Trader Joe's Travilah

Trader Joe’s says hello Travilah, goodbye Gaithersburg — plus sushi burritos and our favorite gift shops

October 13, 2016 By Store Reporter 1 Comment

Trader Joe’s update: Hello Travilah, Goodbye Gaithersburg

After months of speculation about a new Trader Joe’s at Travilah Square Shopping Center, the California-based grocer has signed on the dotted line. A 13,000-square-foot store will open in late 2017 or early 2018 at the intersection of Travilah and Darnestown roads. This is good news for North Potomac but bad news for Gaithersburg: A Trader Joe’s spokesman tells us the company will be closing its store on Contour Road in Montgomery Village on the same day the Travilah store opens. No need to worry about the other Rockville store at Federal Plaza: That location isn’t going anywhere. (Editor’s note: For an update on this story, click here.)

Sushi burritos at Wildwood

Buredo, the two-year-old D.C. eatery known for its burrito-sized sushi rolls, is heading to Wildwood Shopping Center on Old Georgetown Road. Plans call for a spring opening in the space that previously belonged to Fraîche Cupcakery. This will be the first Maryland location for Buredo, which has earned an avid fan following for its generously sized seaweed wraps with a surprising mix of ingredients. (Sample roll: the Pai Mei with salmon sashimi, asparagus, pea shoot leaves, pickled red onion, daikon, katsuo mirin crunch and toasted sesame mayo.) Click here to check out the menu. And click here to read last week’s report on another D.C. sushi restaurant that’s opening right across the street.

Goodbye Chili’s

This week we say goodbye to Chili’s in North Bethesda, which has closed its doors after 25 years on Rockville Pike. Although the exit was blamed on plans to demolish the building, we think there’s more to that story: Chili’s has been quietly reducing its presence in the D.C. area for several years, including recent closings in Tysons Corner and Crystal City. The good news for Tex-Mex fans: Chuy’s is now open at Federal Plaza. Click here to check it out.

Our picks for great gifts

With colder weather just around the corner, it’s not too early to start thinking about holiday shopping. In the next few weeks we’ll have news about craft markets, gift boutiques and holiday open houses. In the meantime, here’s a quick guide to our favorite locally owned gift shops.

Appalachian Spring: The Congressional Plaza location is part of a four-store chain focusing on handmade products by American artists, most of which are functional as well as beautiful. Wood and glass are the primary materials here, from jewelry boxes and cutting boards to hand-blown vases and luminous dinnerware — plus a large collection of kaleidoscopes. “That’s my favorite part of the store,” says co-owner David Brooks. Details at appalachianspring.com.

As Kindred Spirits: Owner Wendy “Rukmini” Walker travels the world for handmade clothing, accessories and jewelry, as well as decorative household objects from clocks to frames to wine bottle holders. If you’re looking for Roman glass pendants, men’s silk ties or scarves from India, you’ll find them here. The Congressional Plaza location is the flagship, and Walker is in talks to open a new store at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Details at askindredspirits.com.

JT Interiors: The go-to place for gifts in Potomac Village, JT Interiors makes the most of its charming setting inside a house at 9906 River Road. From guest towels, pillows and stylish handbags to serving platters, bowls and baskets, decorative objects are displayed in a way that makes it easy to imagine them in your own home. And for those who can’t get enough of the whole look, the store also offers interior design services. Details at the JT Interiors Facebook page.

Leila Fine Gifts & Jewels: At Cabin John Shopping Center near California Tortilla, Leila is the place for unique hostess gifts, decorative kitchenware, colorful glass and crystal, and a wide variety of affordable jewelry. If you’re looking for a mitzvah gift or a lovely piece of Judaica, you’ll find plenty of choices here. Owner Deb Shalom says she’s always on the lookout for gifts that are “fun, beautiful and functional — all at a comfortable price point.” Details at leilajewels.com.

Occasions: Inside Cabin John Mall across from McDonald’s, Occasions carries gifts from Scout, Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer as well as paper goods, jewelry, decorative wooden signs and items for babies, teens and tweens. The store also specializes in monogrammed and personalized items, from notepads to cocktail napkins. Details at occasionsgiftstore.com.

Red Orchard: A longtime fixture at Wildwood Shopping Center, Red Orchard has moved away from its original focus on American-made furniture to specialize in artisan-produced home accessories that are “interesting, funky and functional,” says co-owner Caroline Liberty. Here you’ll find a unique and modern selection of decorative kitchenware, wall art, kids’ gifts, bath and body items, handmade jewelry and local gourmet foods. Details at redorchard.com.

Silver Moon Jewelry & Accessories: This is the new incarnation of the former Tiara Galleries & Gifts, still at Congressional Plaza but now focused primarily on jewelry and handbags. Figurines and ceramic pieces have largely disappeared to make way for Pandora and Alex and Ani, plus a variety of lesser-known jewelry lines and handbags by Vera Bradley and Spartina. Details at silvermoonstyle.com.

Tell us about your favorites

We’re working on more Store Reporter Favorites for upcoming issues, and we’d love to hear about your go-to places in the greater Rockville/Potomac area. Tell us your picks for date night, fast casual meals, fabulous desserts and party venues. And if you know of any hidden gems — either stores or restaurants that our readers should hear about — please tell us about those too. Email your favorites to editor@storereporter.com.

Sephora, Trader Joe’s, Nike, Payless and the end of Great Beginnings

August 25, 2016 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

Sephora’s makeover is nearly complete

Sept. 1 marks the debut of the new Sephora store at Westfield Montgomery Mall — the first of three longtime tenants in the Macy’s wing that are racing to open bigger and better stores before the holidays. Teavana, which closed last spring to make room for a major expansion of the Apple Store, will return this fall in a new location just across the hall. Apple was originally expected to reopen around November, but the project started late and construction delays could make it difficult to meet that timeline. Meanwhile, Swiss coffee maker Nespresso will soon announce plans for a retail store and tasting cafe right next to Teavana. Click here for more on that in our Aug. 18 edition.

Sad ending for Great Beginnings

Great Beginnings, the baby and children’s furniture chain that served Montgomery County for nearly three decades, has come to a not-so-great ending. After the original Gaithersburg location closed its doors last summer, owner Jim Streight told Store Reporter that he planned to reopen in North Bethesda. But this summer brought the abrupt closing of a second Great Beginnings store in Chantilly, which was said to have sustained damage from a burst water pipe. Customers were notified via email that the business could not “financially recover” from the incident and wouldn’t be reopening. Those with outstanding orders were advised to seek refunds from their credit card companies.

Payless in, Hardwood Artisans out in Rockville

Payless Shoe Source opens a new Rockville store this Friday (Aug. 26th) at Federal Plaza on the Pike. The space became available this summer with the departure of Hardwood Artisans, which had been a fixture at that shopping center for nearly 20 years. The furniture company is shifting its attention to downtown Bethesda, where it opened a new store last winter. Click here for more in our May 26th edition.

New Trader Joe’s for Travilah

Stay tuned this fall for the latest on plans for a proposed Trader Joe’s store at Travilah Square Shopping Center. The grocer is hoping to open on Darnestown Road early next year, replacing a Burger King restaurant and small office building at that property. We’ll keep you posted as this proposal moves forward.

Nike store opens, beer garden for Pike & Rose

The Nike Factory Store opened its doors last week at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, where it’s well-positioned to pick up customers from the recently departed Sports Authority. Nike replaces the City Sports store that closed last fall when its parent company went out of business. Next up for the Pike & Rose: Owen’s Ordinary, a beer garden and restaurant from the developers of Vermilion, Iron Gate and Birch & Barley. More on that in an upcoming issue.

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New gym and outdoor market to Potomac — plus Trader Joe’s, dance classes & donuts

May 12, 2016 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

New gym for Park Potomac

Orangetheory Fitness, a group-training gym that opened in The Kentlands two years ago, will head to Park Potomac this summer with a new location across from MoCo’s Founding Farmers. The fast-expanding chain, which offers heart rate-monitored workouts with intervals of cardio and strength training, will provide new competition for the eight-year-old Life Time Athletic club just around the corner. Orangetheory is the latest addition to Park Potomac’s growing list of upcoming tenants, which now includes a revamped Addie’s, Gringos & Mariachis, and the Italian coffee house Filicori Zecchini. Click here for more in our April 28th edition.

Outdoor craft market pops up in Potomac

Also on the way to Park Potomac this summer: URBNmarket, a pop-up showcase for vintage and locally made goods that’s making its first move outside downtown Bethesda. Modeled after similar shows in Philadelphia and Atlanta, URBNmarket features one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories, vintage and handmade clothing, beauty and pet products, gourmet foods, and home decor like these colorful table runners from Hen House Linens. “We’re really excited about this new location,” says co-founder Julie Greenstein, who created URBNmarket in 2014 with business partner Debbie Sonnenreich. Forty-plus vendors have signed on for the Park Potomac event; they’ll set up shop on the grassy area near Harris Teeter on Friday, June 3rd and Saturday, June 4th, accompanied by live music and a beer garden. A second show is slated for mid-July. For more info, click here.

New Trader Joe’s for Travilah?

Is Trader Joe’s heading to Darnestown Road? The Washington Business Journal says plans are in place for the grocery store to open at Travilah Square Shopping Center, where it would replace an existing Burger King and a small office building. This would be the second Rockville location for Trader Joe’s — hopefully with easier parking than the always-crowded lot at Federal Plaza on the Pike. When we spoke with Trader Joe’s this week, a spokesperson said the company wasn’t ready to disclose plans for Travilah just yet. We’ll keep you posted as things develop.

Dance company heading to Rockville Town Square

Opening next month at Rockville Town Square: A second home for Dawn Crafton Dance Connection, the Gaithersburg company that’s building out four new studios on Gibbs Street next to Bar Louie. Crafton, who’s been teaching dance since 1954, says she’s been eyeing downtown Rockville since her students started performing holiday shows there several years ago. The new space “has a real small-town community feel” that will allow parents to run errands while their kids are in class — something they never could do at her other space on Airpark Avenue, Crafton says. “It’s a big move for us, but there’s so much more for people to do here and I think it’s going to be fabulous.”

Share your favorites and win dinner at Sugo

For our next Store Reporter Favorites section, we’re asking our readers to tell us who has the best appetizers in town. From deviled eggs and roasted beets to fried calamari and tuna tartare, which restaurants do you recommend for 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.

Krispy Kreme deal is hot off the fryer

Krispy Kreme changed hands this week in a $1.35 billion deal that could turn the donut chain into a major player in the coffee market. The company’s new owner is JAB, a European firm that also controls Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Caribou Coffee, Keurig Green Mountain and several other American coffee retailers. That means Krispy Kreme, which never was known for its coffee, will likely start serving one or all of those brands in the next 12 months. There’s also speculation that the new owners will finance a major expansion for Krispy Kreme — and that could spell trouble for Dunkin’ Donuts, which currently earns most of its profits from coffee sales.

Staples + Office Depot: The wedding’s off

Staples and Office Depot called off their merger this week after a successful protest by the Federal Trade Commission, which had warned that the deal would impair competition and lead to higher prices. Staples, the nation’s largest office supply chain, now has to pay Office Depot a $250 million “breakup fee.” Even so, analysts say it’s unclear whether Office Depot can survive over the long term.