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

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Finnegan's Wake Irish Pub

Addie’s comeback, Apple update, new Irish restaurants and another retail bankruptcy

April 21, 2016 By Store Reporter 1 Comment

 

 

 

Addie's

 

Addie’s heading to Park Potomac

Addie’s, the beloved Rockville restaurant that closed its doors three years ago, is making plans for a comeback. Owners Jeff and Barbara Black have signed a lease for 4,000 square feet at Park Potomac, where they’ll try to recreate the old Addie’s magic with indoor/outdoor seating and some of their original menu items. The Blacks, who own a half-dozen restaurants including BlackSalt, Black’s Bar & Kitchen and Black Market Bistro, have said they closed Addie’s primarily because the little yellow building was in such disrepair. That issue also caused delays for their successor, D.C. caterer Helen Wasserman, who spent two years on renovations before opening Helen’s Bar & Grill just last week. For more on Helen’s, click here for our April 7th edition.

 


 

 

 


 

iPhones

 

New closing date for the Apple Store: May 7th

The Apple Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall has pushed back its closing by a week, setting May 7th as the new date for the start of its expansion in the Macy’s wing. Apple is taking over the space formerly occupied by BCBG and Teavana, with a reopening planned for this fall. The neighboring Sephora store also is expanding this summer, but in Sephora’s case the current store will remain open while the new one’s under construction across the hall. For more on these and other changes to the Macy’s wing, click here for our April 4th special edition.

 


 

2016 HBF Boutique Shop for a Cause 1200

 

 


 

Guinness beer
 

Two Irish openings

It’s a month too late for St. Patrick’s Day, but two new Irish restaurants have opened their doors in the Rockville/Potomac area. Lahinch, from the owners of the Irish Inn at Glen Echo, offers a menu of Irish and American dishes in the former Benny’s space at Cabin John Shopping Center. And over at Rockville Town Square, Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub has opened for business at the Gibbs Street space formerly occupied by Carbon Peruvian Chicken.

 


 

 

 


 

Basketball

 

Another sports store files Chapter 11

In the wake of last month’s Chapter 11 filing for Sports Authority, this week we noted the bankruptcy of Delaware-based Vestis Retail Group, parent to Eastern Mountain Sports, Sport Chalet and Bob’s Stores. None of those chains had a presence in Montgomery County (although Eastern Mountain does have a store in Virginia), but this latest bankruptcy suggests that the shakeout of big-box sporting goods stores isn’t over yet. In our area we’ve also seen the demise of City Sports (which lasted just a year at Pike & Rose before the whole chain filed Chapter 11) and local retailer Hudson Trail Outfitters, which closed all of its stores last fall.

 


 

Wills Decorating ad: www.decoratemaryland.com

 

 


 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: Addie's, Addie's Park Potomac, Apple Store closed Westfield Montgomery Mall, Apple Store Westfield Montgomery Mall, Bagel City, BCBG closed Westfield Montgomery Mall, BCBG Westfield Montgomery Mall, Benny's Cabin John Mall, Benny's closed Cabin John Mall, Black Market Bistro, Black's Bar & Kitchen, BlackSalt, Cabin John Mall, City Sports closed Pike & Rose, City Sports closed Rockville, Finnegan's Wake Irish Pub, Finnegan's Wake Irish Pub Rockville Town Square, HBF Boutique, Helen's Bar & Grill, Hudson Trail Outfitters closed Rockville, Jenny Camps, Jenny Camps Personal Training, Lahinch, Lahinch Cabin John Mall, Lahinch Potomac, Lahinch Rockville, Park Potomac, Rockville Town Square, Sculpt Studio, Sephora expanding Westfield Montgomery Mall, Sephora moving Westfield Montgomery Mall, Sports Authority, Teavana closed Westfield Montgomery Mall, Teavana Westfield Montgomery Mall, Will's Home Decorating

Irish update, Teavana competitor, Mosaic Café, Subway and Sports Authority

March 3, 2016 By Store Reporter 1 Comment

 

 

 

St. Patrick's Day collage

 

New Irish restaurants will likely miss St. Patrick’s Day

If you were hoping to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at one of our new local Irish restaurants, you may be out of luck. Lahinch, which was scheduled to open this month in the former Benny’s space at Cabin John Shopping Center, has run into the usual construction delays. “Unfortunately, it looks like we won’t be open for St. Patrick’s Day,” says owner Barry Nolan, who also operates the Irish Inn at Glen Echo. “We’ll know more in a week.” (For more on Nolan and his plans for Lahinch, click here for our Oct. 29 issue.) Also missing out on St. Patrick’s Day crowds is Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub, a new venture from local entrepreneurs that originally was supposed to open last fall at Rockville Town Square. No word yet on the timetable for that one.

 


 

Mosaic Cuisine & Cafe sign

 

Restaurant returning to French roots

Mosaic Cuisine & Café, the Rockville Pike restaurant that closed for renovations after the holidays, is scheduled to reopen by Easter with a new name, modernized decor, a bar showcasing French wines and a renewed focus on classic French cuisine. “What’s old is new again,” says owner Thierry Jugnet, who opened Mosaic in 2003 and also operates the Wicked Waffle chain. The newly named Mosaic Bistro will showcase dishes like beef bourguignon, rack of veal, chicken paprika and traditional French soups. “It’s difficult nowadays to find a truly French restaurant,” Jugnet says. “And I don’t just mean in Rockville — I defy you to find a great beef bourguignon in Washington, D.C. Nobody does these things anymore. I am French. And I am betting on going back to my roots.” For a look at Mosaic’s menu (which is still being tweaked before the reopening), click here.

 


 

Toy Castle Lego Building Contest ad: https://www.facebook.com/toycastlepotomac/?fref=ts

 

 


 

David's Tea starter kit

 

David’s Tea heading to the mall?

David’s Tea, a Montreal-based company with a large fan following, appears poised to make its Maryland debut at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Details haven’t been announced yet and the mall couldn’t confirm, but David’s has posted job listings for employees at that location. David’s, which made its initial public offering last year, has announced long-term plans for 550 stores in the U.S. and Canada. At the mall, it would compete directly with the Starbucks-owned Teavana store and the independent shop Rumi Tea & Spice, both of which similarly sell fresh tea and tea-making equipment. We’ll let you know when David’s is a done deal. Meanwhile, click here for a preview of what the company has to offer.

 


 

 

 


 

Subway footlong 585

 

Size matters

Things haven’t been going so well for Subway lately. First there was the whole Jared mess. Then came this week’s news that the fast-food chain has settled a class action lawsuit charging that its “footlong” sandwiches didn’t always measure up. As part of the settlement, Subway has promised that its franchisees will now use a tool to accurately measure their bread loaves. If you bought a Subway sandwich over the years and were hoping to benefit from this settlement, we’re sorry to report that your only reward will be a properly sized footlong with your next order. No money is being awarded to the class, and the Associated Press reports that the 10 plaintiffs received only $500 each. Their lawyers, on the other hand, got more than half a mil.

 


 

ArcLight Cinema interior

 

Win March movie tickets for the ArcLight

This month we have one more set of ArcLight Cinema tickets to give away — and you have one more chance to vote for your favorite kids’ businesses in the Rockville/Potomac area. To enter, just click here to send us a note about your favorite places for dining, shopping, birthday parties and just hanging with your kids. Or enter via our Facebook page by clicking here. Everyone who sends us suggestions will be entered into our latest ArcLight drawing.

 


 

Counseling Center of Maryland ad: http://www.counselingcenterofmaryland.com/#!groups/cc9n

 

 


 

Sports Authority logo

 

Chapter 11 for Sports Authority

Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week, a move that had been expected after the retailer fell behind on payments toward its debts of more than $1 billion. Sports Authority is expected to stay in business through this process, but the company says it will lay off some 3,400 people and close 140 of its 464 stores across the country. An updated closing list shows that the Rockville store on Rockville Pike and the Gaithersburg store at Rio/Washingtonian Center are expected to remain open. But several other Maryland stores, including a second Gaithersburg location near Lakeforest Mall, will be shutting down. If you’re holding a Sports Authority gift card or store credit, now would be a good time to use it: There’s no telling how long those credits will be honored.

 


 

Scrabble Scramble ad

 

 


 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: ArcLight CInema, Bagel City, Benny's, Cabin John Shopping Center, David's Tea, Finnegan's Wake Irish Pub, Lahinch, Mosaic Bistro, Mosaic Cuisine and Cafe, Rockville Town Square, Rumi Tea & Spice, Sports Authority, Starbucks Westfield Montgomery Mall, Subway, Teavana Bethesda, Teavana Westfield Montgomery Mall, Toy Castle, Westfield Montgomery Mall, Wicked Waffle

Goodbye Noodles & Company, hello dumplings & veggies — plus a comeback for Great Beginnings

November 19, 2015 By Store Reporter 8 Comments

 

 

 

Noodles & Company logo

 

Noodles & Company exits downtown Rockville

Noodles & Company has shuttered its restaurant on Gibbs Street in downtown Rockville, where business was slow and the company says it wanted to focus on its more successful Rockville location at bustling Congressional Plaza. This brings the number of closings at Rockville Town Square to more than a dozen in the past two years, with merchants continuing to complain about slow foot traffic and customers still grumbling about the parking fees. Restaurateur Danny Trehan, who will open a Mellow Mushroom pizzeria in the former Oro Pomodoro space next spring, says he plans to validate parking and wishes more of his neighbors would do the same. “So it’ll take an extra five dollars from my pocket,” Trehan says. “If it brings more people into my restaurant, who cares?” Three other restaurants — Miso Café, Samovar and Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub — had been scheduled to open at Rockville Town Square in the past few months, but now are expected to arrive sometime this winter.

 


 

Shanghai traysDumplings and veggies at the mall

Shanghai Bao Kitchen opened for business last week just outside the main Dining Terrace at Westfield Montgomery Mall. This is a new venture from three young brothers whose family owns the Rockville restaurant Bob’s Shanghai 66. Dumplings and steamed buns are the focus here, as you’d expect — but we were surprised by the Cava-like assembly line of fresh Asian vegetables, as well as the willingness of servers to recommend which sauces would best complement them. With Chloe’s Deli next door and Korean B/Bop/Q slated to open just across the hall, this new section of the Dining Terrace is turning into an unexpectedly interesting showcase for ethnic foods from local entrepreneurs.

 


 

Founding Farmers Thanksgiving-to-go ad

 

 


 

Great Beginnings

 

A comeback for Great Beginnings

Great Beginnings, the children’s furniture store that closed its Gaithersburg location last summer, is looking to reopen in North Bethesda late next year. Owner Jim Streight says he’s signed a lease for 15,000 square feet in a new strip shopping center that will soon begin construction just north of the former White Flint Mall. The store will focus on baby gear, nursery furniture and high-end toys, with a smaller area devoted to rooms for older kids and teens. Streight says the Gaithersburg store was a huge success for much of its 25-year history, but shifting demographics and the landlord’s redevelopment plans left him no choice but to find a new location. “This whole area is changing,” he says. “We do still have some customers coming from Gaithersburg, but now they’re coming more from Rockville, Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Kensington.” Until the new store is built, Great Beginnings customers can visit the company’s Chantilly location or shop online at www.greatbeginnings.com.

 


 

Holy Child Mayfield Market Gift Girl reducedHoliday shopping at Mayfield Market

‘Tis the season for holiday gift shows in greater Rockville and Potomac. This weekend brings the Holy Child Mayfield Market, Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 21 and 22) at the Connelly School the Holy Child, 9029 Bradley Boulevard in Potomac. Shop more than 60 vendors offering artisan-made jewelry, home decor items, clothing and accessories for men and women, all sorts of gifts and an exquisite Christmas shop. There will be food trucks on hand and a bakery with breakfast items, desserts and freshly made Thanksgiving pies. For more info, visit www.holychild.org.

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kaufman 1200px traditions

 

 


 

Corned Beef King food truck

 

Corned Beef King finds a home on the Pike

The Corned Beef King food truck, always on the lookout for long-term parking spots, has found a new home on Rockville Pike outside the century-old Hank Dietle’s Tavern. This is Truck #2 for the Corned Beef King, whose owner plans to keep Truck #1 at its usual spot in the parking lot of Potomac Petals and Plants on River Road. The Hank Dietle’s/Corned Beef King partnership follows a short-lived attempt by another food truck, Curley’s Q, to operate from the kitchen of the historic dive bar. That arrangement got off to a promising start last May, but fell apart by August when the two parties couldn’t come to terms.  The Corned Beef King also has had trouble finding the right home: A previous attempt to park outside a Falls Road swim club went awry after neighbors complained to the county.

 


 

pumpkin pieGiveaway winners coming up next week

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we’re going to give three Store Reporter readers a little something extra to be thankful for. Stay tuned next week to find out who will win our three current giveaways: a $50 gift card to Asia Nine, a workout outfit from Equilibrium Activewear, and a bag of goodies from the Washington Hebrew Congregation Holiday Boutique and Silent Auction.

Sponsored Content

 


 

PEP ad

 

 


 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: B/Bop/Q, Bob's Shanghai 66, Chloe's Deli, Corned Beef King, Curley's Q, Danny Trehan, Finnegan's Wake Irish Pub, Great Beginnings Gaithersburg, Great Beginnings Rockville, Hank Dietle's, Holy Child Mayfield Market, Kaufmann Jewelers, Mellow Mushroom Rockville, Miso Cafe, MoCo's Founding Farmers Thanksgiving-to-go, Noodles & Company, Rockville Town Square, Samovar, Shanghai Bao Kitchen, Westfield Montgomery Mall

Vineyard Vines opens, Irish pub on the way, Amazon same-day shipping and a River Falls Tavern giveaway

June 4, 2015 By Store Reporter 3 Comments

 

 

 

Vineyard Vines at Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

Vineyard Vines, Johnston & Murphy open at the mall, while J. Crew takes a summer break

It’s a busy time in the Nordstrom wing at Westfield Montgomery Mall, where two new stores opened for business last weekend and a third closed its doors for the summer. The big news for many is the Maryland debut of Vineyard Vines, whose breezy, clean-cut clothes have earned a huge following among preppies from Massachusetts to Palm Beach. The brand has become a staple at college campuses as well as our local high schools, where the pink whale logo is as popular with today’s teens as Izod crocodiles and Polo ponies were with their parents. Not to be outdone by its snazzy new neighbor, the mall’s nearby J. Crew store closed its doors last week for a major remodeling that should be done by early August. The other new addition in the Nordstrom wing is the classic shoe store Johnston & Murphy, which built its reputation in men’s footwear but now offers a range of clothing and accessories for both sexes. In other mall news: A huge Peet’s Coffee station with plenty of comfy seating is about to open in the Sears wing, while the women’s clothing store J. Jill is relocating to the former Fossil space near Macy’s.

 


 

River Falls Tavern tuna

 

Win dinner for two at River Falls Tavern in Potomac Village

This week we have a fabulous giveaway from the River Falls Tavern in Potomac Village, which is offering dinner on the house for one lucky pair of Store Reporter readers. RW Restaurant Group, which purchased the Tavern last spring, has introduced a sophisticated new menu under the direction of famed chef Robert Wiedmaier. Top picks include the Braised Boneless Beef Short Rib, served with creamy garlic polenta and glazed young carrots, and the Peppercorn and Coriander Seared Rare Tuna (shown here), served with roasted beets, emerald kale and farro salad. For more on what’s happening at the River Falls Tavern, click here for our May 28th edition. Want to win dinner for two (up to $65) and try the new dishes for yourself? Click here to email us (subject line: Tavern) or click here to enter via Facebook. Update: Store Reporter reader Nicole Kustner won this giveaway. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for more great contests.

Sponsored Content

 


 

Amazon logo

 

Amazon same-day shipping

This week brought some welcome news for Amazon Prime shoppers in greater Rockville and Potomac: The company just launched same-day delivery service in the greater D.C. area, including area codes 20850, 20854, 20817 and many others nearby. You can now order by noon for guaranteed delivery by 9 p.m., or by midnight for delivery the next day — as long as you spend at least $35 and choose items marked with the Prime Free One-Day logo. The list of qualified items is not exactly comprehensive, but we spied plenty of things (batteries, printer cartridges, kids’ birthday presents, etc.) that could easily spare us from a last-minute shopping trip. Same-day shipping is free for Prime members, but it’s also open to other Amazon customers for a $9.98 delivery fee. And here’s some more good news: Amazon says it will soon start offering free shipping for everyone on inexpensive items that weigh less than eight ounces.

 


 

Guinness beer

 

Irish pub on the way to Rockville Town Square

An Irish pub is joining the restaurant lineup at Rockville Town Square, where three new eateries are now scheduled to open in the next few months. Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub, the first venture from local husband-and-wife team Terry and Vanessa Laurin, will start renovations this month at the Gibbs Street space that formerly housed Carbon Peruvian Chicken & Grille. Rockville Town Square, which lost nearly a dozen tenants in the past 12 months, is now looking to entice diners with locally owned ethnic restaurants like the recently opened Ev & Maddy’s (European-style bistro) and Peter Chang (traditional Chinese). Also on the way are Miso Cafe (Korean/fusion) and Samovar (food from Tajikistan). Those two, along with Finnegan’s Wake, should be open by fall.

 


Robeks maple water smoothies

 

Congrats to the winners of our Robeks gift cards

Congratulations to Store Reporter readers Christy Taylor, Ron Gravitz, Margie Ritter, Rhoda Ganz and Amy Pelletier, who won our gift cards for the Robeks smoothie store at Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for more great giveaways, and like us on Facebook (click here) to make sure you don’t miss a beat.

Sponsored Content

 


 

ThinkGeek Star Trek man

 

Gamers and geeks are worth big bucks

Video game retailer GameStop has announced plans to buy Geeknet, the Fairfax company that runs the popular ThinkGeek website, in a $140 million deal that’s expected to close this summer. ThinkGeek specializes in goofy and nerdtastic merchandise from Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Marvel and other franchises that appeal to adults and kids alike. (Theoretically, at least, these are the same people who like to shop in GameStop’s stores — and will be thrilled to check out that Captain America Stealth Shield Watch in person.) Apparently geek chic is worth a lot these days: GameStop expects this acquisition to boost its sales by $100 million per year.

 


 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: Amazon same-day shipping Potomac, Amazon same-day shipping Rockville, Carbon Peruvian Chicken & Grille, Finnegan's Wake Irish Pub, GameStop, J. Crew Bethesda, J. Crew remodeling Westfield Montgomery Mall, J. Crew Westfield Montgomery Mall, J. Jill Bethesda, J. Jill Westfield Montgomery Mall, J. Jill Westfield Montgomery Mall moving, Johnston & Murphy Bethesda, Johnston & Murphy Westfield Montgomery Mall, Peet's Coffee Bethesda, Peet's Coffee Westfield Montgomery Mall, River Falls Tavern, River Falls Tavern Potomac Village, Robeks Congressional Plaza, Robeks Rockville, Robert Wiedmaier, RW Restaurant Group, Tavern at River Falls, ThinkGeek, Vineyard Vines Bethesda, Vineyard Vines Westfield Montgomery Mall, Westfield Montgomery Mall

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Recent Issues

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