Store Reporter

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

Potomac Village drugstores

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday & Sports Authority, Hello Mellow Mushroom

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Sports Authority at Montrose Crossing

 

Sports Authority exiting Rockville Pike

Sports Authority, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March, is now expected to close all 450 of its stores after failing to reach a deal with its creditors and lenders. That will mean another major vacancy for the Montrose Crossing shopping center on Rockville Pike, which also lost Hudson Trail Outfitters last fall when the D.C.-area chain went out of business. Also moving out of Montrose Crossing is the Chinese restaurant Tony Lin’s, whose owners told Bethesda Magazine that they’re retiring after 29 years.

 

 

Ruby Tuesday food
 

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday made a quiet exit from Rockville Pike this week after two decades as a tenant at Federal Plaza. Reps for the restaurant chain weren’t available for comment, but owner Federal Realty says it already has a new restaurant lined up to take the space. Stay tuned to Store Reporter to find out who’s moving in.

 

 

JT Interiors Designer Market ad: https://www.facebook.com/jtinteriorspotomac/?fref=ts

 

 

Mellow Mushroom photo
 

Mellow Mushroom opens in Rockville

The bright spot in a week full of closing news was the long-awaited opening of Mellow Mushroom at Rockville Town Square, taking over the former Oro Pomodoro space at 33 Maryland Ave. Fans of the Atlanta-based pizza chain have been pouring in since Saturday, says franchisee Danny Trehan, who also operates the Mellow Mushroom in Herndon. The Rockville restaurant has a pop art theme, with indoor/outdoor seating for more than 300 and delivery service coming soon. To check out the menu, click here.

 

 

2016 Ad - Bagel City grad party

 

 

Sephora construction sign 2

 

Sephora move is official

Sephora has now officially announced what we reported here last month: The glam retailer at Westfield Montgomery Mall is moving across the hall to bigger and better quarters. Promotional signage has been splashed across the second floor of the Macy’s wing, where the existing Sephora store will remain open until the new one debuts this fall. Meanwhile down the hall, the Apple Store still hasn’t confirmed a timeline for its own upcoming expansion. Two adjoining storefronts have been emptied and blocked off for construction, but Apple remains open for the time being. For more on what’s happening in the Macy’s wing — including the recent departures of BCBG and Teavana — click here.

 

 

2016 Store Reporter sales rep ad

 

 

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

 

 

Sugo Interior

 

Last chance to win dinner at Sugo

Last call to place your vote for our next Store Reporter Favorites section, where we name our readers’ and editors’ picks for the best appetizers in town. Which restaurants do you think have the best light bites in greater Rockville and Potomac? Click here to comment on our Facebook page, or click here to email our editors directly. Everyone who weighs in will be entered to win a $60 gift card for one of our favorites: Sugo at Park Potomac.

 

 

 

Potomac Village drugstore shake-up, Wootton Parkway grocery update, Marmi to the mall

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Walgreens Potomac Village

 

Potomac Village drugstore shake-up

The acquisition of Rite Aid by larger rival Walgreens will soon have a direct impact on Potomac Village, where the two stores stand across from each other on either side of River Road. One of those stores will almost certainly be gone by this time next year — but the question is, which one? Across the country, Walgreens is expected to shed as many as 3,000 stores over the next 18 months. In Potomac Village, we hear that execs are weighing the merits of the drive-through lane at Walgreens vs. the recent renovation at Rite Aid. Either way, about 25 people will likely lose their jobs.

 

 

Rockshire Village Center Giant

 

No Asian market for Wootton’s empty Giant

Here’s one question we get asked all the time: Is an Asian market really coming to the Rockshire Village Center across from Wootton High School? This rumor has been going around since the Giant store exited three years ago, leaving a few small tenants and lots of empty space at the ’70s-era shopping center. But so far, neither an Asian market nor anyone else has shown much interest in opening there. Bob Harris, an attorney for the property’s owners, says Giant still has one year left on its long-term lease — and after that, it’s likely the property will be torn down to make way for more housing. “This is a poorly located center that’s too small and has no visibility,” Harris says. “The community has asked us to go get another grocery store. But at this point, it doesn’t appear that’s going to be feasible.”

 

 

ArcLight Cinema interior

 

Win tickets to the Arclight Cinema

Want to win some FREE tickets to the ArcLight Cinema at Westfield Montgomery Mall? All you have to do is share the scoop about Store Reporter! Forward this (or any) issue to friends who might not know about us, then click here to tell us their names. If your friends subscribe, both you and they will be entered into our ArcLight drawing. The more friends you tell, the more chances you have to win!

Want to enter our ArcLight drawing via Facebook? Click here to find out how. Update: We’ve named the winners for this contest, but stay tuned to Store Reporter for more great giveaways.

 

 

Fitness Together ad: www.fitnesstogether.com

 

 

Vaneli Jara bootFire & Ice out, Marmi to the mall

Moving out of Westfield Montgomery Mall after more than a decade: Fire & Ice, the gift shop on the second level near California Pizza Kitchen. The Baltimore-based chain says its lease is up at the end of January, and there are no plans for another location in this area. All remaining inventory of art glass, fossils, jewelry and handcrafts is now on clearance at 30 to 70 percent off. Moving into the space this spring: Marmi, the women’s shoe store that some may remember from Tysons Corner. Marmi specializes in hard-to-find sizes from Vaneli, Sesto Meucci and Eric Javits. For a sneak peek of what the store will carry, click here.

 

 

Lululemon naked pants

 

Lululemon’s “naked sensation”

For our many readers who love Lululemon, the Chicago Tribune had an interesting piece this week on the future of the fitness retailer — including its Ivivva teen stores and its new line of “naked sensation” pants (shown here). If you can’t get enough of Lululemon, you can find the Tribune story here.

 

 

Solidcore logo blueNew gym opens at Wildwood

D.C.-based Solidcore just opened its first Maryland location at the Wildwood Shopping Center on Old Georgetown Road. This makes eight locations for the two-year-old chain, which features intense 50-minute workouts on Pilates-based Megaformer machines. Another Solidcore is set to open on Wisconsin Avenue this spring. To read more about Solidcore, click here for our Oct. 8 edition.

 

 

hmprod00-1452113890

 

Would you wear this scarf to temple?

The H&M store at White Flint Mall is long gone, but we couldn’t help noticing this week’s brouhaha over the beige fringed scarf with black stripes that was pulled off store shelves in Israel. The move came after critics charged that the scarf bore an uncomfortable resemblance to a tallit, the prayer shawl worn at synagogue by many observant Jews. H&M apologized over the controversy, stating that its only intention was to embrace this season’s fondness for stripes. The scarf is one of several tone-deaf fashion moves for H&M in recent years, following a tallit-inspired poncho and a tank top that layered the image of a skull on top of a Star of David.