Store Reporter

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

Kaufmann Jewelers

New restaurant on Rockville Pike, Starbucks goes Venti in Potomac Village — plus our raffle winners

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Platter from Honeyfish Poke

 

Two new restaurants for Congressional Plaza

The dining scene at Congressional Plaza is looking way up for 2017. Modern Market, the scratch-made chain from Colorado that’s been earning raves in downtown Bethesda, opened its doors this week next to Chopt. And the center just landed Honeyfish Poke, a West Coast chain featuring Hawaiian-style bowls of raw fish with fresh toppings and Asian sauces. Honeyfish Poke is set for a spring opening a few doors down from Starbucks, near Congressional’s new outdoor seating area. To check out the menu, click here.

 

 

Silver Moon Jewelry & Accessories: http://www.silvermoonstyle.com

 

 

 

starbucks-potomac-village-front

 

Starbucks goes Venti in Potomac Village

Starbucks in Potomac Village is finally nearing the end of a major expansion that has annoyed its customers for months. The tiny store, which never had enough space to meet the demands of its latte-loving neighborhood, will kick off 2017 with more coffee machines, more baristas and lot more seating. The extra room is coming from a frame shop that closed next door; employees say the work should be done before Christmas.

 

 

The Bottle Shop Annual Customer Holiday Show: https://www.facebook.com/TheBottleShopRockville/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf

 

 

 

holiday-boutique-promo

 

Who won our biggest raffle ever?

Congratulations to the winners of our latest raffle, featuring fabulous gifts from vendors at the Washington Hebrew Congregation Sisterhood Holiday Boutique & Silent Auction. Here’s a list of who won what:

  • Rori Malech won a PJ Salvage sweater from Barbie B (shopbarbieb.com)
  • Michèle Morgan won a pair of workout leggings from LavaLoka (lavaloka.com)
  • Amy Stolker won a zirconia necklace from Artfully Designed Jewelry (click for more).
  • Betsy Fader Goldstein won a choker necklace from Gemini Jewelry (click for more).
  • Leela Berman won a photo canvas from Photos by Freddi (photosbyfreddi.com).
  • Michael Reiser won a bottle of vintage vinegar from All things Olive (allthingsolive.com).
  • Meredith Wernick won a $25 gift certificate from Bows Etc. (bowsetc.com)
  • Karla Rosenfeld Azachi won a pair of girls’ leggings from Shop Marti (shopmarti.com).
  • Greg Overcamp won a $50 certificate for kids’ clothing from Blue Elephant (shoptheblueelephant.com).

 

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Something dazzling from Kaufman Jewelers

If you’re looking for a gift that really dazzles, Kaufmann Jewelers at Park Potomac is the place to go for gorgeous custom jewelry. Take this stunning 18-karat gold ring with oval tanzanite and diamonds. Not quite what you’re looking for? Third-generation jeweler Corey Kaufman can design something special or find a piece that fits your budget, from diamond and gold jewelry priced in the thousands to silver and gemstone rings, bracelets and earrings for less than $100. Kaufmann Jewelers, 12500 Park Potomac Ave., #107S, 301-978-7778. For more info, click here.

 

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Something sparkly from JT Interiors

The holiday sparkle is in full swing at JT Interiors in Potomac Village, where you’ll find shimmering gifts around just about every corner. We love the tabletop glitter trees ($62 for a set of two), the gold and silver glitter wreath ($70) and the mercury glass lamp ($128), all shown here. The gold leaf tray makes a great hostess gift at $17, as do the candles and illuminaries priced from $10 and up. Visit JT Interiors at 9906 River Road, call 301-299-0485 or click here for details.

 

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Contact publisher@storereporter.com

 

 

Seafood market opens at Potomac Woods, Korean BBQ at the mall

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O'Donnell's Market seafood case

 

Seafood market opens at Potomac Woods Plaza

After six months of renovations to the former Little Gym space at Potomac Woods Plaza, O’Donnell’s Market opened its doors this week with a promising selection of fresh fish, seafood and baked goods. The store was just beginning to stock up when we stopped by on Wednesday, but owner Bill Edelblut says he’ll soon be adding a salad bar, grab-and-go items and a full-service bakery. O’Donnell’s isn’t cheap: Much of the seafood is priced around $25 a pound, and crab cakes are $10 apiece. But we were impressed with the super-fresh flounder, one of the more economical choices at $13.50 per pound. Edelblut has a long history in the seafood industry; his family owned the venerable O’Donnell’s Sea Grill restaurant chain, which closed its last remaining location at The Kentlands two years ago.

 

 

B Bop Q beef bowl regular2

 

Korean BBQ at the mall

B/Bop/Q, a new Korean fusion restaurant, opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall last week in the corridor adjacent to the Dining Terrace. The concept is based on Korean bibimbap, but also similar to the Chipotle spinoff ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. Diners move along a serving line as they start with rice or noodles, add a protein, then customize their dishes with fresh vegetables and sauces. Also on the menu: tacos, wraps, dumplings and Korean-style chicken wings. B/Bop/Q is the brainchild of Ken Choi, a food industry veteran who operates cafes for NASA, the American Red Cross, the Library of Congress and other local institutions. He hopes this will be the start of a national Korean fusion chain, with four more locations already planned for the West Coast. B/Bop/Q is the second Asian restaurant to open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in the past month, following the November debut of neighboring Shanghai Bao Kitchen. Next up, after the holidays, is Tara Thai.

 

 

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

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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.

 

 

 

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.” 

 

 

 

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.

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Over-the-top sweet shop, hot Halloween costumes, online price wars, a grand opening

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Lolli and Pops storefront

 

Over-the-top sweet shop opening at the mall

The Lolli and Pops candy store at Westfield Montgomery Mall is scheduled to open by Halloween. But trust us: You’re not going to want to share these sweets with random trick-or-treaters. Lolli and Pops is a San Francisco-based chain with an eclectic selection of gourmet, retro and international candies, all wrapped up in a ’50s decor that would look right at home on Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. If you’re looking for Choward’s Violet Mints from New York, Jonboy Caramels from Seattle, Butlers Irish Whiskey Fudge from Dublin, Leone candies from Italy or Mr. Stanley’s Toffee from England, this is the place to find them. The store also specializes in oddball drinks like Moxie Original Elixir, Brownie Caramel Root Beer and Jones Peanut Butter and Jelly Soda. And did we mention there’s a room devoted entirely to gummy bears — with plenty of free samples? This will be the third D.C.-area location for Lolli and Pops, which arrived in Annapolis and Tysons Corner last year. You’ll find it on the mall’s lower level near Macy’s, next door to the upcoming Alex and Ani store.

 

 

Blue inflatable costume

 

Halloween 2015: Star Wars, Minions and the Inflatables

Stay Puft costumeIf you’re planning to take the kids out shopping for Halloween gear this weekend, don’t wait too long: Costumes from Star Wars, Minions and Inside Out are already flying off the shelves at local Halloween stores, as are the Avengers and other classic superheroes. Also hot this year is the new breed of inflatable costumes, which come with a battery-powered air pump to keep everything puffy through a long night of trick-or-treating. Popular inflatables include sumo wrestlers, Baymax the robot from Big Hero 6, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters. But pretty much anything inflatable is a hit at the pop-up store X-treme Halloween on Rockville Pike, says manager Dennis Bracey. “We’ve got a T. Rex, SpongeBob and Patrick the Starfish, and we can’t even keep them in stock.” For the girls, characters from the Monster High franchise and Disney Channel’s Descendants are popular choices this year. But Princess Elsa from Frozen is still holding onto her crown: Just like last year, she remains the top pick for girls who want to be royal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jill Mendelson Rodriguez

 

Here’s our Butter jacket winner from On Cloud 9

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader Jill Mendelson Rodriguez, whose 7-year-old daughter won a super-soft Butter jacket from On Cloud 9 at Potomac Woods Plaza. For all you contestants who didn’t win the jacket but still want to visit On Cloud 9, watch your email later this week for a special coupon from Store Reporter.  (And if you didn’t enter the contest but would like to receive the coupon, click here to send us an email and we’ll be happy to send one out.)



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Jet.com logo


 


October price wars: Target vs. Amazon vs. Jet.com


Amazon.com got some extra competition this month as Target upped the price-matching ante and online newcomer Jet.com dropped its plans to charge for membership. Target stores and Target.com are now promising to price-match comparable items from a long list of retailers including Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, Walmart, and even warehouse clubs Costco and Sam’s Club. Check your phone to compare prices while shopping in the store, or come back within 14 days if you find a lower price at any retailer on this list. As for Jet.com — an online retailer that launched this fall as a direct competitor to Amazon — the young company now says its customers are filling their shopping carts much more quickly than expected… so never mind about that $50 membership fee, it won’t be necessary after all. Jet doesn’t promise two-day delivery à la Amazon Prime, but it’s not charging $99 a year for membership either — and a quick search shows that Jet’s prices often beat Amazon’s by 10 percent or more. So if you’re ordering stuff that you don’t really need in the next 48 hours — even if you already belong to Amazon Prime — it may pay to take Jet for a spin.


 




 


 


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.




 


 


 


 




 


New spa on the way to North Bethesda, Potomac jeweler returns, and another Asian market for Rockville — plus a Leila Jewels discount


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Woodhouse Spa massage


 


New spa on the way to North Bethesda


The Red Door Spa at Wildwood is about to get some serious competition: Woodhouse Day Spa, a Texas-based chain with more than three dozen locations nationwide, is on its way to the North Bethesda Market on Rockville Pike. The 6,000-square-foot spa will open this fall with a wide range of services from massages and mani/pedis to facials and “sleep treatments” (guided naps with aromatherapy and heated herbal compresses). The spa should mix well with some of the other health-oriented tenants at North Bethesda Market, including Whole Foods and Seasons 52. 


 




 


Robert Bernard Jewelers


 


Robert Bernard Jewelers partner to open new store


George Kaufmann, former co-owner of the Robert Bernard jewelry store at Potomac Woods Plaza, will soon be back in the jewelry biz. His new venture, Kaufmann Jewelers, is set to open in August on the ground floor of a condo building at Park Potomac — just around the corner from his former digs. Kaufmann, who closed Robert Bernard Jewelers last December after his business partner retired to California, says he wanted a fresh start as he brings son Corey into the business. “My own father, Herbert Kaufmann, had a store in D.C. from the 1940s on,” he says. “When I started doing business in Potomac in 2004,  I still had customers coming in who had gotten their engagement rings and bar mitzvah rings from my father. He would have been very happy that I’m bringing back the name in this new business.”


 




 


Leila gemstone necklace


 


Join us for some Pre-Mother’s Day shopping at Leila Jewels




Would you like some Mother’s Day gift inspiration — plus a chance to talk shop with the Store Reporter? Join us on Sunday, May 3rd from 2:00-4:00 p.m. for our Pre-Mother’s Day shopping event at Leila Fine Gifts & Jewels in the Cabin John Shopping Center. Say hello to the Store Reporter, enter a jewelry raffle, and take 15 percent off everything you buy — or 25 percent off a single item (like this gold vermeil “shaker” necklace with ruby crystals, $135). Use the discount for your mom, or buy something for yourself — we won’t tell. 


 


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New York Mart storefront


 


Asian market replaces Magruder’s in Rockville


New York Mart, an Asian grocery store based in Manhattan’s Chinatown, is scheduled to open this spring in the former Magruder’s space at College Plaza on Rockville Pike. We couldn’t find out much about New York Mart — their website is written entirely in Chinese, and no one answers the phones —  but the flagship store gets mixed reviews on Yelp, and it could be tough to win over new customers in an area that already has several Asian markets. Magruder’s, a family-owned grocery chain with a long history in the D.C. area, closed its last remaining stores in 2013. There’s still one store with the Magruder’s name in Washington, but it has new owners and sells only beer and wine.


 




 


ArcLight snacks


 


Congrats to the winners of our ArcLight Cinema ticket giveaway


Congratulations to Store Reporter readers Benjamin Alpert, David Chu and Andrea Savada, who won last week’s ticket giveaway to Beyond the Reach at the ArcLight Cinema at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Stay tuned for more great giveaways in upcoming issues of Store Reporter.


 


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