In another blow to fans of the “old” Cabin John shopping center, longtime Potomac hangout McDonald’s is on its way out. Lease negotiations have stalled between shopping center owner Edens and the restaurant chain’s local franchisee, we’re told. Doors are expected to close just before Christmas. Two local moms, Wendy Fink and Martha Larrazábal, have started a change.org petition to try and persuade Edens to reopen negotiations. “This is such a community staple, and it’s constantly busy with kids, with the elderly, with high schoolers every day,” Fink says. “We all use it. We all love it. It’s just wrong to close it.” McDonald’s is the latest of several popular and moderately priced businesses that have exited Cabin John since Edens took over in 2016. There was a similar public outcry when longtime tenants Broadway Pizza and Baskin Robbins were ousted two years ago. Broadway is being replaced by the upscale Mykonos Restaurant, and Baskin Robbins was replaced by higher-priced local ice cream shop The Scoop. No word yet on what might happen to the McDonald’s space.
Editor’s update: For once, this closing story had a happy ending. Check out the latest in Store Reporter’s collab with Montgomery Community Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Ken Lynch
Cabin John is becoming too “she/she”(upscale) for many locals!! It was bad enough when you cancelled Broadway Pizza’s lease, then Baskin Robins, then LaHinch! Now even Mickey D’s is not fancy enough!! I for one have had enough of this BS and will be largely
boycotting your shops & restaurants from now on ending a 42 year association with your center!
Wise Business Guy
Simple business decision… Profit for McDonald’s Franchisor is not good when rent is high. Low traffic location and low volume. Rent increases, no profit,…bye bye…
Take a basic business class and learn about profits and losses….simple concept.
Deborah
Buh bye Mcd’s!!
Thank you to Eden for saving the public from their own poor choices.
MJ
I mean, I remember when it was Roy Roger’s and as teenagers we used to hang out at the Jerry’s Subs. Times change, tastes change. The handful of times I’ve been in there recently the McDonald’s hasn’t been that busy. Maybe it has its peak hours but I bet a lot of those moms/kids spend a few hours there, bring their starbucks coffee, and buy 1 happy meal for all their kids to split. Same for the teenagers. And does anyone else see the irony of railing against the closure of 2 national corporate chain business, one of which was replaced by a locally owned similar business. Cabin John Mall is located in a wealthy area where people want artisanal ice cream not baskin Robbins and Edens is capitalizing on that. The starbucks selling $5-6 drinks is always busy so clearly the consumers in that area are sending a message about what they will spend their money on. With regards to the mini mall itself, that building is long overdue for a gut reno. The wayfinding alone (and the aesthetic should go without saying) makes you wonder how some of those business have survived as long as they have. I’m sympathetic to all of the tenants that may be displaced but sometimes change is necessary even if painful and as a business owner one also has the responsibility to plan for change. If the issue is “the rents too high” the only way that’s going to stop is if businesses stop agreeing to pay ever higher rents. It’s a private shopping center and the capitalist market is deciding what it’s worth. Consumers today have an indomitable appetite for variety and newness. If you want a business to stick around you need to forgo the other options out there and support it a lot. It’s simple economics.
Harish Shah
Its rich neighbors who are driving these problems and they want status and can tell if another small coffee shop comes to neighborhood they would still go to Starbucks which will coffee shop to close so open up the negotiations going and keep McDonald there. The new tenant will come and price will be higher due to rent and we all will complain
If Eden is not in Montgomery county then boycott the neighborhood shopping center