Store Reporter

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

Fish Taco Wildwood

Addie’s successor, Fish Taco, River Falls Tavern and our toy basket winner

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Addie's/Helen's collage

 

Addie’s successor ready to open

After two looong years of construction on the building that once housed Addie’s — and more bumps in the road than the owner cares to count — doors are finally set to open next week at Helen’s Bar & Grill on Rockville Pike. Owner Helen Wasserman, a veteran D.C. caterer, says her new place will feature an ever-changing menu of favorite recipes perfected during years of feeding partygoers. For first-time visitors, Wasserman recommends the grilled lamb chops, lobster dumplings and cheese wontons with guacamole. Hours aren’t quite set yet and the restaurant is small, so call ahead if you’re planning to try it out: (240) 403-7035.

 

 

 

Hola Fish Taco

Here’s a peek at the new Fish Taco, which opened over spring break at Wildwood Shopping Center off Democracy Boulevard and Old Georgetown Road. “Things have been busier than we originally anticipated,” reports head chef Brant Cotter, “but that’s a great problem to have.” This is the second location for the popular Mexican chain, which made its debut on MacArthur Boulevard in 2013; a third will open this summer on Wisconsin Avenue. To see what’s on the menu at Fish Taco, click here.

 

 

Leila Jewels ad: http://leilajewels.com

 

 

 

Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar sign

 

Name change for the Tavern

A year after the sale of The Tavern at River Falls in Potomac Village, owner RW Restaurant Group is seeking a fresh start with a new name inspired by our local canals: Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar. Chef/owner Robert Wiedmaier followed a similar strategy in The Kentlands, where his Brasserie Beck turned into Boulevard Tavern after its first year, and in downtown Bethesda where Urban Heights recently transformed into Tommy Joe’s. But partner Frank Shull says the changes will be more subtle in this case: The original chef is still on board, and the menu will expand a bit with RW signature dishes like Lobster Risotto and Colorado Rack of Lamb. Click here to check it out.

 

 

JT Interiors photo

 

Make a spring stop at JT Interiors

Have you ever driven through Potomac Village and wondered about the cute brown house with the JT Interiors sign? If you haven’t stopped to check out this charming store — which relocated from The Kentlands in 2013 — spring is a great time to visit. Inside you’ll find not only design and renovation services, but also furniture, home accessories, and gifts for all occasions and budgets. We spotted hand-embroidered guest towels and heart-shaped catch-alls for less than $20 each, and canvas totes and Inis fragrances for under $50. “Everything we have here is unique,” says store manager Lauren Gregory. “We buy merchandise that you won’t find in other shops.” JT Interiors, 9906 River Road, (301) 299-0485. Click here to see the latest on their Facebook page, or click here to take a nifty virtual tour.

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On Cloud 9 ad: https://www.facebook.com/On-Cloud-9-252148152907/

 

 

 

Store Reporter kids' gift basket

 

Who won our big basket of toys?

Congratulations to Amanda Klueger of Potomac, who won our latest drawing for this fabulous basket of toys: a Yoga Spinner game from ThinkFun; Spot It and Doodle Quest games from Blue Orange; Crazy Aaron’s Glow-in-the-Dark Thinking Putty, provided by Toy Castle; and a My Gym gift certificate for membership and classes. We have another toy giveaway coming up soon. Stay tuned to Store Reporter to make sure you don’t miss it.

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Brit-Am Indoor Soccer ad: http://www.brit-am.com

 

 

 

Macy's store interior entrance, Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

Mall changes: Apple, Sephora & the Macy’s wing

In case you missed our special issue last Monday, we’re predicting a big spring shakeup for the Macy’s wing at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Insiders tell us that the Apple store will be expanding (and may shut down during the process), while Sephora and Teavana will be relocating to larger new spaces across the hall. For more on this — along with the future of BCBG Max Azria and Kay Jewelers — click here for our April 4 edition.

 

 

PacSun at Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

Cloudy weather for PacSun

Teen retailer Pacific Sunwear, commonly known as PacSun, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week with plans to reorganize as a private company. PacSun, which has a store at Westfield Montgomery Mall, says it will operate as usual during the restructuring process and all locations will remain open. Gift cards and credits still will be honored for now, but it’s always a good idea to use them quickly in these situations. Teen retailers are having a hard time these days: American Apparel is also in Chapter 11, Abercrombie & Fitch is struggling, and Wet Seal, Delia’s and Deb Shops all have gone out of business.

 

 

Good Deeds Day ad

 

 

 

 

City Sports out at Pike & Rose, Fish Taco and fitness at Wildwood, new jeweler at Park Potomac

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Rockville_StoreFront

 

City Sports throws in the towel at Pike & Rose

The year-old Pike & Rose development in North Bethesda has suffered its first casualty: City Sports, one of the first tenants to open there last November, says it will close up shop by the end of this month. The decision follows last week’s Chapter 11 filing for the Boston-based chain, which is also closing its Silver Spring store and possibly other D.C.-area locations. This is the second sporting goods retailer to go belly-up on Rockville Pike this fall; Hudson Trail Outfitters called it quits last month and is currently liquidating its store at Montrose Crossing. But it’s a whole different story for the Pike’s thriving REI store, which recently signed a lease for 36,000 square feet in Phase II of Pike & Rose. This week we heard some speculation that REI might take over the much-smaller City Sports space instead of waiting until 2017 for its new store to open. But Federal Realty, the developer of Pike & Rose, says that’s not going to happen. “We’re confident we will replace City Sports with a great retailer or restaurant that will be additive to the Pike & Rose neighborhood,” a company spokesman tells us.

 

 

Fish Taco tacos

 

Fish Taco swims toward a winter opening

If you’re one of those Fish Taco fans who can’t wait for the gourmet Mexican restaurant to open at Wildwood Shopping Center, we’re sorry to tell you that the wait will be a couple of months longer than expected. “Nobody wants to open sooner than I do, but now I think we’re looking at the middle of January,” says owner Francis Namin, who opened the original Fish Taco on MacArthur Boulevard and also owns Food Wine & Co. in Bethesda. Namin signed the Wildwood lease this summer and had hoped to open by fall, but plumbing and electrical issues got in the way. Still, he promises the new restaurant will be worth the wait: modern decor, seating for up to 80 people, a streamlined takeout counter, and a “lighter, brighter and happier” look than the one on MacArthur Boulevard.

 

 

Solidcore logo blue

 

New gym heading to Wildwood

Also on the way to Wildwood Shopping Center this winter is Solidcore, the D.C. fitness chain known for its high-intensity workouts on Pilates-based Megaformer machines. Founded two years ago in Adams Morgan, Solidcore promises a personalized, boutique atmosphere with 50-minute classes that are designed to exhaust every muscle. The Wildwood location, set to open after Thanksgiving, will have 14 machines that must be reserved and paid for online before you arrive. At peak times, those slots can fill up quickly. “Our typical clients are hard-working, hard-driving individuals who like to be challenged,” says Solidcore vice president Erika Elko. “Many are athletes and former athletes who have been very successful in their lives and careers.” At Solidcore’s price point, they’d have to be successful: The gym charges upwards of $35 for a single class, with one-year unlimited memberships going for nearly $3,500.

 

 

On Cloud 9 Butter sweatshirts, background removed

 

Still time for a gift from On Cloud 9

It’s not too late to enter our giveaway for a super-soft Butter jacket from On Cloud 9 at Potomac Woods Plaza, 1085 Seven Locks Road. The winner will get  to choose from an array of cute styles like these, available in sizes 4 to 16. On Cloud 9 caters to fashionistas of any age — babies, girls, teens and women — with the latest looks from Vintage Havana, So Nikki, Malibu Sugar, Wildfox, T2 Love and many more. Update: Jill Mendelson Rodriguez won this giveaway; keep reading Store Reporter to see what we’re giving away next.

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Kaufman Jewelers

 

Potomac jeweler is back with a new store

Potomac jeweler George Kaufmann, formerly with the now-closed Robert Bernard Jewelers at Potomac Woods Plaza, opened a new store at Park Potomac last week with son Corey as his partner. Kaufmann has been in the jewelry business for most of his life, learning the trade from his own father at a Kaufmann store in D.C. that dated back to the 1940s. The new Kaufmann Jewelers, 12500 Park Potomac Avenue across from Sugo and MoCo’s Founding Farmers, will offer repair service and custom work on gold, diamonds, gemstones and watches.

 

American ApparelBankruptcy filing for American Apparel

American Apparel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week, a move that had been expected for months as the troubled company fought with its ousted founder and saw its sales continue to slide. The retailer plans to close some of its 227 stores, but there’s no word yet on the fate of the one at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The past 12 months have been tough for teen retailers, with Wet Seal, Delia’s and Deb Shops going out of business while once-popular chains like Abercrombie & Fitch face an uphill battle to win back their fickle customer base.