RadioShack

Who’s in and who’s out at the mall this spring — plus a Chopt winner and a yoga teacher’s dinner

March 26, 2015 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

What’s blooming at the mall this spring

New stores and restaurants will be blooming at Westfield Montgomery Mall this spring — and so will some lovely lighting and floral decor that celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Stop by the mall information center for a free gift, download the festival’s smartphone app for merchant discounts (click here), and read on for a roundup of what spring will bring to the mall.

Naples, Cold Stone, Yum Crepes coming soon — and Tara Thai’s on the way

Naples, the upscale Italian restaurant that will overlook the mall’s Dining Terrace, is finally ex
pected to open in late April after many months of construction delays. Also on the way in the next month or two: Cold Stone Creamery, Yum Crepes and Chloe’s NY Style Deli. Elsewhere in the mall, Cleo’s Oil Bar will start pouring gourmet samples next week (click here for more). And Tara Thai has announced plans to join the mall’s dining lineup — opening date and location still TBA. (We’re betting on the long-vacant Legal Sea Foods space.)

Preppie clothes, men’s shoes and sportswear

On the fashion front, the big names arriving this spring are preppie favorite Vineyard Vines and men’s shoe retailer Johnston & Murphy. Both stores are under construction in the mall’s Nordstrom wing (click here for more in our Feb. 5 issue). Another recent addition, in the former Sitara space near Old Navy, is the D.C.-area sportswear chain V*I*P. This one is for fans of brands like Helly Hansen, Burton, Marmont and Patagonia.

More coffee and tea on the way

Mall shoppers will soon have even more ways to get caffeinated: A Peet’s coffee bar is under construction in the Sears wing, while newcomer Rumi Tea and Spice will open a shop on the lower level near Macy’s. That’s in addition to several coffee and tea shops already on the premises: Starbucks, Aroma, Teavana and the Nordstrom beverage bar.

Spring cleaning: who’s gone, who’s going

Here are a few mall retailers that didn’t make it to spring break: Konplott and bareMinerals (both closed last month); Lucky Brand (opening a new location at Pike & Rose); and Caché (now in the final stages of a going-out-of-business sale). The fate of the mall’s RadioShack store remains to be seen: This week the bankrupt chain sold its remaining locations to a new owner.

Who won our Chopt giveaway?

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader Eileen Seminara, who won a pair of gift cards for salads or sandwiches at Chop’t — good at the Wildwood Shopping Center or any other location. Stay tuned to Store Reporter for more upcoming giveaways.

Reader Favorite: Sedona Salmon at the Silver Diner

Stephanie Udell Rosenblatt, a yoga instructor at Life Time Athletic and other D.C.-area gyms, is a regular at the Silver Diner on Rockville Pike. “I love it because the kids can get what they want, I can get what I want, and they have options for all kinds of special dietary needs,” she says. Rosenblatt’s go-to dinner is the Sedona Salmon ($16.99) with quinoa, artichokes, roasted veggies, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro topped with a lemon garlic sauce. “It’s healthy, light and delicious.” Want to tell us about your favorite store or restaurant? Click here.

Italian market heading to North Bethesda, new day spa for Rockville, Caché and RadioShack closings — plus where to find a great Pasta Bolognese

March 12, 2015 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

A taste of Italy at Pike & Rose

An Italian restaurant and market has joined the upcoming lineup at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda. This will be the second U.S. location for Carluccio’s, a British company that’s about to make its American debut in Old Town Alexandria. Carluccio’s restaurants open early and close late, with freshly prepared meals and a wide range of grocery items imported from Italy. The fast-growing chain has more than 100 locations in the U.K. and the Middle East. No word yet on the timing of the Pike & Rose location. But the U.K. menu features specialties like fish stew with spicy sausage, slow-cooked beef in red wine sauce, and green beans with mint and garlic.

New spa for Rockville

A new day spa is on the way to Rockville, moving into the onetime Natural Body space at Potomac Woods Plaza off Montrose and Seven Locks Road. AcuSpa will incorporate an “East-meets-West” philosophy with services ranging from massage, foot reflexology and acupuncture to cosmetic procedures, nail care and traditional Chinese remedies. Owner Danlu Wang-Ross is sprucing things up a bit before the spa’s April 24 opening, but she didn’t have to make too many big changes: The space was already equipped with showers, whirlpools, treatment rooms and other features from its previous occupant. In between the two spas, the same storefront was occupied for four years by the women’s clothing store Lacy Couture. Click here if you missed our Jan. 22 report on where Lacy has gone.

Last chance to catch Caché

If you’re a fan of the Caché women’s clothing chain — or more accurately, if you were a fan — now is the time stop in for some last-chance bargains. Caché filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February and had planned to keep some stores in operation, but all that changed last week when a liquidation firm purchased the company’s assets. The Westfield Montgomery Mall store has started major markdowns for its going-out-of-business sale. Existing gift cards will be honored though April 5; all sales are final.

RadioShack signing off

Auctions begin next week for the remains of RadioShack Corp., which is trying to figure out what to do with all its leases after last month’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The Cabin John and Rockville Pike stores both closed their doors in the last few weeks, while the Westfield Montgomery Mall store is still in business. GameStop Corp. is looking to take over some of the closed locations for its Spring Mobile subsidiary, and there’s been talk that Amazon might also be interested. All stores are expected to be either closed or sold by the end of this month.

Reader Favorite: Sugo’s Pasta Bolognese

Our Reader Favorite section is the perfect place to tell us about that dish you dream about, that dessert you crave, or that go-to gift from your favorite little shop. Click here to share your favorite — and read on to learn about someone else’s.

Stefanie Greenberg, a Rockville mom of three teens, is a big fan of Sugo at Park Potomac. “It has a fun atmosphere with a terrific bar, friendly staff and most importantly great food,” she says. Her favorite menu item is the Pasta Bolognese ($15). “The rich meat sauce is like a taste of heaven from Grandma’s kitchen. Tossed with perfectly cooked short pasta and then finished with a dollop of creamy ricotta — too bad I have to share with my table mates!”

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

January 29, 2015 By Store Reporter

Steak 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.

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.”

What’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.

Your 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).

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.

Chipotle and sushi to the mall; New teas at Starbucks; RadioShack and Brookstone updates

June 26, 2014 By Store Reporter

Chipotle and sushi to Montgomery Mall

Westfield Montgomery Mall has added two more restaurants to its fall lineup. Chipotle, which made its debut in Potomac Village this week, will soon be joining the party at the mall’s newly renovated food court. And CRAVE, an upscale eatery with an elaborate sushi bar and wine list, will open on the mall’s lower level near Bobby’s Burger Palace and Cheesecake Factory. This will be CRAVE’s tenth restaurant. To catch up on news about other new eateries coming to the mall, see our Feb. 20 edition (Blaze Pizza), May 8 edition (Cava Grill) and May 29 edition (MET Restaurant Group).

New at Starbucks

Now that the hot weather is officially here, Starbucks has rolled out two summertime drinks from its Teavana line: Blackberry Mojito Tea Lemonade and Peach Green Tea Lemonade. Soon the menu will also include hand-crafted sodas mixed to order in snazzy new Fizzio machines, which arrived in Starbucks’ southern stores this week. It’s all part of the chain’s plan to diversify its drink menu beyond coffee. Reception to the Teavana line has been largely positive, local baristas tell us — except for the Oprah Chai Teas, which don’t seem to be doing much business. Of course, drink trends can vary quite a bit from store to store. At the Starbucks in Congressional Plaza, for example, iced coffee is king. But at Westfield Montgomery Mall — home to roving mobs of teen girls — it’s all about the Frappuccino.

RadioShack looks for a fix

RadioShack, which is struggling to stay in business in the wake of rapidly declining foot traffic, is trying something new to lure customers into its stores: “Fix It Here” repair stations for Apple and Samsung mobile devices. The Westfield Montgomery Mall store is among the first to offer repairs for cracked screens, broken buttons, water damage and battery issues; cost ranges from $80 to $199.99. “People can go shopping, come back and have virtually a brand new phone,” says repair tech David Flores. Repair services are not yet available at the RadioShack stores in Rockville or the Cabin John Shopping Center, but there are plans to expand the program later this year. They’d better move quickly: RadioShack’s stock, which once traded for $76 per share, dipped below $1 this week as bankruptcy rumors swirled.

Brookstone bankruptcy update

Speaking of bankruptcies, Brookstone is expected to emerge from Chapter 11 after this week’s sale to a Chinese retail conglomerate. The upscale gadget chain was supposed to be sold to the parent company of Spencer’s gift shops, but the Chinese buyers offered more money and are planning an international expansion. Only one or two Brookstone stores are expected to close nationwide. The Montgomery Mall store is not on that list.