Store Reporter

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

REI Rockville

Nike Factory Store, Chuy’s Tex-Mex & Modern Market to Rockville — plus our best appetizer winners

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Nike sneaker

 

Nike store’s next for Pike & Rose

Good news for those who are sad to say goodbye to Sports Authority: A Nike Factory Store will soon be moving into Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, taking over the former City Sports space that’s been empty since last fall. The store will carry workout gear and accessories for all ages, some of which can jazzed up with monograms and other custom touches. Nike will be the second sporting goods retailer doing business at Pike & Rose, where REI also is building out a store that’s scheduled to open next year. Click here for more in our Oct. 22 edition.

 

 

On Cloud 9 ad: https://www.facebook.com/On-Cloud-9-252148152907/

 

 

 

Chuy's margarita and platter

 

Chuy’s Tex-Mex heading to Rockville

Making its Maryland debut on Rockville Pike this fall: Chuy’s, a Tex-Mex chain from Austin that’s taking over the recently closed Ruby Tuesday space at Federal Plaza. Chuy’s, which has a half-dozen locations in Virginia, is known for its made-from-scratch menu and quirky decor featuring colored hubcaps, hanging wooden fish and Elvis memorabilia. Craving burritos already? Click here to check out the menu.

 

 

 

 

 

Modern Market proscuitto-and-eggs plate

 

Hold the sugar, bring on the butter

Modern Market, a health-oriented and eco-conscious restaurant chain from Boulder, Colo., is heading to Congressional Plaza with plans for a fall opening next to Chopt. The menu will feature salads, sandwiches, brick oven pizzas and breakfast items, all made from scratch with real butter, whole milk cheeses and raw nuts. “We think added sugar is the devil and (good) fats are our friends,” says the Modern Market website.” We’re a place where paleo, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free friends can all enjoy a great meal, together.” Another Modern Market is also on the way to Bethesda Row. For a look at the menu, click here.

 

 

2016 Bagel City Father's Day ad

 

 

 

Small plates from Sugo

 

Who has the best appetizers in town?

We asked Store Reporter readers to vote for their favorite appetizers in the Rockville/Potomac area. The result? Three hands-down favorites and three runners-up.

  • CAVA MEZZE AT TRAVILLE VILLAGE CENTER. This is the restaurant that started the whole Cava empire back in 2006 — and many say it’s still their favorite for great small plates. Our readers’ top picks are the Brussels sprouts with Greek yogurt and olive bread crumbs; the roasted beets with balsamic pomegranate and goat cheese; and of course the famous flaming Saganaki cheese.
  • SUGO AT PARK POTOMAC. Here’s another win for the Cava team, which opened sister restaurant Sugo in 2012. Brussels sprouts and roasted beet salad are popular here too, but in this case the sprouts are cooked with crispy pancetta and the beets are paired with arugula, pistachios and gorgonzola. Other reader favorites: the chicken meatballs and the grilled charred octopus.
  • MOCO’S FOUNDING FARMERS AT PARK POTOMAC. At the Rockville branch of the D.C.-based chain, right down the sidewalk from fellow winner Sugo, our readers are particularly fond of the farm breads with various toppings — especially the brie, onion jam and crisp apple combo. Other reader picks include the garlic black pepper wings, fried green tomatoes, bacon lollis and bacon-wrapped dates.

Three other restaurants also earned high marks in our best-appetizer poll. THE GRILLED OYSTER CO. AT CABIN JOHN SHOPPING CENTER draws praise not only for its oysters but also its mussels, fried calamari and Maryland crab dip. CLYDE’S TOWER OAKS LODGE earns kudos for its hummus plate, grilled lamb chops and Coca Cola-marinated beef yakitori. And at MATCHBOX on Rockville Pike, our readers favor the mussels, mini burgers and tuna tartare.

 

 

Sugo interior

 

Congrats to our Sugo dinner winner

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader David Winer of Potomac, who won our drawing for a $60 Sugo gift card. Thanks to all who entered the drawing by voting for their favorite appetizers — and stay tuned to Store Reporter for more giveaways coming up.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Bean bags at the mall, a move for REI, a wine and beer weekend and a giveaway for teens

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Yogibo Max

Bean bags and body pillows

Yogibo, a modern bean bag store catering to kids, teens and space-challenged millennials, opens today (10/22) in the Old Navy wing at Westfield Montgomery Mall.  This is the third store in Maryland for Yogibo, which was founded six years ago when a New Hampshire man designed a body pillow for his pregnant wife. Today the company’s most popular product is the Max (pictured here), a six-foot-long chair/couch/bed that comes in 16 colors and sells for $239. But there are plenty more to choose from: body pillows, back pillows, neck pillows, tablet pillows, even poolside pillows with washable covers. Jason Knights, marketing director for Yogibo, says the company also has developed many fans in the special needs community. “Because of the way our bean bags conform to the body, sitting and laying on them can provide sensory soothing for people with autism or sensory processing disorder,” he says. “We hear great feedback from parents and therapists all the time. But really, these are incredibly comfortable pieces of furniture for anyone. You can’t realize how comfortable they are until you sit on one.”

 

 

REI logo

It’s official: REI is moving to Pike & Rose

This week REI formally announced what we reported here last month: Its Rockville Pike store will relocate to larger quarters at Pike & Rose in 2017. The 36,000-square-foot store will be about 40 percent larger than REI’s current space, but company spokesman Mike Ferris says no decisions have been made yet about how the extra square footage will be used. (If you have suggestions about what you’d like to see more of at REI, email us here and we’ll relay your feedback to the company.) If you missed the original REI story in our Sept. 10 issue, click here to catch up on other recent news about Rockville Pike.

 

 

Jodi's Jamboree silver bracelets

 

Win $50 in gifts from Jodi’s Jamboree

This week we’re giving away a $50 gift certificate to Jodi’s Jamboree, a Rockville-based business specializing in teen clothing and accessories. There’s lots to choose from at Jodi’s this season, including pink Lokai bracelets ($18), plaid pajama pants ($22 and up), monogrammed robes ($60) and personalized rain jackets ($65). Also hot is a new collection of $40 silver bracelets shown here. And Jodi’s offers personalized merchandise for sports teams, school spirit wear, theme parties or mitzvah favors. (For more info, call 301-742-1468.) Want to win some goodies for your favorite girl or teen? To enter our drawing, click here to send us an email (subject line: Jodi) or click here to enter via our Facebook page.

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Lego bricks reduced

Don’t leggo your Lego

If you’re planning to buy Legos for the kids this holiday season, it’s time to start shopping. This week the Danish company announced that it cannot keep up with demand for its products in Europe — and it’s possible that shortage could affect the U.S. by December. Lego, which recently overtook Mattel and Hasbro to become the world’s largest toymaker, saw its popularity rise even higher after the success of last year’s The Lego Movie. The surge is similar to what happened in 2013, when Disney was caught off guard by the Frozen juggernaut and couldn’t make toys fast enough to satisfy its audience.

 

 

 

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

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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 Rockville 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.