Store Reporter

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

Pike & Rose

West Elm on the way to Pike & Rose — plus poke, Vietnamese desserts and a mall steakhouse update

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West Elm on the way

Furniture/home decor store West Elm is joining the lineup at Pike & Rose, taking almost 12,000 square feet next to Pinstripes with plans for a fall debut. West Elm, a sister store to Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma, has a clean-lined, modern aesthetic that’s likely to be a hit with all the millennials and empty nesters setting up new homes in North Bethesda. Can’t wait to check it out? Click here.

Bender JCC of Greater Washington
Eyeland/Luxoptics

Poki DC arrives

Good news for everyone who misses Buredo at Wildwood: After more than a year of construction at the Georgetown Square shopping center, Poki DC is opening this weekend next to Not Your Average Joe’s. What’s on the menu? Hawaiian-style bowls of seasoned raw fish over grains and veggies (click here for a peek). Also: This location will be serving Gong Cha bubble tea.

Wink Eyecare
Shahs of Style

New eats on the Pike

Two new restaurants will open this spring at the Towne Plaza shopping center on Rockville Pike, best known as the former home of Five Guys and Chef Geoff’s. Nature Kitchen is set to arrive next month, followed in April by Bambu Desserts & Drinks. Bambu, based in California, serves Vietnamese-inspired fare from sweet coffees, bean-based chè drinks and fruit smoothies to crêpes and bánh mì sandwiches.

Realtor Margie Halem of Compass
2019 Magnolia Bluebird Party Smarty mitzvah workshiop updated

Is Viva still alive?

It’s been almost a year since Westfield Montgomery mall announced plans for a Japanese steakhouse across from the ArcLight movie theater. Since then, the project has fallen so far behind that the “Opening Summer 2018” signs became something of a joke. This month, someone finally adjusted expectations by papering over the “18” with a “19.” Will Viva really open by summer? The mall says yes. Stay tuned.

Congregation B'nai Tzedek Greenzaid ECC
Shin Orthodontics
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Urban Plates, Cinnabon, Jersey Mike’s, Amazon Lockers & more

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First look at Urban Plates

This week we had a chance to preview the menu at Urban Plates, which recently opened at Tysons Galleria and will arrive next month at Westfield Montgomery mall. The restaurant manages to gracefully combine a casual atmosphere and cafeteria-line setup with high-end entrées like osso bucco and striped sea bass, all at a price point well below $20. Sandwiches and salads are plentiful here (including a standout chicken club), along with tasty sides like brussels sprouts with turkey bacon, rainbow carrots with golden beets, and miso mushrooms with sweet potatoes. Desserts and juices also are house-made, and the Westfield Montgomery location will offer wine and beer. This one looks like a winner.

The Grilled Oyster
Moda Optic

Cinnabon and Amazon Lockers

In other mall news, Cinnabon is moving into the long-empty space next to Popeyes. The Core clothing store, which exited Westfield Montgomery two years ago, is making a comeback in the Nordstrom wing. And here’s a perk for online shoppers: A wall of Amazon Lockers will be installed next month near Forever 21. Not familiar with the concept? Amazon Lockers are self-serve “mailboxes” where you can drop off a package or receive a delivery at the time of your convenience. All you do is schedule the pickup or dropoff online, then Amazon sends you a locker number and a private code to open it. No more waiting for the UPS truck or worrying about porch pirates.

Party Smarty by Magnolia Bluebird

Rooftop skating at Pike & Rose

An ice-skating rink made its debut last weekend on the rooftop terrace of the Canopy Hotel at Pike & Rose. The rink, which features synthetic ice, is open for the rest of this month with lounge seating on one side and a hotel menu on the other. Tickets are $14 to $17 per person and benefit the nonprofit Mel’s Rink Foundation, which is raising money to build an indoor sports facility for kids with special needs.

Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Wintergreen Plaza

Goodbye Jerry's, hello Jersey Mike's

Jersey Mike’s Subs is on the way to the Fallsgrove shopping center, replacing the recently closed Jerry’s Subs and Pizza. This will be the second Jersey Mike’s in Rockville, following a three-year-old location at Wintergreen Plaza. Opening date TBD.

Eyeland/Luxoptics

Potomac Paddlesports floats out of the Village

Potomac Paddlesports has closed up shop in Potomac Village. After several years selling watersports gear in the mini-mall at the Potomac Promenade shopping center, owner Sunny Pitcher says he wants to focus on his core business of kayak lessons and excursions.

Wink Eyecare
Realtor Jacqueline Band-Olinger of Greystone Realty
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Thanksgiving shopping, Black Friday specials, new restaurants for the holidays

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Happy Thanksgiving — and let the shopping begin

Just about the time you’re finishing that last piece of pumpkin pie, lots of stores will be opening their doors for the earliest Black Friday shoppers. Westfield Montgomery mall will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight on Thursday — although some of the biggest stores, including Apple and Nordstrom, will be sitting it out until Friday. Most of Rockville’s major retailers will be closed on Thanksgiving, reopening as early as 6 a.m. for Friday morning door-busters. If you prefer a stress-free shopping experience, pay a visit to your local retailers like the ones at Cabin John Village. Many will be offering terrific Black Friday deals, and they’ll even handle the gift-wrapping for you. Scroll down for details.

Toy Castle
Susan Koehn Designs
Occasions
The Grilled Oyster

Last hurrah for Sears and the Macy's Home Store

This will be the last Black Friday for Sears at Westfield Montgomery mall, and likely for the Macy’s Home Store as well. From what we hear, there’s a new Life Time Athletic fitness club and eventually a whole new Macy’s store on the way. More on these plans in our Oct. 25th edition. And stay tuned for next week, when we have some news about a big change happening on Rockville Pike.

Realtor Jacqueline Band-Olinger of Greystone Realty
Eyeland/Luxoptics

New restaurants for the holidays

What’s new on the holiday dining scene? Flower Child, the new fast-casual restaurant at Travilah Square Shopping Center, offers a healthy, veg-heavy menu that makes a great counterpart to all those Thanksgiving calories. Nada, specializing in tacos and cocktails, opened its doors on Monday at Pike & Rose. We haven’t tried it yet, but the interior is lovely. And Julii, a new French/Mediterranean restaurant from the founders of Cava, will be opening down the street in about a week. This week we took a sneak-peek tour with chef Sasha Felikson, who’s supervising every detail from the Moroccan tagine cookware to the chocolate soufflés. Check out our Facebook page for photos of all three places.

Wink Eyecare Boutique
Explorekensington.com
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Julii and faux snow at Pike & Rose, Sugo is sold, Untuckit and tires at the mall

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Julii's almost here

Julii, one of the most anticipated new restaurants of the fall season, is two weeks away from opening at Pike & Rose. The casual bistro is a side venture from the founders of Cava, who plan to offer a French and Mediterranean menu with dishes like roast chicken and duck, crispy trout, tuna nicoise, French onion soup and Moroccan lamb tagine. “We’re going to start with dinner,” says co-owner Ted Xenohristos. “Eventually we’ll start opening in the mornings with coffee, baked goods, bagels and Israeli-style breakfast, then kick in with lunch service: sandwiches, stuffed croissants and grab-and-go meals.” Xenohristos also has some news about one of his other restaurants, Sugo at Park Potomac. Scroll down for more.

Taff & Levine
Wink Eyecare Boutique

Sugo is sold

Sugo at Park Potomac, which opened six years ago as a side project from the team that created Cava, has changed hands as its busy founders move on to new ventures (see the Julii story above). The restaurant’s new owner is Dhvani Vyas, a Subway franchisee and Sugo fan who plans to keep the name and the menu essentially intact. He is, however, experimenting with some new items in the kitchen (bread pudding, Nutella-based desserts, white pizza with sliced peaches and balsamic glaze). Also on the way: new TVs, a new espresso machine, live music and special events showcasing wines and local beers. Eventually Vyas hopes to add an outdoor canopy like the one at neighboring Addie’s. “We’ll be looking for feedback from customers,” he says. “We want to see what else they’d like us to do.”

California Tortilla

Untucked shirts and spare tires at the mall

Untuckit will open its doors next week in the Macy’s wing at Westfield Montgomery mall, right across from the Apple store. The retailer is known for its $80-ish button-down and polo shirts with hems that are intended to fall mid-fly, showing off its triangle logo and covering any spare tires. And speaking of spare tires: Goodyear is heading to the mall with its new tire store, Roll, which makes life easy by picking up your car or sending a mobile technician to handle the installation right at your home or workplace. The chain recently opened in downtown Bethesda and will be rolling into the former Pen Boutique space at Westfield Montgomery; opening date TBD.

Shin Orthodontics

Faux snow at Pike & Rose

After the success of its popular “Beach” installation this past summer, Pike & Rose is launching a wintertime counterpart: faux snow. In case you didn’t get enough of the real stuff this week, visit Pike & Rose any Friday or Saturday through the holidays for a manmade snowfall — complete with holiday music — every night at 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.

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New eateries for Pike & Rose, Westfield Montgomery and Travilah Square — plus a fabulous holiday boutique show

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New restaurants & more for Pike & Rose

This fall will be a busy one for Pike & Rose, with the Mexican restaurant Nada arriving this month and the much-hyped Julii not far behind. Nada, which calls itself a “taco and cocktail joint,” is set to open Nov. 19th across the street from Pinstripes. We’ll keep you posted on the opening date for Julii, a new venture from the founders of Cava that should be here before the holidays. Meanwhile: Seasons Oil & Vinegar Taproom, one of the first tenants to open at Pike & Rose, will be exiting after four years. Taking its place will be Olive & Loom, a gift shop specializing in Turkish towels and olive oil bath products. Opening is set for next spring.

Wintergreen Plaza
Moda Optic Mykita trunk show
Viva and Urban Plates

Mall restaurant update: From the steakhouse to 7-11

This week we checked in on the dining scene at Westfield Montgomery mall, where Urban Plates and Poke Papa are now under construction in the former Naples space. But what’s up with Viva Japanese Steakhouse, which was supposed to have opened months ago across from the ArcLight Cinema? A peek through the windows reveals that little progress has been made since last summer, and the restaurant’s owner has not returned our messages. The mall says Viva will open around Christmas, but we have our doubts. Moving along to the other side of the Dining Terrace: A 7-11 (of all things) will be opening next to Chick-fil-A, and the gourmet popsicle shop we told you about last month is changing its name from Pop Culture to Frozen Stuff on a Stick. That one should be open in a few weeks.

Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Explore Kensington

Flower Child blooms at Travilah Square

Flower Child has opened its doors at the Travilah Square shopping center on Darnestown Road, offering a health-conscious menu in a fast-casual setting just across from the new Trader Joe’s. Created by the founder of True Food Kitchen, the restaurant caters to special diets from vegetarian and vegan to paleo, sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free. Flower Child will open a second MoCo location next spring at the Wildwood Shops. For a look at the menu, click here.

Washington Hebrew Congregation Holiday Boutique

Join us for shopping, fun & a chance to win our raffle

The holiday season kicks off in Potomac this week with the annual Holiday Boutique & Silent Auction sponsored by the Women of Washington Hebrew Congregation. The show is just two days this year — Sunday, Nov. 11 and Monday, Nov. 12 — at the Julia Bindeman Suburban Center at Falls Road and Tuckerman Lane. We’ll be there both days at the Store Reporter table near the entrance. Stop by, say hello and enter to win one of our fabulous raffle prizes from show vendors. Participants this year include The Boho Eye, Elana Designs, Faye Mendelsohn Cosmetics, R Boutique, Stella M’lia, Susan Koehn Designs, Sweet Charma and Valerie Nahmani Designs. There’s no charge to enter our raffle, just drop your name in our jar at the show.

Sushi at Pike & Rose, construction at Cabin John, a closing on Rockville Pike and the fight to save Dawson’s

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Here’s your retail & restaurant scoop for the week of Oct. 18th, 2018.

Kusshi Sushi & Sake

What's next for Pike & Rose

The first of the new fall restaurant lineup arrives next week at Pike & Rose. Say hello to Kusshi Sushi & Sake, a new venture from the owners of Hanaro Sushi in Bethesda, opening in the former Carluccio’s space next to Owen’s Ordinary. Next up for the neighborhood: the Mexican restaurant Nada, the Indian restaurant Commonwealth, and the new Julii restaurant from the founders of Cava. In other Pike & Rose news, blowout salon Drybar has inked a deal to open next spring alongside the upcoming Sweetgreen, BurgerFi and Sunday Morning Bakehouse.

1-800-GOT-JUNK
Wink Eyecare Boutique
Construction at Cabin John Village

Cabin John facelift begins

Here’s a look at the start of construction at Cabin John Village, which began this week and will continue through next spring. A new roofline, wider walkways, better lighting and improved parking are all on the way. And although it may not look like it, all businesses will remain open through the whole thing. For more details on this project, click here for our Oct. 11 edition.

Realty Jacqueline Band-Olinger of Greystone Realty
Al Ha'esh Israel Grill
Sofa from Thomasville Furniture

Thomasville furniture store moving out

The Thomasville furniture store, a longtime tenant at Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike, will close its doors this fall after the bankruptcy of its parent company, Heritage Home Group. Two dozen Thomasville stores are closing across the country as bidders vie for what’s left of the century-old furniture brand and and its sister lines, Drexel, Henredon and Broyhill. Also exiting Congressional this fall is the longtime gift shop Silver Moon, formerly known as Tiara. Click here for more in our Sept. 20th edition.

Explore Kensington
Potomac Village Farmers Market
Dawson's Market

Can Dawson's be saved?

Dawson’s Market at Rockville Town Square launched a GoFundMe campaign this week in hopes of raising $100,000 to stay in business. Earlier this month, the six-year-old grocer said it couldn’t make enough money in Rockville and announced plans to close on Oct. 27th. In a post on the market’s GoFundMe page, owner Bart Yablonsky says he is “working on an arrangement that will keep Dawson’s alive.”

Washington Hebrew Congregation Holiday Boutique
Capital Area Food Bank
Sears at Westfield Montgomery mall

Chapter 11 for Sears

To no one’s surprise, Sears filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week and announced it will close another 142 stores this year. That will leave the once-iconic retailer with fewer than 500 stores as it tries one more time to reorganize. The bankruptcy won’t have much impact in our area, as the Sears store at Westfield Montgomery mall already was expected to close next March. What’s going to take its place? Likely a brand new Life Time gym. Click here for more in our Oct. 11th issue.

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Adiós Mi Rancho, goodbye Taylor Gourmet, so long Silver Moon… and hello to Sweetgreen & a new boutique

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Here’s your retail & restaurant scoop for the week of Sept. 20, 2018.

Taylor Gourmet out, Sweetgreen in at Pike & Rose

Last week it was speculation, this week it’s a done deal: North Bethesda’s Taylor Gourmet will exit Pike & Rose just four months after it opened. Doors are scheduled to close Sept. 27th, although it could happen sooner. Last week the D.C.-based sandwich chain said it wanted to reduce real estate costs by ditching some of its larger locations, but this week it became clear that the entire chain is shutting down. Meanwhile, salad chain Sweetgreen announced plans to open at Pike & Rose next year on the ground floor of the new Canopy by Hilton/930 Rose hotel/condo complex. The health-oriented chain will provide a welcome counterpoint to its upcoming neighbors, BurgerFi and Sunday Morning Bakehouse. (Details on those in our July 26th and Aug. 30th editions.)

1-800-GOT-JUNK
Second Chance Addiction Care

So long Silver Moon

One of our last remaining local gift shops, Silver Moon Jewelry & Accessories, is closing its doors at Congressional Plaza. Originally known as Tiara Galleries & Gifts, the 60-year-old retailer specialized in housewares and collectibles from the likes of Lladro, Swarovski and Waterford. As figurines and formal place settings fell out of fashion with younger buyers, the store rebooted in 2015 with a new name and a new focus: handbags from Vera Bradley and Spartina, jewelry from Pandora and Alex & Ani. With the recent passing of Irv Losman, son of founder Ruth Losman, Tiara/Silver Moon has run its course. The store will close on or before Nov. 30th.

Eyeland/Luxoptics
My Best Friend's Closet
Gym & Tonic athleisure boutique is now open at Park Potomac

Athleisure boutique opens at Park Potomac

Park Potomac has a new boutique: Gym & Tonic, featuring high-end workout wear and clothes that transition from the barre to the bar. The store opened last week next door to Addie’s, where it’s well-positioned to capture the crowds from Orangetheory Fitness on one side and Life Time Athletic on the other. For more on Gym & Tonic, click here.

Fallsgrove Orthodontic Center
Congregation B'nai Tzedek

Adiós Mi Rancho

Tex-Mex restaurant Mi Rancho has closed its red and green doors after a decade on Rockville Pike, where it sat between Party City and Yekta. Owners said they failed to reach a new lease agreement for the Rockville location, but they have no plans to close their other restaurants in Silver Spring and Germantown.

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Mall makeovers, Chick-fil-A, bye bye Buredo and trouble for Taylor Gourmet

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Here’s your retail & restaurant scoop for the week of Sept. 13th, 2018.

Mall makeovers

There’s a lot of reshuffling at Westfield Montgomery mall this month as longtime tenants renovate their spaces in a rush to reopen before the holidays. Here’s an update on what’s happening:

  • Bath & Body Works is reconfiguring its store to provide a new showcase for the White Barn candle line. Renovations will be complete around the end of October; in the meantime, Bath & Body Works has set up a temporary storefront in the former Sharper Image space.
  • The Champs sporting goods store also is operating out of temporary quarters in the Macy’s Home wing. Renovations should be done in late October/early November.
  • Old Navy is renovating the space next door and is scheduled to move there just before Halloween. The new store will be noticeably smaller than Old Navy’s current location.
  • Francesca’s has closed for a mini-facelift and is expected to reopen Sept. 22nd.
  • Pandora has completed a major expansion and returned to its original location near the center of the mall.

We also have two closings to report. The glass-enclosed Peloton bike kiosk is gone after the company opened a full-sized store in downtown Bethesda. And the Zero Degrees Thai ice cream kiosk, which never appeared to have any customers, is out after just three months.

Shin Orthodontics
Buredo

Bye bye Buredo

No more sushi burritos at the Wildwood shopping center: Buredo has closed its doors after just a year in business. It’s the second closing in the past few weeks for three-year-old Buredo, which has four locations in D.C. but never seemed to pick up momentum with the Wildwood crowd. Perhaps it’s just as well that another sushi burrito chain, Maki Shop, called off plans to open at Georgetown Square just across the street. So does this mean sushi burritos are over? Maybe. But poke bowls are still going strong. More on that in an upcoming issue.

Le Pain Quotidien
Izes
Chick-fil-A

Opening day for Rockville’s Chick-fil-A

Sept. 27th is opening day for Chick-fil-A at Research Row, the new development rising off I-270 at West Montgomery Avenue in Rockville. The complex also is home to a new One Life Fitness gym, and it just landed another major tenant: Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant. See our Aug. 30th edition for details.

Potomac Village Farmers Market
Grilled Oyster
Taylor Gourmet at Pike & Rose

Trouble for Taylor Gourmet

You know the new Taylor Gourmet restaurant that just opened at Pike & Rose? It may not be around much longer. The sandwich chain tells the Washington Business Journal that it’s trying to renegotiate or terminate some of its leases, as its customers are increasingly choosing takeout and delivery over dining in. The Pike & Rose location, which opened this past May, is among those that may get the ax. (Editor’s update: All Taylor Gourmet locations closed in late September.)

Eyeland/Luxoptics
Congregation B'nai Tzedek
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Shake Shack and Trader Joe’s open, Fogo de Chão heads to Pike & Rose

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Here’s your retail & restaurant scoop for the week of Sept. 6th, 2018.

Shake Shack shakes up Potomac

Shake Shack made its Montgomery County debut at Cabin John Village this week, ushering in a new era of fast-food fame for the quiet neighborhood shopping center. A radio station was on site Thursday morning when the doors officially opened, and it wasn’t long before Churchill high schoolers were pouring in for lunch. The place seems destined to become the latest hotspot for local teens — especially in the evenings, when we’re told it will stay open until 10 or 11 p.m. All of which means that Silver Diner, Tastee Diner and Sprinkles are about to get a run for their money. Haven’t had a chance to check out Shake Shack yet? Click here for more photos on our Facebook page.

Grilled Oyster
My Best Friend's Closet
Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's grand opening

The long-awaited Trader Joe’s opened on Friday (Sept. 7th) at Travilah Square Shopping Center off Darnestown Road. The store was packed from 8 a.m. on, with live music, tastings and giveaways all day long. This is the second Rockville location for Trader Joe’s, replacing the one in Gaithersburg that closed its doors this week. The look is cleaner, the aisles are wider, and there are tables outside for al fresco dining. The grocery store has been a game-changer for once-dowdy Travilah Square, which is now attracting new tenants like Cafe Rio Mexican Grill and the upcoming Flower Child (more on that in our May 17th edition). For inside photos of the new store, click here.

Wintergreen Plaza
Le Pain Quotidien
2016-izes-break-the-fast-ad-1200
Fogo de Chäo

Fogo de Chão to Pike & Rose

Well, that was fast. Two weeks after the Nike Factory Store moved out of Pike & Rose (details in our Aug. 23rd issue), owner Federal Realty announced a new tenant for the prime corner spot overlooking Old Georgetown Road. Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse with locations in D.C., Tysons Corner and Baltimore, is taking over the space with plans to open early next year. The chain specializes in meats cooked on a traditional churrasqueira grill, but it also offers pork, lamb, chicken and seafood dishes plus traditional Brazilian sides like polenta, yuca, black beans and caramelized bananas. At Pike & Rose, Fogo de Chão will sit right across the street from another high-end steakhouse: Del Frisco’s Grille.

Second Chance Addiction Care
Power Hour Editing

A weekend’s worth of openings, new winery for Rockville, new bakery for Pike & Rose

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Here’s your retail & restaurant scoop for the week of Aug. 30th, 2018.

What’s opening this weekend

Staying home for Labor Day weekend and looking for some new places to check out? Here’s your shortlist.

  • Japanese retailer Uniqlo opens at Pike & Rose on Saturday (Sept. 1) with a morning full of festivities from Japanese drummers to free Kung Fu tea. (More on Uniqlo in our Aug. 16th edition).
  • Sephora also debuts its newest store this weekend at Gaithersburg’s Downtown Crown.
  • Le Pain Quotidien opens on Sunday (Sept. 3) at Cabin John Village. The neighboring Shake Shack won’t be ready this weekend, but we’re told it will be opening on Wednesday, Sept. 5. (More on Cabin John’s new restaurants in our Aug. 23rd edition.
  • Spice 6 opened this week in the Dining Terrace at Westfield Montgomery mall, offering Indian food with a Chipotle-style assembly line format. We like the naan pizza, which can be topped with your choice of chutneys and curries. For more on Spice 6, click here.
Second Chance Addiction Care
North Bethesda Fit Body Boot Camp

New winery for Rockville

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant is heading to Rockville. The Ilinois-based chain is taking 12,000 square feet at the new Research Row development, joining One Life Fitness and Chick-fil-A off I-270 at West Montgomery Avenue. Cooper’s Hawk, which also has locations in Reston, Ashburn and Annapolis, offers an upscale menu focused on food and wine pairings — plus a wine-tasting room and a wine-centric gourmet market. A construction timeline hasn’t been set yet, but you can preview the menu here.

Grilled Oyster
Sunday Morning Bakehouse

Fresh from the oven at Pike & Rose

A popular bakery at the Pike & Rose weekend farm market will soon be moving in full-time. Sunday Morning Bakehouse, owned by Rockville native Caroline Yi, has earned an avid following for specialties like pain au chocolat, jam-filled brioche donuts and “Elvis” croissants stuffed with peanut butter, bananas and bacon. This will be the first brick-and-mortar location for Yi, who hopes to open next summer with an expanded menu including coffee, sandwiches and all-day breakfast. For a closer look at her goodies, click here.

Shin Orthodontics
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Labor Day opening for Cabin John restaurants, Nike store closes at Pike & Rose, Cava’s surprise buy

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Restaurants ready to open at Cabin John

The upcoming Labor Day weekend will be a busy one at Cabin John Village, with the arrival of Le Pain Quotidien and possibly Shake Shack as well. Tables and chairs already have been set up outside Le Pain, which is scheduled to open for business on Monday, Sept. 3. Construction is almost complete at the neighboring Shake Shack, which will make its debut the same day if all goes smoothly. The two restaurants will join Cava, which opened earlier this month, and the upcoming Sisters Thai, which is expected to arrive this fall. What’s next for Cabin John? A major expansion. Click here for more.

Wintergreen Plaza
Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Nike Store

Nike runs out of Pike & Rose

Surprise closing this week at Pike & Rose: The Nike Factory Store is exiting after just two years in the prominent corner spot facing Old Georgetown Road. This is the second sporting goods store to close at that location; original tenant City Sports lasted only a year before its parent company filed Chapter 11 in 2015. At the Nike store, staffers tell us that sales were slow the first year but business picked up in 2018 as Pike & Rose added more tenants and attracted more visitors. Apparently, though, the upward trend wasn’t promising enough for Nike. A company spokesperson declined to discuss Pike & Rose, but said there are no plans to close other nearby Nike stores in D.C., Georgetown and Clarksburg.

North Bethesda Fit Body Boot Camp
Eyeland/Luxoptics
Cava

Cava’s surprise buy

D.C.’s Cava Group surprised the restaurant industry last week when it announced plans to acquire Texas-based Zoë’s Kitchen for $300 million. Cava, founded a dozen years ago by three longtime friends from the Rockville/Bethesda area, has 66 locations nationwide compared with 260 for Zoë’s Kitchen. But Cava is on a rapid expansion path with significant backing from venture capital firms, while Zoë’s has seen its sales decline in recent years. Still unclear: Whether the two restaurants, which serve similar fast-casual Mediterranean menus, will retain separate identities or merge into one big Cava chain after the acquisition.

Second Chance Addiction Care
Fallsgrove Orthodontic Center
Noodles & Company

New look for Noodles & Company

Noodles & Company at Congressional Plaza is closed for renovations, with plans to reopen in mid-September. The Rockville location is one of just three Noodles and Company restaurants left in Montgomery County after last year’s closing of two Bethesda locations.

Bender JCC School fo Dance
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Travilah Trader Joe’s is ready to roll, Uniqlo at Pike & Rose and the Home Depot parking lot mystery

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Travilah Trader Joe’s is ready to roll

Trader Joe’s will open its new Rockville store just after Labor Day, wrapping up some 18 months of construction at the newly revamped Travilah Square Shopping Center off Darnestown Road. Barring any last-minute delays, doors are set to open on Friday, Sept. 7. This location replaces an older store in Gaithersburg, which will close when the new one opens. Meanwhile, the Trader Joe’s on Rockville Pike will have some new competition this fall: Aldi is on the way. Click here for more in our July 12th edition.

Taff & Levine D.D.S.
Shin Orthodontics
Uniqlo

Hello Uniqlo

Sept. 1 is opening day for the 8,000-square-foot Uniqlo store at Pike & Rose. The Japanese retailer, which also has locations at Tysons Corner and D.C.’s Union Station, is known for selling simple, functional clothing for men, women and kids at very reasonable prices. For example: packable down vests for less than $50, Merino sweaters for less than $40, T-shirts for ten bucks and free alterations for all pants over $20. The Pike & Rose store is Uniqlo’s first location in Maryland. Click here for a preview.

Potomac Village Farmers Market
ExploreKensington.com
Home Depot

Home Depot’s mystery project

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about construction at the Home Depot shopping center off Westlake Terrace, where rumors started flying after a large section of the parking lot was fenced off a couple of weeks ago. Home Depot tells us the project is simply an extension of the parking lot expansion that began last winter with the demolition of the old Vince & Dominic’s building. The fenced-off area is being flattened out to improve water drainage. Nothing more interesting to report. Sorry.

Bender JCC School of Dance
The Game Gym
Sports Nation

Skins, Caps & Nats at the mall

Just in time for football season, fan shop Sports Nation has opened next to the Vans store at Westfield Montgomery mall. The shop carries pants, shorts, jerseys, bobbleheads, keychains and other gear for all the local professional sports teams. And just down the hall, Old Navy has begun a major facelift that should be done by fall. What else is new at the mall? Click here for our Aug. 9th issue.

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Ramen & burgers for Pike & Rose, new Chick-fil-A for Rockville

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Ramen's almost ready

Aug. 7th is opening day for Jinya Ramen Bar at Pike & Rose, the first of several new restaurants expected to debut there in the next few months. The menu features hand-made noodles in five kinds of slow-simmered broth, customized with your choice of 25 toppings. Other offerings include salmon poke mini-tacos, Brussels sprouts tempura, quinoa salad, rice bowls and mochi ice cream. The drink menu ranges from sake, cocktails and Japanese beers to non-alcoholic seasonal and tea-based beverages. This is the third D.C.-area location for California-based Jinya. For some sneak-peek photos on our Facebook page, click here.

Wintergreen Plaza
BurgerFi

Burgers this winter at Pike & Rose

Also joining the dining scene at Pike & Rose is BurgerFi, a Florida-based chain known for its tasty food and eye-catching branded buns. In the tradition of fast-casual competitors Shake Shack and Five Guys, BurgerFi features a simple, calorie-busting menu: beef and veggie burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches, fries and onion rings, shakes and custards, beer and wine. It’s scheduled to open at Pike & Rose this winter next to Bluemercury.

Pike Kitchen

Chick-fil-A on the way

Every week we get questions about the new Chick-fil-A sign that appeared this summer off I-270 in Rockville. The fast-food favorite will be part of the upcoming Research Row office park, which also includes a OneLife Fitness gym. So when is this new Chick-Fil-A going to open? The company tells us it’s shooting for September.

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Power Hour Editing
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Aldi update, ins and outs at the mall, new Starbucks and the Supreme store

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Aldi update

This week we checked on the progress of Rockville’s first Aldi store, now under construction in the former H.H. Gregg space next to Petco at Congressional North. You wouldn’t know it by the empty shell seen here, but the company tells us the store is still on track to open this fall as planned. This is one of six new Maryland stores for Aldi, a German grocer that sells high-quality private-label brands at rock-bottom prices. For more on Aldi’s unique business model, click here. For info on Rockville’s upcoming Wegmans store, click here. And for the latest on the new Trader Joe’s in Travilah, click here.

Wintergreen Plaza
Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Bath & Body Works at Westfield Montgomery Mall

Comings and goings at the mall

If you stopped by Westfield Montgomery mall this week and spotted the empty space where Bath & Body Works used to be, don’t panic: There’s a lot of reshuffling going on this summer. Bath & Body Works is getting a facelift and will be operating out of temporary quarters until the work is finished. The Pandora store and Old Navy are doing the same. Meanwhile, the past few weeks have seen the openings of Invisalign, K&I Salon and a Thai rolled ice cream kiosk. What closed? Pen Boutique, after a very long going-out-of-business sale. What’s next for Westfield Montgomery? A major expansion beginning in 2019. For more on that story, click here.

Norman's Farm Market
Girl Power 3
MVP Supreme at Westfield Montgomery

Making the scene at Supreme

While we’re talking about Westfield Montgomery mall, have you ever wondered what’s up with that MVP Supreme store in the Macy’s Home wing? As any teen can probably tell you, the store is a reseller of Supreme and other popular skatewear brands that produce high-priced goods ($78 T-shirts and $158 track jackets) in very, very small quantities. The scarcity means that most items get snatched up the moment they “drop,” and some Supreme stores have set up ticketing systems to handle the overload of shoppers on “drop days.” As for the lucky buyers, they’re less likely to wear their Supreme clothes than to resell them — at school or online — for a sizable profit. Want to see what the brand is all about? Click here.

Fallsgrove Orthodontic Center
Germantown Moving & Storage
Starbucks at Pike & Rose

New Starbucks for North Bethesda

The new Starbucks at Pike & Rose has finally opened its doors in the prime space between H&M and Sur La Table. This location replaces the older Starbucks just off Rockville Pike, which was more convenient for passing drivers but missed out on all that Pike & Rose foot traffic.

Asian food hall opens in Rockville, Cabin John restaurants coming soon

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The Spot is hot

Opening this weekend in downtown Rockville: The Spot, an Asian food hall on the ground floor of the Metropolitan apartment building on North Washington Street. Inside you’ll find everything from bubble tea and poke bowls to Taiwanese fried chicken, handmade noodles and dumplings. And for dessert: Taiwanese snocream (a shaved ice/ice cream combo) served in Hong Kong-style egg waffle cones. The Spot will be open until midnight or later most evenings, with additional food booths and a bar arriving soon. Up next is Pike Kitchen, another Asian food hall opening later this year on Edmonston Drive (click here for more). And after that comes The Block, a similar project opening in 2019 at Pike & Rose (click here for more).

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Shin Orthodontics
Cabin John restaurants

Cabin John restaurant update

Over at Cabin John Village, restaurant construction is moving quickly and we’re told that Cava (far left in this photo) might be open as early as next month. Le Pain Quotidien (second from left) will likely be the next restaurant to arrive, followed by Shake Shack (all the way on the right). The slowpoke here is Sisters Thai (the black building), a locally owned restaurant from Virginia that’s well behind its neighbors in the construction process. All four restaurants are supposed to be open by fall, but it looks like Sisters will need more time.

Norman's Farm Market
Girl Power 3
Pike & Rose

Weekend “staycation” at Pike & Rose

With the recent opening of the Canopy hotel by Hilton, Pike & Rose is looking to market itself as a summer “staycation” destination for locals. We stayed there last weekend and found plenty to keep us busy — starting with the Canopy’s free nightly tastings of local wines, spirits and craft brews, and ending with the hotel’s super-fresh breakfast buffet. The shopping options have really filled out, with everything from the outdoorsy (REI, L.L.Bean, Nike) to the culinary (Sur La Table and Seasons) to the fashion scene (from H&M to Lucky Brand to the Scout & Molly’s boutique). Catch dinner at one of the many Pike & Rose restaurants, schedule a massage at The Red Door, bowl a game at Pinstripes, take in a show at iPic or AMP…  then get in line for ice cream sandwiches at The Baked Bear or grab a cocktail at summer pop-up The Beach, and your weekend is complete. To see what else is happening at Pike & Rose, click here.

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Amazon Books

The summer of Amazon

It feels like Amazon is everywhere in Montgomery County this summer, with discounts for Amazon Prime members now in effect at all Whole Foods stores (10% off sale items plus rotating weekly specials) and the newly opened Amazonbooks already drawing crowds on Bethesda Row. Prime members get better deals at the bookstore too — and everyone can drop off their Amazon returns there, as long as their packages are boxed and labeled at home.

New restaurant for Westfield Montgomery, Sugo’s secret chef, new picks on the Pike

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New restaurant for Westfield Montgomery

Big news for the Dining Terrace at Westfield Montgomery mall: Urban Plates, a modern take on the classic cafeteria, is taking over the empty Naples space with plans to open next year. The California-based chain offers a variety of chef-driven food stations, allowing customers to choose from freshly tossed salads and bowls, hand-carved sandwiches, side dishes and scratch-made desserts. Foodies should be happy with this place, where the beef is grass-fed, the chicken free-range, the seafood sustainably sourced and the produce mostly local. Want a peek at the menu? Click here or head over to Tysons Galleria, where Urban Plates will open in mid-July. Want to know what other restaurants are on the way to the mall? Click here.

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Wintergreen Plaza
Sugo at Park Potomac

Sugo’s secret chef

New talent in the kitchen this summer at Sugo: Sasha Felikson, a respected young chef who has worked at top D.C.-area restaurants from CityZen to Minibar, has been quietly revamping dishes at the Park Potomac eatery. Felikson, known for his adventurous choices, has been raising the bar at Sugo with new additions like small-batch mozzarella cheese and homemade pastas. (The crab gnocchi is a knockout). He’s now working on recipes for Julii, the new venture from the founders of Sugo and Cava, where he’ll be running the kitchen when doors open this fall at Pike & Rose. The Julii menu will be French-Mediterranean, with a few surprises. (Ever seen ice cream prepared tableside? Felikson tells us he’s working on it. Stay tuned.)

Central Farm Market
Scout & Molly's
CAVA, Honeygrow, Slapfish and Five Guys at Montrose Crossing 2

New picks on the Pike

The summer outdoor dining scene is starting to shape up at Montrose Crossing, with three new restaurants already open and two more nearing completion. Slapfish and Five Guys will soon join Cava and Honeygrow at the center’s new restaurant row, while Honey Pig Korean BBQ is now open near Old Navy. What’s missing from the lineup? Pieology. The make-your-own pizza chain has dropped out of the project, and we’re still waiting to hear who will fill the last few spaces. As soon as we know, you’ll know.

Launch Trampoline Park
Up Top Acres at Pike & Rose

Rooftop crops at Pike & Rose

Remember the rooftop farm at Pike & Rose that we told you about last January? The first summer is off to a good start, with 17,000 square feet of crops including greens, root vegetables, herbs, tomatoes and peppers. Up Top Acres is overseeing the farm, which is said to be the largest of its kind in the Washington metro area. The food is being distributed to Pike & Rose restaurants, farm share members (maxed out for this year) and customers at the Saturday farm markets. For more info on Up Top Acres, click here.

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Poke and dim sum, MOM’s Organic Market, Baked Bear heads to Rio

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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.

Grilled Oyster
The Baked Bear

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 herefor more in our June 1st issue.

Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Mom's Organic Market produce section

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 CAVAand Firehouse Subs.

Shin Orthodontics
Dim sum

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.

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.

Cabin John Q&A, True Food Kitchen spinoff for Wildwood & Travilah, new food & fun at Pike & Rose

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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 eventually may 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.

Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Potomac Village Farmers Market
Flower Child dishes

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.

Fallsgrove Orthodontic Center
The Beach at Pike & Rose

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.

Toy Castle

Your Wegmans questions answered — plus a new food hall for Pike & Rose and an update on the Corned Beef King

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Wegmans in Rockville: Your questions answered

Who knew a grocery store could create so much excitement? Our Facebook page and mailbag have been overflowing with messages since last Tuesday, when we happily delivered the news that Wegmans is finally coming to Rockville. Here are some answers to the questions we’ve been hearing all week.

Opening date? We don’t know yet, but it’s going to be awhile. The deal was just signed, and Wegmans tells us it’s too soon to establish a timeline for the project. The popular grocer is to be the anchor and primary draw for an expansive pedestrian-friendly development that’s planned for the Twinbrook Metro area. There are still a lot of hoops to jump through before construction can begin.

What about parking? Plans call for an underground parking lot that will serve Wegmans customers as well as the other surrounding businesses.

What will happen to the existing tenants at the corner of Halpine Road and Rockville Pike? Eventually, most of the businesses in and around that site will either have to close or relocate.

So what does this mean for Pizza CS? Our readers have been particularly concerned about the fate of the beloved pizzeria, known for its authentic Neapolitan-style pies. “We appreciate the community support,” says co-owner Ankur Rajpara. He and partner Jonathan Allen tell us their lease is good through 2020, but they’ve been scouting potential new locations in case they’re asked to make an early exit.

Can Rockville Pike really support this many grocery stores? The Pike already is home to Giant, Safeway, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Food Lion, Fresh Market and Trader Joe’s, among others. Not to mention that Aldi will soon be opening there as well. (Click here for more on that).  Will local food shoppers actually be able to keep all these stores in business? This is one question to which even we don’t know the answer.

Pike Central Farm Market Grand Opening
The Block

New food hall for Pike & Rose

In another case of how much is too much: This week Pike & Rose announced plans for The Block, a dining hall featuring 8,500 square feet of Asian street food that’s set to debut next year. Like its sister location in Annandale, The Block will have communal seating where everyone can order exactly what they want, from Taiwanese snocream to Hawaiian-style poké bowls. This is the third all-Asian food hall planned for the Rockville/North Bethesda area, following The Spot in downtown Rockville (click here for more) and Pike Kitchen on Edmonston Drive (click here for more). Food halls are trending all over the U.S., including themed ones like the new collection of  Mike Isabella eateries at Tysons Galleria. But three Asian food halls within a short drive of each other? That’s going to be interesting.

Wintergreen Plaza
Grilled Oyster
Corned Beef King food truck

Latest on the Corned Beef King

Next week marks the grand opening of a Corned Beef King restaurant that isn’t on wheels: The popular food truck has completed its buildout inside the Liberty gas station at Rockville Pike and Twinbrook Parkway. Owner Jon Rossler had been running a similar gas station restaurant in Olney for several years, but he closed it a few weeks ago when the rent got too high. He says he’s happy to have a brick-and-mortar location in Rockville, where many fans follow his food truck around and some have even been known to drive to Olney for a sandwich. Meanwhile, the former Corned Beef King truck that’s recently been seen outside Hank Dietle’s is now owned by a separate operator serving Latin food.

The Game Gym
Store Reporter Local Services Guide

Check out our new Services Guide

This week we’re proud to debut our new Store Reporter Local Services Guide, a go-to list of recommendations for everything from home repairs to custom gifts to professional services to pet care. We’ve done our homework to vet the advertisers in this guide, asking friends and neighbors for referrals to make sure this is a list you can count on. We’ll be adding more categories in the weeks and months to come. Interested in being part of it? Click here to send us an email. Want to check out the guide right now? Click here.

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Cabin John construction update, new food & new Starbucks at Pike & Rose

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Cabin John construction moving along

The new restaurant row at Cabin John Village is really beginning to take shape. Construction crews have been busy at the intersection of Tuckerman Lane and Seven Locks Road, where Sisters Thai, Shake Shack, CAVA and Le Pain Quotidien are all scheduled to open later this year. On the parking lot side where the restaurant entrances will be (shown here), we hear there’s going to be a spacious outdoor seating area with shade trees. For more on all the new eateries heading to Cabin John, click here. For details on the center’s new spin studio/barre fitness gym, click here.

Congregation B'nai Israel Evening with Ben Stein
Nando's interior at Pike & Rose

Spicy chicken, more coffee for Pike & Rose

Nando’s Peri-Peri opens at Pike & Rose on Monday April 23rd, just down the street from the new Canopy Hotel (Click here for more sneak-peek photos on our Facebook page.) The fast-growing restaurant chain offers a South African/Portuguese menu that showcases spicy sauces and flame-grilled chicken. And in other Pike & Rose news: As we predicted in our Jan. 18 issue, Starbucks has posted signs for a new location next to H&M in the middle of all the new stores and restaurants. For now, it’s unclear whether the older Starbucks on Rockville Pike will close or the two locations will coexist.

Stella & Dot
The Baked Bear ice cream sandwich

Dreamy desserts on the way

What’s next for Pike & Rose? Just in time for warmer weather, The Baked Bear is set to open May 19th next to L.L.Bean. The California-based chain is known for its overstuffed ice cream sandwiches featuring mix-and-match combos of cookies, brownies and donuts. For a look at the menu, click here. For more on all the new restaurants coming to Pike & Rose, click here.

Stepping Stones Shelter
The Game Gym

Game on at Cabin John

The Game Gym, a new tenant at Cabin John Village, is set to open next month in the offices across from Dunkin’ Donuts. Owner Josh Hafkin, a Potomac native who spent his teens as a competitive athlete, says kids and young teens can learn some of same skills through video gaming as they do in physical sports. “The ability to communicate, to receive criticism, to learn how to win and how to lose — all of it can be learned through ‘esports,’” Hafkin says. The first round of afternoon programs will focus on the games League of Legends and Super Smash Bros. 4. Click here for details.

New farm market at the mall, more openings at Pike & Rose — plus a Christian-themed clothing store

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New farm market at the mall

We’re back from spring break with some big news for foodies: Westfield Montgomery Mall is getting a farm market. May 5 is opening day at the corner of Westlake Terrace and Westlake Drive, just outside the mall near Corner Bakery. Who will be there? More than 45 regional vendors offering produce, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, baked goods, cheese, fish, flowers and prepared foods along with chef demos, kids’ activities, distillery tastings and live music. This venture marks a new partnership between the mall and Central Farm Markets, which produces similar events in downtown Bethesda, Pike & Rose and Virginia’s Mosaic District. Click here for more.

Boston Pops at Strathmore
The Game Gym
Canopy by Hilton at Pike & Rose courtyard

New hotel opens at Pike & Rose

A whole lot’s been happening since we were away these past few weeks. Let’s start with Pike & Rose, where the snazzy new Canopy by Hilton is now open for business. The space includes a handsome restaurant/lounge and an outdoor courtyard (shown here), both of which are open to the public — and the food was top-notch at this week’s grand opening party. The hotel adjoins the new Red Door Spa, which has relocated from the Wildwood Shopsand should be open by next week. Want to peek inside? Click here for photos on the Store Reporter Facebook page.

Wintergreen Plaza
Bluemercury at Pike & Rose

Bluemercury, Nando’s and more to come

In other Pike & Rosenews: Just down the block from the new Canopy hotel, Bluemercury is now open and the nearby Nando’s restaurant looks just about ready as well — but it appears that neighboring Taylor Gourmet has a ways to go. The next few months will bring a whole bunch of new restaurants for Pike & Rose, including ramen and sushi bars, Mexican and Indian food, a bakery/ice creamery and the CAVA-affiliated Julii. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for opening dates.

Stella & Dot Amy Flax
Altar'd State at Westfield Montgomery Mall

The clothing store you’ve been praying for

For the first time in quite awhile, a new clothing store has opened its doors at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Altar’d State is a faith-based chain offering ultra-feminine clothing, with Christian themes and Bible quotes sprinkled on much of the merchandise. This striking floral storefront marks the first Maryland location for the Tennessee-based chain, which has eight locations in Virginia. Click here to check out the fashions.

The Music Man at Wootton
American Red Cross Dulles Golf Center fundraiser

Cabin John bakery update, Red Door relocates, goodbye Kidville & Toys R Us

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Cabin John bakery to open next month

The new restaurants at Cabin John Villageare still months away from completion, but the Sweetly Anchored bakery will be open in just a few weeks. Owner Lindsay Miniaci, known locally for her custom cakes, will be serving freshly made sweets, snacks, coffee and tea at the former Orange Leafspace inside the Cabin John mini-mall. For more on Sweetly Anchored, click here. For the scoop on another new bakery that’s heading to Pike & Rose, click here.

My Best Friend's Closet
Occasions Friends & Family Sale
Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa & Salon sign

As one Red Door closes, another opens

The Red Door Spa & Salon is about to close those red doors at Wildwood Shopping Center. The salon is relocating to a larger space next to the brand new Canopy Hotel at Pike & Rose, where it’s tentatively set to reopen April 6th. No word yet on who’s taking over the Red Door space at Wildwood, but we hear that it will likely be divided among several smaller tenants. Meanwhile, there’s another new salon on the way: Karma Erwin Gomez, headed by the D.C.-based celebrity makeup artist, is set to open in the next few weeks at Park Potomac. Click here for more.

Wintergreen Plaza
Rock and Roll for Children
Kidville

Bummer week for the kids

To no one’s surprise, Toys R Usannounced this week that it will sell or close all 800 of its U.S. stores including the Babies R Uschain. For our take on what went wrong with Toys R Us — and why our local toy stores may fare better — click here. In related news, the Kidvilleplay center in Rockville also has closed after a long tenure at Fallsgrove. The Bethesda Kidville, under different ownership, is still in business.

Indian food & sushi for Pike & Rose — plus bubble tea and more mall closings

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More new restaurants for Pike & Rose

Pike & Rose is adding two more restaurants to its lineup, filling the empty spots left by the recently departed La Madeleine and Carluccio’s. Moving into the former La Madeleine space on Old Georgetown Road: Commonwealth Indian, serving beer, wine and cocktails along with a selection of Indian dishes. The Carluccio’s space next to Owen’s Ordinary will be home to Kusshi Sushi and Sake Bar, a new venture from the owners of Bethesda’s Hanaro Sushi. What else is scheduled to open at Pike & Rose this year? A ramen bar called Jinya (click here for more); a Mexican restaurant called Nada (click here for more); and Julii, a new concept from the founders of CAVA (click here for more).

Realtor Lisa Nasar of Long & Foster
Kung Fu Tea and Tutti Frutti at Pike & Rose

Kung Fu Tea kicks butt

The Tutti Frutti yogurt shop at Pike & Rose is now a Tutti Frutti/Kung Fu Tea combo. That makes three Montgomery County locations for the fast-expanding bubble tea chain, which also can be found in downtown Rockville and Westfield Montgomery Mall. A competitor, Boba Station, closed its doors at the mall last week. But another New York bubble tea chain is coming to test the waters: Gong Cha will open in Rockville this year as part of an all-Asian food court called The Spot. For more on The Spot, click here. For info on other bubble tea stores in our area, click here.

Wintergreen Plaza
M. Gemi shoe bus at Westfield Montgomery Mall

Latest exits at the mall

More changes in store at Westfield Montgomery Mall, where some of the last remaining independent retailers will be among those exiting before summer. Shafa Blends, which opened three years ago under the name Rumi Tea and Spice, has relocated to Gaithersburg. Boba Station also is out (see story above), and other longtime tenants like Solstice and Pen Boutique are getting ready to leave. Hoamgar, an Asian chain that was testing the U.S. market, will close its doors this spring. Some of those empty spaces will likely be filled with attention-getting pop-up shops — like this minivan filled with Italian shoes.

Toy Castle Lego Building Challenge
Vince & Dominic's

Vince & Dominic’s no more

See that empty space to the right of the Bubbles hair salon? That’s where the Vince & Dominic’s pizzeria used to be. Home Depot, which owns that shopping center, has torn down some of the empty storefronts to make room for more parking.

Herbert Hoover Beauty and the Beast
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New stores for Pike & Rose, latest on Paladar and Toys R Us

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Next up for Pike & Rose: Uniqlo

Japanese retailer Uniqlo will join the lineup at Pike & Rose with an 8,000-square-foot store scheduled to open this fall across from H&M. Uniqlo, which already has stores in D.C. and Tysons Corner, carries casual, inexpensive clothes for men, women and kids. Prices are moderate, and the company specializes in fabrics that dry quickly, pack easily and repel odors. The Pike & Rose location will be the first in Maryland as the 2,000-store chain begins to penetrate the U.S. market. For a sneak peek at the merchandise, click here.

My Best Friend's Closet
Scout and Molly'sJPG

New boutique opens next week

Feb. 3 is opening day for Scout & Molly’s, another retailer making its Maryland debut at Pike & Rose. Store owner Wendy Brack Fritz says the boutique will specialize in fashionable career clothes and casual wear for “trendy-type moms” who are shopping with their teens. “While the daughters are in Francesca’s, Gap and H&M, the moms can come and visit us,” she says. The store is stocking brands like Blanc Noir, Trina Turk, Chaser, DL1961, French Connection and Mavi, but manager Abby Goldman says she only orders a few of each item “so you’re not going to see five other people wearing the same thing.” Scout & Molly’s stores are franchised, and each boutique is a bit different; click here to have a look.

Wintergreen Plaza
Paladar mojito

More on the Paladar closing

After Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar said adiosto North Bethesda Market last week, readers have been asking us about the fate of Paladar’s other D.C.-area locations. Rest assured, you can keep enjoying those mojitos: The Cleveland-based company tells us the North Bethesda location wasn’t doing well, but it has no plans to close at Tysons Corner or Gaithersburg’s Downtown Crown. Paladar is the second large restaurant to exit North Bethesda Market over the past year; click here for more.

Pearly White Pets
Fidget spinner

Toys R Us: In or Out?

If you’re one of the few who still go out of their way to shop at Toys R Us, you’ll be happy to know that the Gaithersburg location is not one of the 180-plus stores that are supposed to close this spring. The New Jersey-based retailer, which filed Chapter 11 last fall, is trying to stay in business after a reorganization. Another Toys R Us in Rockville closed four years ago to make way for Pike & Rose.

Lolly's Locks

Asian food courts and another Rockville restaurant closing — plus a move for Starbucks on the Pike

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Lots more Asian food on the way

Looks like 2018 will be the year of the Asian food court in Rockville. Two such projects are scheduled to open this summer: one in the downtown area and the other at Edmonston Crossing on Rockville Pike. The Edmonston project, to be called Pike Kitchen, will include Vietnamese pho and banh mi sandwiches, Korean street food and baked goods, poke bowls, ramen dishes, homemade ice cream, bubble tea and a coffee roastery. A similar project, known as The Spot, is planned for the ground floor of the new Metropolitan apartment building on North Washington Street. (Click here for details.) “These food halls are not just going to focus on Asian customers,” says Pike Kitchen co-owner James Park. “We’re looking for new ways to get millennials and younger people to try this food. Once they taste these Asian spices, there’s no going back.”

Bethesda Central Farm Markets
Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

Paladar’s out on the Pike

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar has closed its doors after five years at North Bethesda Market on Rockville Pike. It’s the second major departure for the Whole Foods-anchored center, following the recent exit of Brio Tuscan Grill. (See our May 4th edition for more on that.) This year will likely bring more changes for North Bethesda Market, which was just acquired by CBRE Global Investors.

Pooch Portrait Studio
Starbucks pumpkin spice latte

Starbucks on the move at Pike & Rose?

This hasn’t been confirmed yet, but we’re hearing buzz that a move is in the works for Starbucks at Pike & Rose. The busy store, which sits on an outparcel that was built before Pike & Rose took shape, is rumored to be relocating to a central spot next to H&M. That space is only steps away from the new park where CAVA‘s founders will soon be opening their Julii restaurant. (Haven’t heard about Julii? Click here.)