Store Reporter

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

La Madeleine North Bethesda

Vineyard Vines, Johnston & Murphy to the mall — plus restaurant returns and RadioShack

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Vineyard Vines shirt

 

Vineyard Vines swings into town

Vineyard Vines, a favorite store for preppies from Massachusetts to Palm Beach, will make its Maryland debut this spring with a new location at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The company takes its name from Martha’s Vineyard, where it began in 1998 as a tie manufacturer before moving on to clothes and accessories for men, women and kids. The pink whale logo is now a staple at college campuses nationwide, not to mention many of our local high schools — where shirts like the one shown here have become ubiquitous. The new store will move in where Brighton Collectibles just moved out, on the first floor of the Nordstrom wing next to Tesla. If you’re not familiar with Vineyard Vines, click here to check it out.

 

Johnston & Murphy shoe

 

Shoes of the presidents

Also coming to the Nordstrom wing of Westfield Montgomery Mall this spring: Johnston & Murphy, the classic men’s footwear company that has made a pair of custom shoes for every president since Millard Fillmore. Clearly the historic brand is also popular with people who don’t live at the White House: Johnston & Murphy has a half-dozen stores in the D.C. area, including one at Reagan Airport. In addition to shoes, the company also makes luggage, leather goods and clothing for men and women. Click here to see the full line, or click here to see the Lincoln-inspired boots that Johnston & Murphy made for President Obama.

La Madeleine croissant

 

New restaurants opening at Pike & Rose

Two restaurants that were displaced by construction last year are about to reopen at the new Pike & Rose development in North Bethesda. Chipotle will return on Monday (Feb. 9), followed by La Madeleine on Feb. 19. Both had been tenants of the Mid-Pike Plaza shopp
ing center, which was torn down last winter. Stella Barra Pizzeria is also set to open at Pike & Rose next Thursday (Feb. 12).

 

Brighton cube beadSilver Moon makes its debut

Silver Moon Jewelry & Accessories, the new incarnation of Tiara Galleries & Gifts, opened this week at Congressional Plaza in Rockville. The scaled-down shop will carry some items from Brighton, which just closed its store at Westfield Montgomery Mall (see above). Other popular lines include Vera Bradley, Pandora and Endless. Click here to read more about Tiara’s transformation in our Jan. 8 edition.

 

RadioShack logo

 

Radio Shack update

After several weeks of clearance sales, the RadioShack store at Cabin John Shopping Center closed its doors on Monday as the company prepared for a likely bankruptcy filing. Several retailers are rumored to be interested in taking over empty RadioShack stores — including Sprint Corp. and Amazon, which is looking to open storefronts where customers can drop off and pick up their online orders. The RadioShack locations on Rockville Pike and at Westfield Montgomery Mall are still in business… for now.

 

Two new restaurants in downtown Rockville — plus RadioShack, a wish list and a winner

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82 Steak Out, Rockville Town SquareSteak Out is out, Ev & Maddy’s is in

82 Steak Out, the cozy steak-and-fries restaurant next to Noodles & Company at Rockville Town Square, closed its doors last week after less than a year in business. It’s the third eatery to fail in that space since 2007, following Bobby’s Crabcakes (another locally owned restaurant with good reviews) and Tippy’s Taco House. Perhaps the fourth time will be the charm: Ev & Maddy’s, a European-style bistro, has begun renovating the space with plans to open next month. Chef/owner Patrick Pak is a graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine, with an impressive resume that includes stints at Komi, the Blue Duck Tavern and Arlington’s Grand Cru Wine Bar & Bistro.

Jalea at Sazon Inka

 

More Peruvian in downtown Rockville

Also new in downtown Rockville is Sazon Inka, a Peruvian restaurant in the former Pita Hut space on North Washington Street. Chef Segundo Silva, formerly with Rockville’s La Limena, is serving up charbroiled rotisserie chicken and ceviche plus specialty dishes like Aji de Gallina (shredded chicken in a spicy cream sauce) and Jalea (the fried seafood dish shown here). Ross Castillon, who’s helping his father Hugo run the restaurant, says they hope to appeal to customers of higher-end eateries like La Canela as well as quick-serve places like Crisp & Juicy. “People around here are really getting to know Peruvian cuisine,” he says. “We have a lot of competitors, and we want to make sure that we stand out.”

 

Radio Shack Cabin JohnWhat’s up with RadioShack?

The future is not looking bright for RadioShack at the Cabin John Shopping Center, which is now operating as a “clearance store” carrying only heavily discounted items. All regular-priced merchandise has been shipped out to other locations, and employees say they haven’t been told whether the store will remain open. The Wall Street Journal reports that RadioShack Corp. could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as early as next week. For now, though, it’s still business as usual at the Rockville Pike and Westfield Montgomery Mall locations — the latter of which is said to be one of the chain’s top performers.

 

Williams-Sonoma logoYour wish list for the mall

Thanks to all the readers who told us about their wish lists for Westfield Montgomery Mall (see our query in the Jan. 15 issue). We received hundreds of votes, and the top choice by far was a store that sells house and kitchen items — specifically Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Pottery Barn, West Elm, or a return of the departed Crate & Barrel. In the clothing category, Athleta led the votes for its popular women’s workout wear. Other top requests included Bloomingdale’s, Anthropologie, H&M, Restoration Hardware, a book store and a wider selection of menswear stores. The mall won’t say which of those wishes might come true — although we’re betting that a home goods store is on the horizon. But those who asked for more menswear will be glad to hear that Bonobos is opening next month (click here for more).

 

Summer House Santa Monica

 

Congrats to the winner of our Summer House giveaway

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader Jonathan Beiser, winner of last week’s giveaway: a $50 gift card to the new Summer House Santa Monica at Pike & Rose (click here for our picks from the menu). Stay tuned for another giveaway for the adjacent Stella Barra Pizzeria, which opens next month. Also happening at Pike & Rose next month: the return of La Madeleine and Chipotle.