Author: MCS Staff

Restaurants

“Boozy” Taco Bell to Open First Montgomery County Location

By MCS Staff

Taco Bell Cantina, known for its fast-paced environment, tech-forward innovations like kiosks and digital menu boards, and a variety of alcoholic beverages to go along with traditional Taco Bell fare, is opening its first Montgomery County location in Silver Spring, according to a BizJournals report.

Per the report, the new restaurant will open at 8662 Colesville Road, next to the Fillmore Silver Spring and across the street from Ellsworth Place in the space that was most recently home to Pollo Campero until it closed in late 2021. The Taco Bell Cantina alcoholic drink menu “features an assortment of beers, wines, sangria and Twisted Freezes, including your favorite fermented alcohol”, but the exact drink menu will vary by location. An opening timeframe is not yet available.

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Montgomery Parks

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Wins $18.5 Million Federal Grant to Improve Trail Networks

By MCS Staff

Money from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant will be used to enhance trails in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties as part of the Capital Trails Network.

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced this week that it has awarded The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission an $18.5 million RAISE grant to fund the rehabilitation of multi-use paths to fill gaps in the Capital Trails Network. The Capital Trails Network is a plan developed by local jurisdictions, the National Park Service and trail advocacy organizations, to connect 990 miles of trail between Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

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Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Celebrates “Where Community Grows”

By MCS Staff

The City of Gaithersburg celebrates Parks & Recreation Month throughout the month of July with special events, programs and classes. SummerFest on July 1, SportsFest on July 15, and the Explore Gaithersburg! Park Passport program are just a few highlights of the month-long celebration.

The Mayor & City Council will proclaim July as “Parks and Recreation Month” in the City of Gaithersburg at its meeting on July 3. The proclamation reminds Gaithersburg residents of the importance of parks and recreation facilities, programs, staff, and volunteers while encouraging everyone to embrace active lifestyles and improve their overall health.

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Events

Major Traffic Advisory in Gaithersburg on Saturday, July 1st

By MCS Staff

This Saturday, July 1 is the City of Gaithersburg Government SummerFest event at Bohrer Park. Please note that starting at 5PM, there will be lane reductions along South Frederick Avenue (Route 355) adjacent to Bohrer Park and there will be a change in traffic patterns for the event.

Vehicles will not be allowed to cross over or turn left onto South Frederick Avenue (Route 355) between Cedar and Central Avenues. Plan your route accordingly. If you are not attending the festival, please take alternate routes to avoid the area completely.

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Gaithersburg

MoCo’s Newest Chick-fil-a is Owned/Operated by Gaithersburg High School Alumnus

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County’s newest Chick-fil-a has officially opened for business at 700 N. Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg. Chick-fil-a’s first Montgomery County restaurant opened less than a mile away from its newest location, opening inside of  Lakeforest Mall in 2003. That location closed in late 2011, a few months before the Kentlands location in Gaithersburg opened. Richard Munguia, a graduate of nearby Gaithersburg High School, is the owner/operator of the new restaurant.

Upon walking inside, you’ll see a photo of Richard. His time with the company started at the Tech Rd location in Silver Spring. He moved on to helping open Chick-fil-a restaurants across the country before returning to open a location in the area he grew up in. Per the sign up front, from Richard:  “It’s my full-time job-and really my passion- to make sure your visit is always a great one. While I am part of a large organization, as an Owner-Operator, I’m actually an individual business partner of Chick-fil-A, This brings not only responsibility and accountability, which is good for Guests and our Team Members alike, it also allows me to bring a local flavor to the Restaurant.

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DMV

Crimson Coward Announces 25 Upcoming Maryland Locations

By MCS Staff

Crimson Coward, a Nashville hot chicken restaurant founded in the Los Angeles area in 2018, recently opened its first East Coast location a few months ago in Northern Virginia. At that time, the company announced an additional 25 restaurants planned for the D.C. area in NoVa. Now, they plan to add an additional 25 restaurants in Maryland.

QSR reports that “The L.A. hot chicken franchise plans to open 25 locations in Maryland as well as 25 total stores  in Virginia.” According to the report, Restaurant Management Group-Mid Atlantic (RMG-MA) will develop, franchise, and support all stores in Maryland and Virginia. Exact locations of the restaurants have likely not been finalized yet, so they are not available at this time.

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DMV

Code Red Air Quality, Unhealthy for Everyone, Forecasted For DMV (Thursday, June 29th)

By MCS Staff

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast a Code Red air day for the metropolitan Washington region on Thursday, June 29. Code Red levels mean the air is unhealthy for everyone. Smoke coming from wildfires in Canada is contributing to the increased levels of fine particle pollution. COG advises the following health precautions:

Residents can check current air quality conditions on COG’s website or the Clean Air Partners website. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency also recommends the following during wildfire events:

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Darnestown

Inferno Pizzeria Ranked 23rd in “Top 50 Pizzerias in the USA” List

By MCS Staff

50 Top Pizza, a pizza evaluation site in Paestum, Italy, not far from Naples, has released its 2023 Top 50 Pizza list. Montgomery County contributed with the 23rd ranked pizzeria in the country– Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, located in Darnestown/Gaithersburg. Last year Inferno was ranked 25th on the list.

Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana has been open in Gaithersburg (12207 Darnestown Rd.) for nearly 7.5 years– there is still a line into the parking lot full of eager diners hoping to get a table before the dough ran out for the night– something that’s a common occurrence for Inferno (see our video below). For those unfamiliar with the restaurant, it was opened by Chef Tony Conte in October 2015 after he spent nine years in DC’s Oval Room. Inferno specializes in pizza, but regulars will tell you that the appetizers are often just as much of a draw.

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Olney

Cheesesteak Eating Contest to Win ‘Free Cheesesteaks For a Year’ To Take Place on July 4th in Olney

By MCS Staff

Brew Belly at 18065 Georgia Ave in Olney has announced it will be holding its annual Cheesesteak Eating Contest on July 4 at 12:00pm. The winner of the contest, which is open to the first 25 people to sign up ($20 entry fee), will win free cheesesteaks from the restaurant for one year.

The $20 entry fee will be donated to Hero Dogs. In addition to cheesesteaks, Brew Belly boasts of over 250 Maryland-born brews, between its ever-changing (24 tap) beer list, to its well-stocked (12 door), reach-in, self-serve cooler. “Hero Dogs, Inc. improves the quality of life of our nation’s heroes by raising, training, and placing service dogs and other highly skilled canines, free of charge with lifetime support of the partnerships. We serve the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area.”

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Beyond MoCo

University of Maryland (College Park) Awarded Nearly $40 Million Grant for Electric Buses

By MCS Staff

Per the University of Maryland: Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced that the University of Maryland will receive nearly $40 million in grant funding to fast-track its plans to convert its bus fleet from diesel to electric vehicles. Funds will be used to purchase 35 battery electric buses, bus charging stations and associated infrastructure renovations to enable onsite electric bus charging as well as to support workforce development, and train drivers and maintenance staff on how to operate and service electric buses.

The funds were awarded through the FTA’s FY23 Low-No Program, which will provide nearly $1.7 billion for transit projects in 46 states and territories. UMD’s grant was the largest given to a university in this award cycle and one of the largest of the 130 grants awarded overall.

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DMV

‘International Colombian Festival of Washington DC’ Takes Place This July

By MCS Staff

The 7th edition of the International Colombian Festival of Washington DC will take place on Saturday, July 22nd 2022, from 11:00AM at 8:00PM at Catholic University (University Garage, 3598 John McCormack Rd NE, DC 20310).

Last year’s festival included over 5,000 spectators in attendance and a large turnout is expected again this year. The festival will include “food, folklore, dance, art and tradition.” Organizers Go Columbia LLC say “This year, we have MEXICO as a guest country and we are anxiously looking forward to even greater success. In the past, we have counted with the participation of well-renowned artists and recipients of Grammy awards, and this year we are not expecting less as we are pushing for unique.”

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