Moby Dick heads to the Village
Moby Dick House of Kabob, the D.C.-area chain known for its flame-grilled meats, fresh-baked pita bread and Persian seasonings, is heading to Potomac Village. Look for a September opening at the Potomac Promenade shopping center, where the restaurant will move into the long-empty Toys Unique spot facing Falls Road. Space will be tight, so this location will likely focus on takeout business with a bit of room for inside seating. Moby Dick, founded in 1989, is now approaching 20 locations in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. To check out the menu, click here.
Italian coffee’s brewing at Park Potomac
Filicori Zecchini, an Italian coffee chain known for its rich espressos and cappuccinos, is the latest tenant to join the lineup at bustling Park Potomac. The century-old coffee company is just now making inroads in the U.S., with several locations in New York and a recent opening in Towson, MD. Filicori also sells tea, cocoa and its own line of chocolates — which you’ll get to sample with your drink order. The coffee shop is now under construction across from Sugo and MoCo’s Founding Farmers, where its neighbors will include a revamped Addie’s (click here for details in last week’s issue) and Gringos & Mariachis (click here for more in our September report). Stay tuned to Store Reporter for more Park Potomac announcements in the coming weeks.
Serenity says namaste to the Village
Leaving Potomac Village at the end of May: Serenity Fitness Boutique, the workout wear retailer that opened just a year ago on Falls Road next to the Sprinkles ice cream parlor. The hidden-away location inside Village Yoga simply didn’t provide enough walk-in traffic to support the business, says Serenity owner Nicole Lipka, who will continue to sell at local trunk shows and is looking for a new storefront in Olney. For operating hours and details on Serenity’s moving sale, call (301) 792-7820.
Gift inspiration at JT Interiors
If you’re shopping for Mother’s Day and graduation gifts, you’ll find plenty of inspiration this month at JT Interiors in Potomac Village. The store has options in every price range, from natural beeswax candles and Swarovski-embellished note cards to Nest fragrances and soft “foutas” (sarongs that double as Turkish towels or baby blankets). JT Interiors, which relocated from The Kentlands in 2013, offers design and renovation services, furniture, home accessories and gifts for all occasions. Visit JT Interiors at 9906 River Road; click here for a virtual tour sneak-peek; or check out the store’s Facebook page here. For hours and other details, call (301) 299-0485.
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Is Sports Authority all played out?
It looks like we’ve reached the end of the line for Sports Authority, which filed Chapter 11 last month but now appears to be heading toward liquidation. At a hearing this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the company’s attorneys said the initial plan to close just 140 locations was no longer feasible and creditors were pressing for a sale. This news comes on the heels of last week’s bankruptcy filing for Vestis Retail Group, parent to Eastern Mountain Sports, Sport Chalet and Bob’s Stores — not to mention last year’s bankruptcies of City Sports and the locally owned Hudson Trail Outfitters. An auction for Sports Authority’s assets is scheduled for May 16th; it’s unclear whether the existing stores will remain open between now and then. So who will benefit from all these bankruptcies? Looks like Dick’s Sporting Goods is poised to snap up some prime big-box real estate.
Another teen retailer close to bankruptcy
Next up on the ever-growing list of troubled teen retailers: Aéropostale, whose shares were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange last week with bankruptcy said to be imminent. Like PacSun, which filed Chapter 11 just a few weeks ago, and American Apparel, which filed last fall, Aeropostale has a store at Westfield Montgomery Mall that will likely remain open while its finances get sorted out. Also struggling these days is the once-mighty Abercrombie & Fitch chain, which recently closed its Abercrombie Kids store at Montgomery Mall along with sister store Hollister. Last year the mall also lost Wet Seal, another teen retailer that didn’t survive the 2014 holiday season. For a look at the some places where our local kids and teens like to shop, click here for our March 10th Kids & Teens Issue.
Sears closing more stores
Last week Sears Holding Corp. announced the closing of 78 more stores — including 68 Kmart locations and 10 Sears stores. In case you were wondering: Nope, the Sears store at Westfield Montgomery Mall store is not on that list.
[…] Coffee and margaritas will be flowing at Park Potomac this winter as two new tenants look to open in the next few months. Filicori Zecchini, an Italian coffee house known for its rich espressos and cappuccinos, is on track to launch by early December. A tasting tent at the Park Potomac Fall Festival “got amazing feedback and really got us excited to open,” says owner Laila Asmar. Gringos & Mariachis, the second location for the popular Bethesda restaurant, will arrive sometime after the holidays. For more on Park Potomac’s new lineup, click here. […]