Below is a list of businesses that are coming soon to Gaithersburg’s Rio.
TOUS les JOURS
TOUS les JOURS, a French-Asian bakery that recently opened a location inside of New Grand Mart (13069 Wisteria Dr) in Germantown, will be taking over the space recently occupied by Corner Bakery in Rio, which closed this month after nearly 25 years in business at the location. The French-Asian Bakery features a variety of breads, pastries, and cakes that are baked in-store daily, as well as a wide selection of coffee/espresso based drinks and teas. There is no word yet on when the bakery hopes to open.
Per the bakery: “Since its launch in the United States in 2004, TOUS les JOURS has developed into a reputable bakery & café franchise, specializing in French-Asian-inspired baked goods, passionately made from the finest ingredients. TOUS les JOURS means “Every day” in French. As the name shows, the chain offers a wide range of baked goods – artisan pastries, gourmet cakes and desserts, and handcrafted beverages – baked fresh in-store every day. The brand takes pride in sourcing and using carefully selected ingredients and promises to bring freshness and quality to its customers. TOUS les JOURS continues to expand and embrace innovation in all markets. With its franchising know-how and continuous support from the team, the brand is getting a lot of attention from people who are interested in setting up their own small businesses. Currently, there are more than 70 TOUS les JOURS stores in the U.S. and more than 1,650 stores all around the world. To learn more about TOUS les JOURS stores and their locations, please visit https://www.tljus.com”
Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls
Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls is coming to 201 Boardwalk Pl, taking over the space that is currently the temporary home of Locally Crafted and was previously home Joseph A. Bank. Lobster rolls, lobster (or shrimp) salads, lobster BLT, lobster grilled cheese, lobster mac and cheese, potato salad, lobster bisque, clam chowder, and more are all part of the fast-casual restaurant’s menu. Construction has not yet started and an opening date is not yet available.
Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls has been rapidly expanding since opening its flagship Annapolis, Md., location in 2014. The fast-casual franchise has made lobster-lovers out of seafood fans by opening additional locations in Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Washington state, Texas, Virginia, and more. For more information, please visit Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls site.
Locally Crafted
Locally Crafted closed its doors storefront at 201 Boardwalk Place in Gaithersburg’s Rio Lakefront on December 24th, 2023. At the time they announced a new location coming in the spring and now we know they’ll be moving in to 9 Grand Corner Ave.- the space that was recently home to Francesca’s, which closed permanently on February 3rd.
About Locally Crafted: “Locally Crafted is a community space where artists can showcase their unique products. Customers will experience seeing the items in person, rather than through an online store, giving them the opportunity to feel and see the quality in person. Locally Crafted appeals to customers who value unique items and prefer supporting makers from their own community over national corporate big chain stores.
“We are THRILLED to announce our new storefront location! In April, we’ll be re-opening Locally Crafted at 9 Grand Corner Avenue @riolakefront (the space formerly occupied by Francesca’s)
No exact re-opening date yet, but we’re hoping to be back in business sometime in April and will definitely keep you all posted!
Although we’ve really missed our customers and vendors during this break, we’re so excited to have a brand new permanent home at Rio. And we’re looking forward to making our space even better than before!
IKEA Gaithersburg: Plan & Order Point with Pick-Up
Last year, IKEA announced plans to open new format IKEA stores in Fairfax, Virginia (now open), and Gaithersburg, Maryland. Signage is up at the Gaithersburg location located at 101 Boardwalk Place Ste 102- the former home of Charming Charlie. This new customer meeting point, called a Plan & order point with Pick-up, will include home furnishing inspiration and personalized interior design planning, with the addition of an IKEA Pick-up point, allowing customers to pick up their purchases made online or purchased at either Plan & order point location. Purchases made at IKEA Fairfax and Gaithersburg can also be arranged to be conveniently transported to a customer’s home or to another convenient point of delivery. No opening date has been announced.
Han Spot
Back in May we let you know that the owner of popular dim sum restaurants China Garden (Rockville) and Han Palace (Tysons, Woodley Park, Barracks Row), Chris Zhu, announced that she is bringing a new restaurant to Rio– taking over the space that was previously home to Union Jack’s until June 2020. It has since been confirmed by Rio that the restaurant will be known as Han Spot. Construction began a few months back with the previous interior being removed and now the restaurant is working on constructing the new space (photos below).
Zhu made the initial announcement via social media in May, “Another milestone. New baby from Han Palace coming to Rio Gaithersburg. Next to AMC theater & Guapo’s.” One of Zhu’s other restaurants, Han Palace, offers an all-day dim sum menu. Scallops, shrimp, pork/crab dumplings, rice rolls, barbecue pork buns, lobster sticky rice, Han-style filet mignon, and Peking duck are included on the Han Palace menu. An opening timeframe is not yet available, we anticipate a mid to late 2024 opening being a likely scenario.
Copper Canyon Dining Pier on the Lake
In April we let you know that Copper Canyon Grill is requesting approval for a 1,012 square foot covered dining pier to be located on the RIO Lake. The restaurant submitted its final site plan back in July and the planning commission approved it unanimously in September. Renderings of what the pier will look like can be seen below.
Access to the outdoor dining area/pier will be via two gangways attached to the existing boardwalk. The new structure projects 10′-2″ from the boardwalk and will be 12 feet tall from the finished floor. Gaithersburg Planning Staff supports the proposal for a dining pier in the Rio Washingtonian Lake, finding it in compliance with the approved sketch plan and Schematic Development Plan SDP- 9462-2023. “The dining pier will provide additional outdoor seating for Copper Canyon and will enhance the use of lake. There remains adequate parking for the proposed commercial addition and all applicable development standards have been met.” No timeframe for the pier has been announced.
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FEST OF SPRING Caribbean Wine Food & Music Festival
Get ready to experience the vibrant colors, tantalizing flavors, and infectious rhythms of the Caribbean at the FEST OF SPRING Caribbean Wine Food & Music Festival! Hosted by RHU LLC, this exciting festival is set to take place on May 18, 2024, at the picturesque 16700 Barnesville Rd in Boyds, MD.
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