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Francis Namin

Hello David’s Tea, Goodbye Costco Amex & Redskins Team Store

June 16, 2016 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

 

 

 

 

David’s Tea makes its debut

David’s Tea, a Canadian retailer that’s in the midst of a major U.S. expansion, has opened its first Maryland location at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Founded eight years ago by a Quebec student and his retail magnate cousin, David’s is known for its whimsical packaging, seasonal product changes and unusual flavor infusions. (This summer’s selections include Grape Freeze, Chocolate Covered Banana and Strawberry Colada.) David’s, which has more than 150 locations in Canada, went public in 2015 with plans for 80 U.S. stores by the end of this year. At Montgomery Mall, where Teavana is temporarily closed while its new location is under construction, you can find David’s in the Macy’s wing right next to Starbucks — or click here for a sneak peek online.

 


 

Cabin John Shopping Center dog ad: http://shopcabinjohn.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8944a71ff48e2ec948a748b4c&id=df4eb12359

 

 


 

Costco:American Express collage 2 600

 

Costco to Amex: You’re dead to us

This weekend marks the official end of Costco‘s longtime partnership with American Express as the company begins a new relationship with Citibank Visa. The Costco Amex was known for its generous cash-back rewards program, but the Costco Visa raises the bar even higher: 4% cash back on gas purchases, 3% on restaurants and travel, 2% at Costco and 1% on everything else. American Express, which stands to lose nearly 10% of its customer base with the dissolution of the Costco deal, is now trying to lure back lapsed cardholders with a sweet $250 cash-back offer. For an informative Motley Fool report on the benefits of both cards, click here. And no matter what you decide, this Sunday (June 19th) is the last day that any kind of Amex card will be accepted at Costco.

 


 

 

Third Fish Taco to open next week

Just two months after the debut of Fish Taco at Wildwood Shopping Center, the burgeoning chain is set to open its third location next week at the former home of City Burger in Chevy Chase. The Fish Taco concept has been a winner for local restaurateur Francis Namin, who also created City Burger as well as the Don Pollo chicken chain and the much-missed Red Tomato Café in downtown Bethesda. Namin’s upscale Bethesda restaurant, Food Wine & Co., closed its doors a few weeks ago after its building was marked for redevelopment.

 


 

Jenny Camps Personal Training ad: http://www.jocpersonaltraining.com

 

 


Redskins Team Store:Liberty Socks collage

 

Goodbye Redskins Store, hello flag socks

If you were planning to stop by Westfield Montgomery Mall this weekend to pick up some Father’s Day gifts at the Washington Redskins Team Store, we have some bad news: The store has closed, and the next-closest location is at Tysons Corner. Perhaps Dad would be willing to settle for some flag-fashion footwear? Liberty Socks, a new kiosk in the Macy’s wing at Montgomery Mall, sells eye-catching patriotic patterns designed by a U.S. Army vet. Liberty Socks is a pop-up tenant that will close after July 4th. Click here to check out all the stars and stripes.

 


 

 

Bed Bath & Beyond buys One Kings Lane

This week Bed Bath & Beyond bought One Kings Lane, the online retailer whose ads you may have noticed as you browse around online. One Kings Lane, a once-hot company whose fortunes have cooled in the past two years, sells an eclectic mix of furniture and accessories via flash sales and photo vignettes that make mixing and matching look easy peasy. (Click here to see for yourself.) Bed Bath & Beyond hasn’t explained its game plan here: Will its stores start carrying furniture from One Kings Lane, or is this all part of a strategy to diversify the retailer’s online presence? Stay tuned to see how this deal plays out.

 


 

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Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: American Express Costco, American Express Costco Gaithersburg, Bed Bath & Beyond Rockville, Cabin John Shopping Center & Mall, City Burger closed, David's Tea Bethesda, David's Tea Maryland, David's Tea Westfield Montgomery Mall, Fish Taco, Fish Taco Chevy Chase, Fish Taco Wildwood Shopping Center, Food Wine & Co., Francis Namin, Jenny Camps Personal Training, Liberty Socks, Liberty Socks Bethesda, Liberty Socks Westfield Montgomery Mall, One Kings Lane, Red Tomato Cafe closed, Washington Redskins Team Store Bethesda, Washington Redskins Team Store Tysons Corner, Washington Redskins Team Store Westfield Montgomery Mall, Westfield Montgomery Mall

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

October 8, 2015 By Store Reporter 2 Comments

 

 

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.

Sponsored Content

 


 

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.

 

 

 

 


 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: American Apparel Westfield Montgomery Mall, Bold Beauty Project D.C., City Sports North Bethesda, Fish Taco, Fish Taco Wildwood, Food Wine & Co., Francis Namin, Hudson Trail Outfitters Montrose Crossing, Hudson Trail Outfitters Rockville, Kaufmann Jewelers, Kaufmann Jewelers Park Potomac, Montrose Crosing, On Cloud 9, Park Potomac, Pike & Rose, Potomac Woods Plaza, REI Pike & Rose, Robert Bernard Jewelers, Shops at Wildwood, Solidcore, Solidcore Bethesda, Wildwood Shopping Center

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