Plans to redevelop the former Red Lobster property on Shady Grove Road with a new Dash In gas station and convenience store have received another key approval.
According to a recent zoning hearing decision, Conditional Use No. CU2026-04 for Dash-In Food Stores was granted, allowing the company to move forward with plans to raze the approximately 6,000 SF former Red Lobster restaurant at 15700 Shady Grove Road and redevelop the roughly two-acre property.
The decision follows action earlier this year by the Montgomery County Planning Board, which reviewed the conditional use request and associated forest conservation plan at its March 26 meeting.
Plans call for a Dash In convenience store of just under 5,000 SF, six multi-product fuel dispensers providing 12 fueling positions, two EV charging stations, and a single-bay automatic car wash at the rear of the property. The project also includes 35 parking spaces and an outdoor seating area with picnic benches.
As part of the project, fuel sales will be limited to less than 3.6 million gallons annually. Planned pedestrian and transportation improvements include a 10-foot-wide sidepath along Shady Grove Road, a new crosswalk, and seven off-site pedestrian lights.
The Red Lobster at the property abruptly closed in May 2024 as part of a nationwide round of restaurant closures preceding the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. While Red Lobster has since emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership, the Shady Grove Road property has remained vacant. Top Pot Hot Pot & K BBQ will be also bringing its popular all you can eat concept to Maryland, taking over the former Red Lobster space at 8533 Georgia Avenue in Downtown Silver Spring.
Dash In, part of the Wills Group, has operated in the Mid-Atlantic since 1979 and combines fuel stations with convenience stores featuring made-to-order food. The company currently has a Montgomery County location in White Oak.
