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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.