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Retail & Restaurant news for Rockville & Potomac. We know it all. And we like to share.

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Big summer ahead for Rio, new restaurants for Rockville, new yoga for Park Potomac and a Lord & Taylor update

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Rio's new backyard

This week we checked out the snazzy new boardwork at Rio in Gaithersburg, where a striking outdoor concert stage is nearly complete and a summer’s worth of performances are on the way. Rio is undergoing a $30 million facelift with dramatic changes to its appearance and tenant mix. Shown here: the view from what will soon be a second-floor lounge outside the AMC movie theater and the upcoming Dave & Buster’s (aiming to open July 1st). What’s next for Rio? A huge Silver Diner with indoor/outdoor seating and full bar (tentatively opening in August); an “experiential” Xfinity store (opening date TBD); and a state-of-the-art IMAX cinema that’s almost finished inside the movie theater. Plans for a Baked Bear ice cream shop have fallen through, but local creamery Moorenko’s is coming with a summertime pop-up. For behind-the-scenes photos from our visit this week, check out Store Reporter on Facebook and Instagram.

Wintergreen Plaza
Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster

Latest on Lord & Taylor

Lord & Taylor finally announced plans to close its store at Gaithersburg’s ailing Lakeforest Mall — no surprise, as other tenants have been exiting in droves while the mall’s owners look for a buyer.  Meanwhile, the retailer’s White Flint store remains in business more than four years after the adjoining mall was demolished. On a recent visit, we found the White Flint Lord & Taylor in surprisingly good shape with up-to-date merchandise and plenty of still-loyal shoppers. After years of litigation with White Flint’s owners, it’s unclear how much longer this department store will be around. But for now, there’s plenty of summer merchandise on the shelves.

Wink Eyecare Boutique

New restaurants for Rockville Town Square

Good news on the dining front for Rockville Town Square: Four new Asian restaurants are on the way. Friendship BBQ, featuring skewered meats and seafood dishes, will open this summer across from Sushi Damo. And the former Mellow Mushroom space, empty since last fall, will be divided into three new eateries: Gyuzo Japanese BBQ, offering sake and tabletop grilling; Kyoto Matcha, serving green tea, cakes and other desserts; and Cents Taro Family, specializing in Taiwanese taro balls. Rockville Town Square and the surrounding area are already home to a number of Asian restaurants, from the upscale Peter Chang, Sushi Damo and Thai Pavilion to fast-casual Pearl Lady and busy food hall The Spot. Meanwhile, Little Dipper Hot Pot House and the adjoining Lab Cafe recently closed on Gibbs Street.

Shin Orthodontics

Yoga at Park Potomac

A new yoga studio is heading to Park Potomac. Local yogi Debi Schenk is taking over the long-empty Barre Belle space a few doors down from Kaufmann Jewelers. Plans call for an early September opening, with a price point around $17 per class. Schenk’s studio won’t be the only new fitness option in Potomac this fall; Pure Barre is moving to Potomac Village. More on that in our May 2nd edition.

International School of Music
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Crave checks out, Drybar blows in — plus Korean BBQ, bookstores & something new for Potomac Village

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Crave checks out

This week we say goodbye to Crave American Kitchen & Sushi Bar, which closed its doors Wednesday night even as next-door neighbor Cheesecake Factory continued to pack in the crowds. Crave had its fans, especially among sushi aficionados, but its four-year run at Westfield Montgomery mall was plagued by spotty service and perpetually empty tables. The Minneapolis-based chain was in the midst of a national expansion when it opened here in 2015. Recently, though, it has shuttered locations in Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando and most other markets outside of Minnesota.

Jacqueline Band-Olinger of Greystone Realty
Jacqueline Band-Olinger of Greystone Realty

Drybar blows into Pike & Rose

This week’s opening at Pike & Rose: Drybar, offering wash-and-blowout hairstyles from $49. It’s the third new business to open in the past few weeks between Uniqlo and Bluemercury, following the arrivals of Sweetgreen and BurgerFi. (Not to mention brand new gift shop Olive & Loom, just a block away next to Stella Barra.) What’s next for this new section of Pike & Rose? Sunday Morning Bakehouse. Click here for details in our Aug. 30th edition.

Scout & Molly's North Bethesda

New chapter for book lovers at Rockville Town Square

All of a sudden, two new bookstores have popped up at Rockville Town Square. The Story House, a mobile store for kids, has taken over a corner of Dawson’s Market with a charming and well-curated selection of recent titles. And just a block away, between Lebanese Taverna and Bonchon, local nonprofit Turning the Page has opened a popup shop to benefit its literacy efforts in D.C. The store, called Carpe Librum, will be open through August selling used books, CDs and DVDs. For more on Rockville’s literary scene, check out our March 28th story on Barnes & Noble’s upcoming move.

The Game Gym

New eatery for Traville Village Center

Korean chain BB.Q Chicken has opened its doors at Rockville’s Traville Village Center, taking over the former Quench space across from Cava Mezze. The restaurant is affiliated with the Virginia chain BBQ Chicken and Beer, which recently rebranded with the tagline “Best of the Best Quality Chicken.” What’s on the menu? Honey garlic wings, kimchi ramen, fried dumplings, bulgogi rice bowls and a variety of shareable platters fried in olive oil. Click here to check  it out.

Bullis Summer Programs

Wok's up in Potomac Village

New restaurant on the way to Potomac Village: FireWok, presumably serving Chinese cuisine, is moving into the old Fortune Garden space next to SunTrust at Potomac Promenade. This one is a bit of a mystery: There’s a restaurant with the same name in Baltimore County, but it appears the two eateries are not related. We’ll report back when we have more details.

Shin Orthodontics
CASA Voices for Children Montgomery
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Big plans for Westfield Montgomery mall, Chico’s checks out of Potomac Village — plus Mexican at Travilah & Korean BBQ on the Pike

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Major makeover for Montgomery Mall

This week we finally got a peek at the master plan for redeveloping Westfield Montgomery Mall into a living, working, shopping and dining community a la Pike & Rose. Most of the mall will remain intact — with the exception of Sears, which finally will close its doors next March — but plans calls for extensive additions including office space, apartments, a hotel, pedestrian walkways, and outdoor promenades lined with upscale stores and restaurants. Also on the way: a large fitness center with a dedicated parking lot. (No names have been revealed yet, but we’re hearing it’s Equinox.) The entire expansion plan will take about four years, beginning in spring 2019 after Sears is torn down. Additional renderings and a site plan can be found on our Facebook page; click here to check them out.

1-800-GOT-JUNK
Potomac Village Farmers Market
Chico's in Potomac Village

Chico’s checks out of the Village

Say goodbye to Chico’s in Potomac Village, which is closing its doors after a two-decade run next to Hunter’s Bar and Grill. The exit is part of a national downsizing for the women’s retailer, whose next-closest location is at Rockville’s Congressional Plaza. The Potomac Village store will be open until Monday (June 25th), but there’s not much left on the racks.

Shin Orthodontics
Launch Trampoline Park
Cafe Rio taco platter

Mexican fare at Travilah Square

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill will open its third Montgomery County location next week at Travilah Square Shopping Center off Darnestown Road. In addition to the usual crowd-pleasing Mexican dishes (tacos, enchiladas, salads, etc.), the restaurant is known for its fresh-made lemonades and specialty drinks like horchata, a traditional sweet beverage made with milk, rice and cinnamon. (Click here for a peek at the menu.) Cafe Rio is the first of a new wave of tenants for the revamped Travilah Square, which soon will include the True Food Kitchen spinoff Flower Child (click here for more in our May 17th issue) — and of course Trader Joe’s (click here for the latest).

Buredo
Honey Pig BBQ

Honey Pig on the Pike

Honey Pig Korean BBQ has opened its doors at Montrose Crossing; you’ll find it in the strip mall behind Old Navy. This is the fifth D.C.-area location for Honey Pig, which offers a wide-ranging menu that includes bulgogi, dumplings, bibimbap, noodle soups and stews. Click here to check it out.

Power Hour Editing
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Did you miss these issues?

Baked Bear, BBQ, Trader Joe’s and a Wildwood Update

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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.

Truebody Fitness
Trader Joe's rendering

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.)

The Game Gym
Buredo, Le Pain Quotidien, Belina and Red Door at Wildwood

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.

Bender JCC of Greater Washington
Crossroads BBQ exterior

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.

Potomac Village Farmers Market
Sears at Westfield Montgomery Mall -- long shot

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.

Halal Guys in, Rocklands and Emily Grace out — plus Nordstrom’s latest denim debacle

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Pita platters from The Halal Guys

 

Halal this fall

Opening this fall at Wintergreen Plaza on Rockville Pike: The Halal Guys, a brick-and-mortar version of the New York City food cart business with the crazy-long lines. What’s on the menu? Beef and chicken gyros served with pita or basmati rice, plus sides of hummus, baba ganouj, falafel and fries. “Our secret is our white sauce — not the typical tzatziki with cucumber — which puts everything together really well,” says Maryland franchisee Rabi Ullah. He’s also opening a location in College Park, with plans for further expansion statewide (click here for the menu). The Halal Guys replaces Rocklands Barbecue and Grilling Company, which has exited Wintergreen Plaza now that Mission BBQ is open.

 

 

On Cloud 9 camp show: https://www.facebook.com/On-Cloud-9-252148152907/?ref=br_rs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Grace at Park Potomac

 

Goodbye Emily Grace

Emily Grace, one of the original tenants at Park Potomac, closed its doors this week after seven years in business. The boutique specialized in high-end fashions from lines like Vince, Michael Lauren, Joie and AG Jeans. Park Potomac, which will be buzzing this summer with the debut of three new restaurants, is already talking to replacement tenants.

 

 

 

 

 

AMP by Strathmore: https://www.ampbystrathmore.com/?utm_source=Store%20Reporter&utm_medium=Banner&utm_content=AMP%20Come%20Together

 

 

Fire pit from Offenbachers

 

Offenbachers returns to Rockville

Offenbachers, the D.C.-area retail chain that closed its doors last winter, is making a comeback of sorts in Rockville. Home Escapes, a 30-year-old retailer from Virginia, has purchased the Offenbachers name and opened a showroom just around the corner from its former home on Nicholson Lane. The store carries a similar assortment of hot tubs, spas, outdoor furniture, fire pits and pool tables, but the original Offenbachers team is not involved with this venture. Click here to check out the inventory.

 

 

Park Potomac Spring Festival: https://www.facebook.com/events/1799339983727011/

 

 

 

JT Interiors Mother's Day Tea Tasting: https://www.facebook.com/jtinteriorspotomac/

 

 

 

Strathmore in North Bethesda

 

Who won our tickets for Rent stars at Strathmore?

Congratulations to Store Reporter readers Dara Baylinson and Gail Hyman, who each won a pair of tickets to see original Rent stars Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp at Strathmore in North Bethesda. Strathmore’s spring/summer schedule also includes appearances by Tony Bennett, Audra McDonald, Gladys Knight and the creators of the Serial podcast. Click here to check it out.

 

Sponsored Content

 

 

For information about a discount at Regency Estates Swim Club, email publisher@storereporter.com

 

 

 

"Muddy" jeans at Nordstrom

 

Fashion fails: muddy jeans and washable cashmere

Just a few weeks after we told you about that regrettable “mom jeans with windows” incident (click for details) comes news of yet another Nordstrom denim debacle. This time the retailer has been universally shamed for its $425 “heavily distressed” Barracuda jeans. Apparently, “heavily distressed” in Nordstrom-talk means “covered in fake mud.” In other fashion fails this week, washable cashmere company Kit and Ace announced the closing of all its U.S. stores including the one in downtown Bethesda. Kit and Ace was the brainchild of ousted Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, who once helped kick off the athleisure clothing trend. This time around, Wilson apparently overestimated the public’s appetite for $398 turtlenecks.

 

 

Lavaloka workout clothes: https://lavaloka.com

 

 

 

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New restaurant coming, Noodles & Company going at the mall — plus, bye bye Bebe and Bethesda’s Barnes & Noble

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Thin-crust pizzas

 

New restaurant heading to Westfield Montgomery

A popular Bethesda restaurant known for its thin-crust pizzas and salads is finalizing plans for a new location at Westfield Montgomery Mall. We can’t reveal the name just yet, but we can tell you that the menu focuses on healthy eating with fresh vegetables, antibiotic-free meats, cauliflower pizza crusts and gluten-free options. Unlike the recently departed Blaze Pizza and Naples Ristorante, this is a locally owned chain that already has a following in our area.

 

 

 

Noodles & Company, Yum Crepes close

Meanwhile, Noodles & Company exited Westfield Montgomery Mall this week along with the short-lived Yum Crepes. Noodles & Company recently announced plans to trim 55 locations; this week’s closings also included the one on Elm Street in downtown Bethesda. The Rockville restaurant at Congressional Plaza remains open, as does the one in Gaithersburg. 

 

 

Taff & Levine D.D.S.: http://www.taffandlevine.com

 

 

 

Air Jordans at Kicks USA

 

Shoe news

Kicks USA, a Philadelphia-based chain specializing in trendy sneakers, will make its Maryland debut this year with a new store at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The retailer will take over two storefronts near Macy’s Home that were previously occupied by Core, which closed this winter, and Voorthuis Opticians, which has relocated to the Nordstrom wing. Kicks sells shoes for men, women and kids, but its marketing is aimed squarely at teen boys who collect and trade the latest editions from Nike, Adidas, Vans and other popular lines. The company publishes a “release date” schedule for each new design, making savvy use of social media and fanboy videos like this one for the latest pair of Air Jordans.

 

 

JT Interiors at Potomac House: https://www.facebook.com/jtinteriorspotomac/

 

 

 

Payless in Rockville and Bebe at Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

Spring brings more store closings

Two more waves of store closings were announced this week as the Payless shoe chain filed Chapter 11 and women’s retailer Bebe made plans to move its business online. Say goodbye to the Payless store on Rockville Pike, which had been open for just seven months, and the Bebe store at Westfield Montgomery Mall, which will close by the end of May. Payless is reorganizing and will continue to operate some of its stores, including the one at Westfield Montgomery. Bebe had no other locations in Maryland.

 

 

Bagel City is open for Passover: http://bagelciti.com

 

 

 

Barnes & Noble in downtown Bethesda

 

Barnes & Noble closes the book on Bethesda

Barnes & Noble has announced plans to close its three-story location in downtown Bethesda, an institution for more than two decades at the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues. The departure, scheduled for the end of this year, will leave the struggling bookseller with just two stores in Montgomery County: one at Montrose Crossing on Rockville Pike, and the other at Rio Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg.

 

 

http://www.lisanasarhomes.com

 

 

 

Sandwich and coffee at Panera

 

New deal brewing for Panera

The Panera restaurant chain was purchased this week by JAB Holding Company, a German firm that also acquired Krispy Kreme and Einstein Bros. Bagels in the past few years. The goal? Brand synergies. JAB also owns a bunch of coffee companies including Peet’s, Caribou and Keurig Green Mountain. The Panera acquisition offers 2,000 new places to sell coffee.

 

 

 

 

REI store at Pike & Rose

 

Did you miss something?

Did you know that Moby Dick is up and running in Potomac Village and Mission BBQ has arrived on Rockville Pike? Wondering about the opening dates for North Bethesda’s new REI store and the new restaurants at Park Potomac? Spring break is a great time to visit our website, www.storereporter.com, and catch up any news you might have missed. Also, Store Reporter is finally on Twitter! Follow us: @store_reporter.com.

 

 

http://www.hopeforhenry.org/hope-henry-run-5k-make-kids-day

 

 

 

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Mission BBQ, HHgregg, more mall closings and the scoop on slime

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Brisket, fries and beans at Mission BBQ

 

Hello Mission BBQ

The big news on Rockville Pike this week is the opening of Mission BBQ, under construction since November in the former Benjarong space at Wintergreen Plaza. This is the first Montgomery County location for the popular Maryland-based chain, which offers brisket, spare ribs, pulled pork and other traditional favorites in a casual atmosphere with prices mostly below $10. “Mission” refers to the company’s focus on patriotism, which includes lunchtime renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner and frequent fundraisers for veterans, police and firefighters. Grand opening is this Monday (March 13th); click here to check out the menu.

 

 

Taff & Levine D.D.S.: http://www.taffandlevine.com

 

 

 

HHgregg

 

Electronics retailer pulls the plug

Add HHgregg to the ever-growing list of retail bankruptcies in this warm but brutal winter. The electronics chain filed Chapter 11 this week, with plans to close 88 of its 200 stores and sell off the rest. All HHgregg stores in the D.C. area, including the one on Rockville Pike, are expected to close in mid-April.

 

 

JT Interiors: https://www.facebook.com/jtinteriorspotomac/

 

 

 

Slime from Michael's

Got slime?

If you have a child in elementary or middle school this year, you’re probably quite familiar with the slime craze. In the grand tradition of Silly Bandz (2010-11) and Rainbow Looms (2013-14), the preteen obsession du jour is a homemade concoction of borax, food coloring, various forms of glitter and copious amounts of Elmer’s Glue. In fact, that classroom staple has been in short supply at local stores ever since kids started turning their homes into slime factories. “We’ve been scavenging everywhere to get the ingredients and keep up with demand,” says Hadi Hassan, manager of Michael’s on Rockville Pike. “We want to make sure we don’t fall behind the curve when it comes to slime.” Our middle school informants tell us that Hassan can probably relax: Word has it the slime craze has already peaked. Still going strong in your house? Click here for some recipes.

 

 

2017 On Cloud 9 Camp Trunk Show: https://www.facebook.com/On-Cloud-9-252148152907/

 

 

 

Radio Shack and Core at Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

More closings at the mall

Still more bad news to report at Westfield Montgomery Mall this week: The two-year-old Core clothing store has closed its doors, and bankrupt-again Radio Shack will soon be out as well. The mall has seen more departures these past few months than at any time in recent memory, from national retailers that went bankrupt (The Limited, American Apparel and Marbles) to smaller tenants like Best Buy Mobile, R. Riveter, American Classic Clothes, Freddy, Smart Toys and Stride Rite. Losses have been heavy on the dining side as well: Splashy new restaurants MET Bethesda and Naples Ristorante each flamed out after less than two years, as did the short-lived Peet’s Coffee bar as well as longtime tenants Wetzel’s Pretzels and Bistro Sensations. Similar scenes are playing out at malls across the country, as internet sales continue to cannibalize physical stores. Just this week, Urban Outfitters CEO Richard Hayne told Bloomberg that the U.S. is oversaturated with retail space after a late-’90s/early-2000s building boom. “Like housing,” he said, “that bubble has now burst.”

 

 

Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster: http://www.lisanasarhomes.com/single-post/2016/12/05/The-10-Dumbest-Mistakes-Smart-People-Make-When-Buying-or-Selling-a-Home-–-and-How-to-Avoid-Them

 

 

 

East Gate Swim & Tennis Club: https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?team=recpveggstmd

 

 

 

Hope for Henry's 5K: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/861275/

 

 

 

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