Coming Soon to Gaithersburg (Restaurants, Retail, and More)

Patrick Herron November 6, 2023 at 11:07am

Below is a list of restaurants and businesses that will be coming soon to Gaithersburg, MD.
Carter’s/OshKoh
Children’s clothing chain Carter’s is returning to its previous Gaithersburg Square location at 520 N. Frederick Ave. The store closed in July 2021 and was replaced by Charik African Fashion in March 2022. Charik recently relocated two doors down to the former T-Mobile location at 530 N. Frederick Ave. Charik is a family-owned African fashion store that sells shoes, clothing, and accessories and previously had a location inside of Lakeforest Mall. According to its website, Carter’s is the largest branded marketer of baby and children’s clothing in the U.S. According to signage on the building, the store is expected to open this fall.

The Container Store
The Container Store, which currently has one Montgomery County location at 1601 Rockville Pike in Congressional Plaza, will be opening a second Montgomery County location in Gaithersburg. The retailer specializes in storage, home office organizers and organization supplies, including custom closets and shelving systems. It provides an experience-driven shopping destination with more than 11,000 organizational products offered.

Representatives from the Rockville location were unable to provide us with any additional details about the exact location of the retailer, but we are told that the vacant space in Downtown Crown next to Woodhouse Day Spa is the likely lcoation. The Container Store recently announced that it will be opening six new small format stores in fiscal 2023 and three new stores in fiscal 2024, with Gaithersburg estimated to open in Winter 2023. The Rockville location is approximately 24,000 SF and the small format stores tend to be approximately 15,000 SF. Visit www.containerstore.com/locationsfor more information about store locations, the product collection, and the services offered. We will have an update with confirmation of the Gaithersburg location being in Downtown Crown as soon as we have it. Below is a list of the six new locations expected to open by the end of 2023.

EggMania
Permanent signage is up at EggMania (385 Muddy Branch Rd), which is taking over the space formerly occupied by Curry Place, next to Indian Bazaar in Gaithersburg. The menu consists of egg-centric Indian street food, including a masala omelet, egg curry, and Goti Fry (sliced boiled eggs cooked with ginger, garlic and chili and topped with American cheese and onion-tomato based gravy). EggMania currently has franchises in several states and is currently opening new locations throughout the U.S. The restaurant had its hearing for a beer/wine/liquor license with the Montgomery County ABS back in July. The restaurant tells us, “There’s lots of misconception when it comes to “EggMania”. In American culture eggs based dishes are primarily used during breakfast whereas in popular Indian street food culture, eggs based dishes are made for entrees and served during lunch / dinner and full menu items, not just breakfast. EggMania is not breakfast place. Hope to serve the community and bring this delicious food options for our MoCo residents and surrounding very soon…!!” No opening date has been announced.

F45
F45, which has been opening locations across Montgomery County with recent openings in Potomac and Olney, is coming to Gaithersburg with an upcoming Kentlands location. The company had pre-Covid plans to make a move into Gaithersburg’s Rio Lakefront, which fell through, but has signed on to take over the space that was recently closed for a few years and previously home to Subway (between Caspian House of Kabob and the recently closed Edible Arrangements). F45 offers consumers functional 45-minute workouts that are effective, fun and community-driven. F45 utilizes proprietary technologies including a fitness programming algorithm and a digitally-enabled delivery platform that leverages a rich content database of thousands of unique functional training movements to offer new workouts each day and provide a standardized experience across F45’s global franchise. Construction is currently ongoing and no opening date has been announced.

IKEA ‘Plan and Order’
IKEA will be opening a new urban-format concept, “which appear to be the first of their kind in the United States”, according to BizJournals. Per the report, IKEA will open “plan-and-order” points with pick-up at two locations in the DMV– Fairfax Corner in Fairfax and Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. The Rio IKEA location will be taking over the space that was previously home to Charming Charlie at 101 Boardwalk Place #102 and could open by the end of the year.

Per IKEA, “Our Plan and Order points are smaller stores dedicated to kitchen, bedroom, and living room planning where you can find home furnishing advice and expertise to help design your ideal space.” You can book an appointment to start your design with a planning specialist, or use in-store, self-service tools to design your own solution. “Whilst there are no items to purchase in-store and take home on the day, for your convenience, purchases made at the Plan and Order points can be delivered to your home or picked up from one of our collection points.”

Kabob N Karahi
Coming soon signage is up Kabob N Karahi at 18232 Flower Hill Way (Previously Aaron’s) in Gaithersburg. We’re told the restaurant should be opening “within the next month.” Kabob N Karahi is a Pakistani restaurant (that serves some Indian cuisine), and its menu consists of a variety of kabobs, curries, stews, and tandoori naan. The Cloverly Village Center location at 15521 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring., opened in 2008 and has become a staple in Cloverly. Per Kabob N Karahi: “Welcome to Kabob N Karahi, Maryland’s best family restaurant to find fresh, casual, authentic Pakistani-Indian kabob and curry cuisine. KNK is completely a Halal restaurant. We use only Halal meat, house sauces and salads are made fresh daily. We specialize in delicious chicken, beef, lamb, kofta kabobs and tikkas as well as Karahi. We provide catering for all the occasions (Birthday,Wedding and Engagement etc).”

Le Macaron
Permanent signage recently went up for French pastry shop Le Macaron at 7 Grand Corner Ave (next to BurgerFi) in Rio. Menu items will include macarons (available in 20 flavors), gourmet chocolates, French gelato, specialty European style coffees, classic French pastries, and homemade candies. According to its website, “Founders, Rosalie Guillem, who was living in Florida and her daughter, Audrey Guillem-Saba, living in France, had a dream to share delectable French macarons with the world and to reunite their family. The family, originally hailing from France, were surprised to find that the American take on the “macaron” was often simply sugar spun into a cookie shape or confused with the familiar coconut cookie “macaroon”. They knew that with a little consumer education, and by treating the American palate to true French macarons, they could bring

Poke Bros
In January we let you know that Poke Bros will be opening its first Maryland location in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood. The restaurant, which opened its first location in 2016 and has since expanded to over 75 restaurants across the country, will be taking over the space that was previously home to Next Day Blinds at 107 Market St W until 2020. Permanent signage was installed earlier this summer.

More bout Poke Bros: After the founders were introduced to the Hawaiian staple on a trip to California. The appeal of this fast and casual—while healthy—concept immediately inspired the founders to begin thinking how they could bring this unique dish to the midwest. From its inception, we were confident the foodies of Columbus would love the poké concept, but wanted to provide an inexpensive and accessible product in the larger market. After some intense research and trial and error, the Poké Bros founders developed their own brand of poké bowl flavor they are proud to share and call their own. Modeling similar assembly line casual dining concepts, we developed a unique way to build your “sushi in a bowl” and have fun doing so! As the poké movement has caught on, Poké Bros has rapidly expanded into multiple states across the Midwest and East Coast, offering the same fresh and authentic cuisine to a wider range of customers. We will continue to stick to our roots, as Poké Bros continues to grow, and offer only the best fresh ingredients that fill you up but don’t slow you down.

Peter Chang
Peter Chang is coming to 637 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg, the former location of Ichiban Restaurant. Ichiban closed in September 2021 after 35 years in business. Chef Peter Chang’s signature dishes include Boneless Whole Fish, Dry Fried Eggplant, Crispy Pork Belly, Cilantro Lime Fish, Duck In Stone Pot, and Beef in Sichuan Chili. Peter Chang opened its Rockville location at 20A Maryland Ave in 2016, and Q by Peter Chang opened at 4500 East-West Hwy in Bethesda in 2017. The restaurant is hoping to open by the beginning of February 2024.

Potomac Cookie Co
Coming soon signage is up at Potomac Cookie Co. at 109A Market St in the Kentlands Square shopping center in Gaithersburg, near Moby Dick and the upcoming Poke Bros. Potomac Cookie Co. is known for its “giant size” 4oz cookies and flavors include Choco-delight, Da Fudge, Dorothy’s Slippers, Double Dutch, Peebee ‘n’ Yay!, and S’more Love. Construction is currently underway on the interior of the store and we’re told the restaurant is anticipating a December opening.

Nori Japan
Construction has recently began at Nori Japan (9615 Lost Knife Rd) in Gaithersburg. Back in January we let you know that the restaurant, which was one of the last remaining tenants at Lakeforest Mall, would be opening a new location across from the mall in the Montgomery Village Crossing shopping center, taking over the space that was previously occupied by Wok Express. We’re told the delay in construction was permit related. No opening date has been announced. Montgomery Village Crossing is also home to B2J Fish Soup, BLT Grill, Copacabana Bakery, Hook & Reel, and Los Amigos Mexican.

Sportrock Climbing Centers
Sportrock Climbing Centers is coming to Rio, taking over part of the space that was previously occupied by Sport & Health (Dave & Buster’s now occupies the other part of the space). Sportrock opened the first commercial climbing gym in the DC metro area approximately 28 years ago in 1994, when it opened its Rockville. That location closed in 2006, but Sportrock has continued to operate successfully in Alexandria, Virginia. Now, it’s bringing rock climbing back to Rio, where many remember the much smaller walls that were a part of Sportland in the 90s.

WaWa
Permanent signage is up and construction continues to progress at the site of Montgomery County’s first Wawa, which will be located at 405 S Frederick Ave, across from Gaithersburg High School. The store is currently accepting applications and there are also multiple job listings for the location on indeed.com. No opening date has been announced, but we would anticipate the store opening in the next few months. Latest photos of the store’s progress can be seen below.

Wawa began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, Pa, in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa has become an “all day, every day stop for fresh, built-to-order foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services, and surcharge-free ATMs, and Boundless Convenience. A chain of more than 950 convenience retail stores (over 750 offering gasoline), Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh food service selection, including Wawa brands such as built-to-order hoagies , freshly brewed coffee , hot breakfast sandwiches , built-to-order specialty beverages , and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.”