click here.
- Pike & Rose will get an Asian food hall: Click here.
- Corned Beef King opens on the Pike. Click here.
- ArcLight Cinema will get a new neighbor. Click here.
- Store Reporter’s Local Services Guide offers recommendations you can trust. Click here.
read more
