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Lord & Taylor Bethesda

Roti closes, Rockville Soccer moves, Cal Tort goes extra-healthy

January 7, 2016 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

 

 

 

Roti salad

 

Roti near the mall is the first to fall

Sometimes January brings a rash of store and restaurant closings, as leases end and businesses cut their losses after a disappointing holiday season. Macy’s, for example, is closing 40 stores across the country (although none in Montgomery County). But this year the Rockville/Potomac area made it through the holidays pretty much intact: The only closing we’ve noted so far is the Roti Mediterranean Grill just outside Westfield Montgomery Mall. Carl Segal, CEO of Chicago-based Roti, says traffic at that location began to suffer when Chipotle, Cava Grill and other fast-casual restaurants moved into the mall’s snazzy new Dining Terrace. So Roti signed a lease at Pike & Rose, where Segal says the hip young customer base is better suited to the modernized menu he’ll be rolling out this year. “We like to be next to the &pizzas and Shophouses of the world,” he says. “We all share customers and complement each other.”

 


 

Soccer BallBig move for Rockville Soccer

Rockville Soccer, the retail home base for MSI and a long list of local soccer clubs, has moved into larger quarters on the second floor of Wintergreen Plaza. Owner Hrant Tatarian, who runs a small chain of soccer stores in the D.C. area, says his 23-year-old business had outgrown its cramped space at the Sunshine Square Shopping Center further south on Rockville Pike. The new store, near Gold’s Gym and Adventure Theater MTC, offers 4,000 square of footwear, uniforms and soccer equipment. “We wanted to have concept shops for Nike and Adidas like you’d expect to see in a Dick’s or a Nordstrom,” Tatarian says. “We really needed the extra room.”

 


 

California Tortilla Super Food Burrito 2

 

New year, new burrito at Cal Tort

In a month when just about everyone seems to be hitting the gym and focusing on clean eating, California Tortilla has rolled out a “Super Food Burrito” stuffed with all the right buzzwords: kale, avocado, quinoa, whole wheat and “GMO-free.” The $7.39 dish is currently slated for a limited run, but a strong early response suggests it may end up sticking around. “We wanted to come out with something especially healthy during this first quarter when so many people are starting their diets,” says Keith Goldman, chief operating officer and head chef for the Rockville-based restaurant chain. “It took us a while to figure out how to make kale taste good,” he chuckles. “But if the first few days are any indication, this burrito is going to be one of our top sellers.”

 


 

White Flint rubble

 

What’s next for White Flint?

At this time last year, P.F. Chang’s was serving its final customers as the once-posh White Flint Mall closed its doors for the last time. Summer brought the culmination of a longstanding lawsuit when the mall’s owners, Lerner Enterprises and Tower Cos., were ordered to pay Lord & Taylor $31 million for lost profits during the mall’s redevelopment. Now White Flint has been reduced to a pile of rubble, with only Lord & Taylor left standing (and still doing business). As we swing into 2016, count on Store Reporter to keep you up to date on all things White Flint: When the new project will break ground, what shape it will take, and who might still be interested in moving there by the time this saga comes to an end. (Hint: Wegmans is over it.)

 


 

B Bop Q toppings

 

Catch up on all the scoop

Do you know that the Irish Inn is taking over Benny’s at Cabin John? Heard about the new bakery in Rockville and the seafood market at Potomac Woods Plaza? Wondering why Chef Geoff decided to close his restaurant on the Pike? For these and other Store Reporter scoops you may have missed during the busy holiday season, scroll through our website for a catch-up session.

 


 

 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: California Tortilla, Carl Segal, Keith Goldman, Lord & Taylor Bethesda, P.F. Chang's Bethesda, Pike & Rose, Rockin' 4 a Cause, Rockville Soccer, Roti Bethesda, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Wegmans Bethesda, Westfield Montgomery Mall, White Flint Mall, Wintergreen Plaza

Rockville Pike: who’s in, who’s out, who’s moving

September 10, 2015 By Store Reporter 4 Comments

 

 

 

Hudson Trail Outfitters

 

We’re back… and we’ll get you up to speed

The kids are back in school, and Store Reporter is back on the retail and restaurant beat — with far more news than we can possibly squeeze into one issue. In the next few weeks we’ll get you up to speed on all the news of summer and early fall: who’s closed, who’s moving, and who’s on the way to greater Rockville and Potomac. This week we’ll start with a look at Rockville Pike, where many businesses said goodbye in the past few months — but plenty of new ones are on the way.

 


 

The Galvan

 

New eateries, new Ethan Allen and a rock-&-roll barbershop

The big news for Rockville Pike this winter is the impending arrival of Galvan at Twinbrook, a residential, retail and restaurant complex that will bring some new dining and shopping options to the area. Tenants announced so far include Safeway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Smashburger and Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop — plus Pie 360, a build-your-own pizza chain from the owners of Coal Fire; and Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, a rock-&-roll-themed chain that’s expanding in our area. Also on the way is a new home for the Ethan Allen Design Center, returning to its original location on the Pike after two years in a temporary site nearby.

 


 

REI Logo. (PRNewsFoto/REI)

 

REI takes a hike down the Pike

REI is the newest tenant to join the party at Pike & Rose, with plans for a 36,000-square-foot store that willreplace its current digs at 1701 Rockville Pike. “It’s going to be a much bigger store, so we’re going to have a lot more opportunity to spread out,” says Carli Davenport, sales manager for the popular outdoor store. “We’ve been waiting quite a while for this to happen.” But the wait’s not over yet: The new REI isn’t scheduled to open for two more years.

 


 

Urban HeightsLast chance to win $50 at Urban Heights

There’s still time to enter our giveaway for a $50 gift card to Urban Heights, 7940 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. New executive chef Cliff Wharton, formerly with D.C.’s TenPenh, draws on his Filipino heritage for the Asian-influenced menu and fresh Tuna Bar. If you’re already a Store Reporter subscriber, look in your weekly email for a personalized link to enter our contest. New to Store Reporter? Click here to subscribe and enter simultaneously.

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Ted's 355 Diner

 

Who’s left, who’s leaving 

There were more closings than usual on the Pike this summer, as a number of longtime businesses made quiet exits while the crowds were out of town. Ted’s 355 Diner and The Potomac Grill both packed up their kitchens in recent months, while the Entenmann’s Bakery Outlet relocated to Jessup. Plow & Hearth closed its store at Congressional Plaza, making way for a Chop’t salad restaurant that’s scheduled to move in next spring. Hank Dietle’s ended its brief partnership with the Curley’s Q food truck, which served barbecue from the Dietle’s kitchen from May through the end of August. And Hudson Trail Outfitters, a locally owned competitor to REI, is closing its store at Montrose Crossing along with the rest of its D.C.-area locations.

 

 


 


White Flint Mall with bulldozer

 

White Flint update

The owners of White Flint Mall are fighting the outcome of last month’s U.S. District Court case, in which a jury awarded Lord & Taylor $31 million for lost profits and renovation costs while the mall is torn down and redeveloped. Attorneys for the mall’s owners, Lerner Enterprises and The Tower Cos., have started the appeal process and announced that the project may not happen if they don’t win. Meanwhile, the whole mess has likely scuttled any hopes that a Wegmans supermarket would be part of the new development. Watch this space for news on where else Wegmans may be looking.

 


 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: Capriotti's Sandwich Shop Rockville, Chop't, Coal Fire, Curley's Q, Dunkin' Donuts Rockville, Entenmann's Bakery Outlet Rockville, Ethan Allen Rockville, Floyd's 99 Barbershop Rockville, Galvan at Twinbrook, Hank Dietle's, Hudson Trail Outfitters, JCA SeniorTech, Lord & Taylor Bethesda, Montrose Crossing, Pie 360 Rockville, Pike & Rose, Plow & Hearth Congressional Plaza, Plow & Hearth Rockville, REI Rockville, REI Rockville moving, Rockville Pike, Safeway Rockville, Smashburger Rockville, Ted's 355 Diner, The Potomac Grill, Urban Heights Bethesda, White Flint Mall

White Flint, Wegmans, Chopt, Chelsea Collective and an Urban Heights giveaway

August 20, 2015 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

 

 

 

White Flint Mall with bulldozer

 

What went down while you were out of town

While we’ve all been vacationing this summer, the retail and restaurant news hasn’t stopped. Read on for a look at what’s been happening these past few weeks.  We’ve got lots more to tell you about what’s coming this fall and winter — but it will have to wait until September, when we’re back to our weekly schedule. (To keep up with any breaking news between now and Labor Day, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook.)

 


 

Wegmans exterior

 

White Flint/Wegmans watch

In case you’ve been away and missed the latest on the White Flint Mall saga: Last week a federal jury awarded Lord & Taylor $31 million for lost profits and future renovation costs during the mall’s impending teardown and reconstruction. That verdict is likely to be appealed, which means yet another delay in plans for a new version of White Flint — and also makes it increasingly unlikely that Wegmans will continue to be a part of those plans. The beloved grocer reportedly had been close to an agreement with White Flint’s owners before this latest turn of events. A Wegmans spokesman tells us she can’t comment on “rumors or speculation” about the White Flint site. But from what we hear, Wegmans is now actively scouting other locations in greater Rockville/Potomac.

 


 

 

Chopt on the way to Congressional Plaza

Good news for the salad scene in Rockville: The much-loved Chopt chain will open a new location next spring at Congressional Plaza on the Pike. Chopt will take over a portion of the space left by the Plow & Hearth store, which closed in June. Sorry, all you impatient Chop’t fans: We have no idea why it’s going to take that long.

 


 

Urban Heights tuna

 

Win a $50 gift card for Urban Heights

This month we’re giving away a $50 gift card for Urban Heights, 7940 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. New executive chef Cliff Wharton, formerly with D.C.’s TenPenh, draws on his Filipino heritage for an Asian-influenced menu with dishes like Bulgogi-Style Steak Salad and Xo Honey Glazed Shrimp with Wasabi Grits. And don’t miss the Tuna Bar with your choice of Tuna Roll, Sashimi, Tartare or Ahi Poke. Even if you don’t win the gift card, Store Reporter has a little something for everyone who enters. Click here to fill out our entry form, or enter via Facebook by clicking here. 

Sponsored Content

 


 

Ibhana

 

New boutique at Potomac Woods

Ibhana, a new women’s clothing boutique, has opened at Potomac Woods Plaza in the former Robert Bernard Jewelers space off Montrose and Seven Locks Road. This is the first storefront in the Rockville area for owner Meena Tharmaratnam, who started out selling Indian shawls from her home and later operated pop-up stores in D.C. Now she carries clothing, jewelry and accessories from designers like Joseph Ribkoff, Damee, Fridaze and Lior. “My customer is typically a baby boomer woman, and I’ve learned what she wants,” Tharmaratnam says. “She doesn’t want sleeveless. She wants things that are sophisticated, washable, wrinkle-free, travel-friendly and not fearfully expensive.”

 


 

Wildwood Kitchen food

 

Who won our Wildwood Kitchen giveaway?


Congratulations to Store Reporter reader Sharri Freedman, who won our $75 gift card to Wildwood Kitchen at the Shops of Wildwood. We also have a special thank-you for everyone who entered: a free dessert on your next visit to Wildwood Kitchen. (If you were one of our Wildwood entrants, watch for an upcoming email with details on how to claim your dessert.) We have many more great restaurant giveaways coming up this fall; be sure to enter the next one for Bethesda’s Urban Heights.

Sponsored Content

 


 

Calia by Carrie Underwood

 

New place for workout wear

Lululemon and Lucy just got some fresh competition in the D.C. market: Chelsea Collective, a female-focused subsidiary of Dick’s Sporting Goods, opened its very first store this month at Tysons Corner Center. The merchandise is a mix of clothes, shoes and fitness accessories from mainstream brands like Nike and Under Armour as well as trendier lines like Zobha, Splendid, Lorna Jane, Spiritual Gangster and the new Calia by Carrie Underwood. The store aims to please with tailoring services a la Lululemon, gait analysis a la your favorite running store, and a “girlfriend lounge” equipped with treadmills and ballet barres to test the merchandise in action.

 


 

 

Filed Under: Current Issue Tagged With: Chelsea Collective, Chelsea Collective Tysons Corner, Chop't Congressional Plaza, Chop't Rockville, Congressional Plaza, Ibhana, Lord & Taylor Bethesda, Lord & Taylor White Flint, Plow & Hearth Congressional Plaza, Plow & Hearth Rockville, Potomac Woods Plaza, Urban Heights Bethesda, Wegmans Bethesda, Wegmans Rockville, Wegmans White Flint, White Flint Mall, Wildwood Kitchen, Wildwood Shops

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