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Jose Andres

Beefsteak opens, Apple Store update, Flora’s flies the coop

June 23, 2016 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

 

 

 

Platters at Beefsteak

 

Beefsteak ready to open at the mall

Beefsteak, the new veggie-centric restaurant from celeb chef José Andrés, is set to open next week in the Dining Terrace at Westfield Montgomery Mall. A fast-casual concept from the man who brought us Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel and Minibar, Beefsteak has rolled out five locations in its first 15 months as Andrés sets his sights on a national expansion. (Investors include actress/health guru Gwyneth Paltrow.) The menu isn’t entirely vegetarian — you can choose to top your meal with a poached egg or salt-cured salmon — but the focus here is on pairing veggies with grains, nuts, seeds and sauces. Click here to check out the menu for yourself.

 


 

Apple Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

Apple Store closing pushed back again

It’s been almost three months since we broke the news that the Apple Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall would be closing for a major expansion. But while the other predictions in our April 4th report have all come to pass (see story below), the start date for the Apple renovation has been pushed back from late April to early May to a new projection of “sometime this summer.” Apple will be taking over the adjoining storefronts once occupied by BCBG and Teavana, rolling the whole space into a massive new store that was supposed to be ready before the holidays. The longer it takes for construction to begin, the more challenging that timetable will become. Either way, Apple fans will likely find it worth the wait: Click here for a Bloomberg report on the company’s striking new store in San Francisco.

 


 

Cabin John free yoga classes ad

 

 


 

Teavana/Sephora construction photos at Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

On the move: Sephora, Teavana & Kay Jewelers

While the Apple Store expansion is on hold until later this summer, construction is moving forward on three other stores in the Macy’s wing at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Sephora is moving into a larger space across the hall from its current location, which will remain open during construction. Teavana, which closed in April to make room for the Apple expansion, is building a new store of its own just down the aisle. And Kay Jewelers, as we predicted in our April 4th report, will be moving out of its corner spot to a new home next to Swarovski. All three stores should be open by early fall.

 


 

Flora's Feathered Nest

 

Flora’s flies the coop

Closing this summer after 12 years: Flora’s Feathered Nest, the artsy Potomac gift shop in a quaint two-story house at 12211 River Road. Flora’s fans appreciated the store for its creative displays and one-of-a-kind gifts, from herb gardens in the summer and holiday decor in the winter to giant clocks, nautical accessories and farm-themed artwork. “I loved my customers and made some great friends along this journey, but the square footage here is just too big to maintain,” says owner Marcia Copenhaver, who is contemplating whether to retire or reopen in a smaller space. “I simply need to take a break and reevaluate how much time and energy I want to devote to my passion.” In the meantime, three-year-old JT Interiors will have the Potomac Village gift-shopping market to itself.

 


 

JT Interiors house ad: https://www.facebook.com/jtinteriorspotomac/

 

 


 

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Hello to Pieology and Habit Burger — and goodbye to another mall restaurant

June 2, 2016 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

 

 

 

 Pieology pizzas

 

Make-your-own pizza on Shady Grove Road

Pieology, a make-your-own pizza restaurant in the style of the recently departed Blaze, made its Maryland debut on Shady Grove Road this week in the former Chicken Out space near Nordstrom Rack. This is the beginning of a planned mid-Atlantic expansion for Pieology, a California-based chain that offers 40 choices of fresh toppings over three types of crusts (including gluten-free) at a price point below $10. Click here to see the menu, which also includes Chopt-style customizable salads. Pieology is actively looking for additional Maryland and D.C.-area locations, says local franchise exec Todd Stallings. He and his associates already know the market: They’re also the regional franchisees for Five Guys.

 


 

Founding Farmers Wine Dinner: http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/let-mocos-founding-farmers-wine-dine-you/

 


 

The Habit Burger Grill

 

Habit Burger opens in Rockville

The Habit Burger Grill, named by Consumer Reports as one of the top fast food restaurants in the country, arrived ahead of schedule this week at Wintergreen Plaza on Rockville Pike. Like Pieology, this is a California-based chain opening its first store in Maryland. Click here to check out the Shake Shack-style menu of burgers, fries, onion rings and ice cream-based drinks. If burgers aren’t your thing, Jersey Mike’s Subs is set to open next door in early July. The two restaurants stand in the spot once occupied by Tedd’s 355 diner, which closed last fall.

 


 

Regency Estates Swim Club membership discount ad: http://rescswimpool.org

 

 


 

Store Reporter sales rep ad

 

 


 

Chloe's Deli

 

Another restaurant exits the mall

Westfield Montgomery Mall lost its fourth restaurant in two weeks with the closing of Chloe’s NY Style Deli, which exited over Memorial Day weekend shortly after celebrating its first anniversary. Chloe’s had been the first independent venture for owner Caje Fernandes, a veteran of Celebrity Delly, Attman’s and Shalom Kosher whose menu had offered everything from knishes to latkes to matzoh ball soup. Fernandes says he simply couldn’t generate enough traffic with so many food choices at the mall, especially at his location away from the central Dining Terrace. Chloe’s closed just a week after the simultaneous departures of Blaze Pizza, Lobster ME and Jamaican Mi Crazy. (Click here for more in our May 23rd edition.) Mall officials say there are several new leases soon to be announced, in addition to next month’s opening of Beefsteak by celeb chef José Andrés. (Click here for more in our Feb. 18 edition.)

 


 

Samovar soup

 

Vodka, blintzes and belly dancing in Rockville

Samovar, the Russian/Central Asian restaurant that’s been under construction for more than a year at Rockville Town Square, finally opened this week at 201 North Washington Street. Owner Solijon Nasimov, a longtime restaurateur in his native Tajikistan, will be working with daughter Ika Nasimova of Rockville’s European Delight market. Entrées include caviar dishes, blintzes, beef stroganoff, smoked fish and kebabs, with a drink menu that ranges from Turkish coffee to infused vodkas to Czech and Ukranian beers… and White Russians, of course. Click here to check out the menu, as well as the upcoming schedule for live music and belly dancing.

 


 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: Beefsteak, Beefsteak Bethesda, Beefsteak Westfield Montgomery Mall, Blaze Pizza Bethesda, Blaze Pizza Bethesda closed, Blaze Pizza Westfield Montgomery Mall, Blaze Pizza Westfield Montgomery Mall closed, Caje Fernandes, Chicken Out Gaithersburg, Chicken Out Shady Grove Road, Chloe's Deli closed, Chloe's NY Style Deli, Chloe's NY Style Deli Bethesda, Chloe's NY Style Deli closed, Chloe's NY Style Deli Westfield Montgomery Mall, Chop't, European Delight Market, European Delight Rockville, Founding Farmers Park Potomac, Founding Farmers Wine Dinner, Ika Nasimova, Jamaican Mi Crazy, Jamaican Mi Crazy Bethesda, Jamaican Mi Crazy Bethesda closed, Jamaican Mi Crazy closed, Jamaican Mi Crazy Westfield Montgomery Mall, Jamaican Mi Crazy Westfield Montgomery Mall closed, Jersey Mike's, Jersey Mike's Rockville, Jersey Mike's Wintergreen Plaza, Jose Andres, Lobster ME Bethesda closed, Lobster ME closed, Lobster ME Westfield Montgomery Mall, Lobster ME Westfield Montgomery Mall closed, MoCo's Founding Farmers, MoCo's Founding Farmers Wine Dinner, Nordstrom Rack Gaithersburg, Nordstrom Rack Shady Grove Road, Pieology, Pieology Gaithersburg, Pieology Rockville, Pieology Shady Grove Road, Samovar, Samovar Rockville, Samovar Rockville Town Square, Solijon Nasimov, Tedd's 355 Diner, The Habit Burger Grill Rockville, The Habit Burger Grill Wintergreen Plaza, The Htabit Burger Grill, Westfield Montgomery Mall, Wintergreen Plaza, Wintergreen Plaza Rockville

José Andrés brings veggies to the mall, Potomac Village Deli on the comeback trail, new store for sleepaway campers

February 18, 2016 By Store Reporter 2 Comments

 

 

 

Beefsteak-BEETsteak-sandwich

 

José Andrés brings veggies to the mall

Coming this summer to Westfield Montgomery Mall: a new vegetable-centered restaurant from local celeb chef José Andrés. Beefsteak, a year-old concept with two locations already open and two more on the way to D.C. and Philadelphia, is the newest venture from the man who brought us Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel and Minibar. The menu isn’t entirely vegetarian — you can top your meal with a poached egg or salt-cured salmon — but the focus here is on pairing veggies with grains, nuts, seeds and sauces. Pricing is moderate: Most dishes are less than $10, and the signature Beetsteak sandwich shown here sells for $5.99 with a side of chips. At the mall, Beefsteak will move into the Dining Terrace space that was recently vacated by Qdoba. (See our Feb. 11 issue for more on that.)

 


 

Potomac Village Deli logo

 

Potomac Village Deli on the comeback trail

Potomac Village Deli, which left the Village a decade ago to focus on its catering business, is making a comeback this spring — in The Kentlands. The new deli will take over the Gaithersburg location of its sister business, Potomac Pizza, where the owners say they’ll be serving pent-up demand for a kosher-style deli with matzoh ball soup, fresh-sliced meat sandwiches, lox and baked goods. Bagels will be provided by another sister company, Bagels ‘n Grinds, and the restaurant will continue to offer pizza and calzones in the evenings. Potomac Village Deli was an institution on Falls Road from the late ’70s until it closed in 2006, after which many customers continued to support the catering business. Owners say the pizzeria/deli switcheroo will not affect their other three Potomac Pizza restaurants in Potomac Village, Traville and Chevy Chase.

 


 

Counseling Center ad #2

 

 


 

Bee Bee Designs camp items

 

Camp store on the way to King Farm

The winter weather is far from over, but sleepaway camp is already on the radar for many local parents. Enter Bee Bee Designs, a New Jersey-based camp outfitter that will open a pop-up shop at King Farm Village Center early next month. Bee Bee sells all the camp essentials and plenty of just-for-fun stuff, from packing trunks and personalized pillows to monogrammed stationery and custom camp lip gloss. Most of the business happens online (click here for the website), but the company operated a similar pop-up store in Bethesda last year to serve its sizable customer base in Montgomery County. Many people appreciate the chance to shop in person, says co-owner Brian Bailey — especially the parents of first-time campers. “A lot of our staff is made up of camp moms who just went through this themselves,” Bailey says. “For parents who aren’t quite sure what their kids will need, we offer one-on-one shopping appointments where they can get all of their questions answered.”

 


 

Wills Decorating ad: www.decoratemaryland.com

 

 


 

ArcLight Cinema, Westfield Montgomery Mall

 

Congrats to our ArcLight winners — and keep sending us your family favorites!

Congratulations to Store Reporter readers Marilyn Feldman and Jennifer Primerano, who each won ArcLight Cinema movie tickets in our February drawing. And thanks to all who entered by contributing suggestions to our upcoming Store Reporter Kids Issue. We are still taking nominations, and we’d love to hear your thoughts about the best kid-friendly businesses in the greater Rockville/Potomac area: restaurants, toy stores, children’s clothing stores, after-school classes… all the local places that you and your kids enjoy. To post your comments on our Facebook page, click here. To email your suggestions to us directly, click here.

 


 

Sorry, Jersey Mike’s

More than a few sharp-eyed readers caught our mistake in last week’s article about The Habit Burger Grill and Jersey Mike’s Subs. The two fast-casual chains are still scheduled to open at Wintergreen Plaza this fall, but we were wrong when we said that both were new to Maryland. It turns out that Jersey Mike’s already has several restaurants here, including one in The Kentlands. If you’d like to read the updated version of that story — plus some other news for burger fans from our Feb. 11 issue — you’ll find it by clicking here.

 


 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: ArcLight Cinema Bethesda, ArcLight Cinema Westfield Montgomery Mall, Bee Bee Designs, Bee Bee Designs King Farm, Bee Bee Designs Rockville, Beefsteak, Counseling Center of Maryland, Jersey Mike's Maryland, Jose Andres, Potomac Pizza, Potomac Village Deli, Qdoba, The Habit Burger Grill Maryland, Westfield Montgomery Mall, Wills Decorating, Wintergreen Plaza

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Recent Issues

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Who's the Store Reporter?

Cheryl Kane Heimlich has been a staff writer, columnist, editor and contributor to a dozen publications including the South Florida Business Journal, Bethesda Magazine, Miami Today, Miami Metro, Vista Magazine, St. Louis Magazine, the Boca Raton Observer, Washington Jewish Week and Variety. She has won numerous awards for her magazine profiles, parenting columns and business news coverage.

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