Business

Popular Potomac dessert spot, Sprinkles, which was listed for sale on BizBuySell last year for $850K is currently listed on the site at a newer price of $599,999. The 34-year-old family owned ice cream store and bakery is located in the Potomac Village shopping center and is described as being approximately 600-700SF. All assets will transfer with sale– including “existing inventory, ice cream and frozen yogurt machines, bakery oven and equipment etc.” The store is also touting a brand new HVAC system and floor in the kitchen, an in-store bathroom for employee use, a seating area for customers, and describes itself as “the only ice cream store in the Village and within at least a 3-5 mile drive.”

Additional information, per the listing: “Sprinkles Won Best Dessert place in Potomac Maryland in 2022 from Potomac Lifestyle Magazine. We are a woman owned, family-run, small business that has been serving the community for 33 years. Sprinkles is a staple in this community and is a favorite of families for over three generations. Hand made ice cream and frozen yogurt shop that has expanded to sell baked goods, gourmet candies & treats and novelty gift items. We have major corporate and non-profit clients including, but not limited to: Akin Gump, PNC Bank, Make-A-Wish Foundation, RSM, DC United, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Serco, etc. Corporate gift box business for Fortune 100 companies – Verizon, Marymount University, etc, nationwide. WE ARE NOT a franchise- it is a stand alone store.


Silver Spring

Tastee Diner at 8601 Cameron St. in Silver Spring permanently closed on March 22 after the diner was sold on March 21 to D.C. based Roadside Development for $3.1 million according to Maryland Land Records.  Roadside Development, which purchased the adjacent Capital One bank lot back in August, plans on creating a “multifamily mixed-use” redevelopment at the two sites and recently revealed a sketch plan and preliminary pre-submission plans.

The plans include a new high-rise residential development with up to 525 apartments at 8676 Georgia Avenue and 8601 Cameron Street, according to DC Urban Turf. For now, the original Tastee Diner car is planned to be worked into the upcoming development. A green roof and green space will also be included in the development plans, which also include Tastee Diner’s historic diner car, according to Roadside, according to Source of the Spring (additional photos below).


Events

Per the City of Gaithersburg: The City’s popular Summer Outdoor Concert Series returns to the Concert Pavilion. Free, family-friendly concerts take place in June, July, and August. Bring a blanket or low-back chair for lawn seating. Children’s Summer Concert Series: Parents & children alike will enjoy a variety of children’s performers on Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.

Evenings in Olde Towne: Wind down the workday with great music in a casual, outdoor setting on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. New this year, the City is partnering with Saints Row Brewing to include on-site beer sales & food trucks.


Celebrities

The Brian Mitchell “Intentional Celebrity Golf Tournament” took place at Lakewood Country Club ( 13901 Glen Mill Rd) in Rockville on Monday, June 5th and the event, along with the “rare night” gala following the tournament, raised $153,00 to hire the organization’s first nurse navigator to support families with children who have rare diseases. The event featured an appearance by Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera, as well as current and former Commanders players. 

The Miracle of Hudson announced BMitch’s “Intentional Celebrity Charity Golf Tournament”, which took place on Monday, June 5th, at the prestigious Lakewood Country Club in Rockville, MD. The event featured special guest Ron Rivera, Head Coach of the Washington Commanders, as well as current and legendary players. In addition, the tournament hosted a star-studded lineup of celebrities, and esteemed guests such as Dr. Kurt Newman, M.D., President of Children’s National, and Dr. Debra Regier, M.D., Interim Division Chief of Genetics and Metabolism and Program Director of the Medical Genetics Residency Program at Children’s National. The tournament was able to raise $153,00” to hire the organization’s first nurse navigator to support families with children who have rare diseases.Attendees had a fun-filled day of golf, exciting activities, and exceptional prizes. The Miracle of Hudson is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing nurse navigation support, resources, and hope to families affected by rare diseases. The nurse navigator’s role will be to guide families through the complex healthcare system, providing essential support and care coordination to ensure children receive the best possible treatment and outcome.For more information about BMitch’s “Intentional Celebrity Charity Golf Tournament,” sponsorship opportunities for the future, or to donate, please visit https://theintentional.org or theintentional.org/rarenight contact the Event Organizer/Director, Marquis Evans, at 301-357-5608 or via email at [email protected].


Bethesda

Back in September 2021 we let you know the popular DC restaurant The Salt Line would be making its way over to Bethesda Row, taking over the location at 4900 Hampden Lane that was previously home to Greek restaurant Kapnos until 2018. While an opening date has not yet been set, the restaurant is currently hiring and we anticipate a summer opening. Construction has been ongoing at the restaurant for over a year.

The Salt Line DC location is a waterfront venture that opened near Navy Yard in June of 2017 with a 100-seat patio bar overlooking the Anacostia River. It has been a hit and pre/post Nats game destination due to its proximity to Nats stadium, sizable bar, and blend of popular food and drink with views of the river. While the Bethesda location won’t be overlooking the water, Bethesda Row offers a highly walkable, bustling downtown experience in Montgomery County.


Beyond MoCo

H&H Bagels is entering a new era of expansion in 2023, with agreements in place for 25 new restaurants, including 10 units in the D.C. area. H&H Bagels, which has been featured on shows like “Seinfeld,” “Sex and the City,” “Entourage,” “The Office,” and more, is now expanding outside of the tri-state area for the first time, opening new company-owned and franchised locations in Florida, California, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Illinois, and Connecticut. A company-owned location will also open at the newly remodeled Penn Station in New York City later this year. “We’re excited to bring our New York City bagels to cities across the country as part of our expansion plan,” said Jay Rushin, Chief Executive Officer of H&H Bagels. “With each new company-owned and franchise location, we are looking forward to welcoming new customers to the H&H family.” H&H Bagels Locations Under Development:

No locations are currently scheduled for Maryland, and the expanded D.C. region will include Norfolk and Virginia Beach, according to the company’s press release. The closest restaurants will be in D.C. and Northern Virginia, but exact locations have not been named yet. The first H&H Bagel franchise location will be in Boca Raton, Florida which is expected to open in the third quarter of 2023. In addition, the first company-owned locations outside of New York City will be in West Palm Beach, Florida at NORA, the redevelopment of West Palm Beach’s warehouse district and in Chicago, Illinois in Fulton Market. H&H Bagels’ sixth New York City location is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2023 in the newly renovated Penn Station.


Business

Mandarin Express, located at 15209 Frederick Rd #5, is available to purchase for an asking price of $150K. According to the listing, “the owner is retiring and selling a 25+ year standing, renowned, hole-in-the-wall, Chinese restaurant.””The restaurant is fully operational, comes with equipment, infrastructure, resources, an extensive, loyal customer base and perfected original recipes.”

The owner, who is retiring, is willing to teach any prospective buyer “how the restaurant has been run from top to bottom, most importantly, unique recipes and process that has set us apart from competition and allowed us to stay in business for so long.” Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


North Potomac

Pets Are Home second location, at 10038 Darnestown Rd in the Travilah Square Shopping Center, is now open. It has taken over the space previously occupied by Michael’s Noodles near Title Boxing Club. The first Pets Are Home Location was opened by a husband and wife team in Kensington (10414 Derrick Ave, Suite 300) in August 2021. Additional information on the story behind Pets Are Home, courtesy of its website:

“Nathan and his wife Ross moved to Kensington MD in 2019 where they now share a home with Cotton, their  French Mastiff.  As soon as they moved to Kensington, they quickly realized that buying food for Cotton involved either traversing through 40 minute traffic or buying online. Neither were desirable options for them, and they were not alone in this struggle. They discovered that other pet parents in their neighborhood also disliked driving through heavy traffic in North Rockville, competing for parking space in Downtown Bethesda, and buying online from big name retailers. It was immediately clear to Nathan and Ross that there was an unmet hunger for a pet supply store in Kensington.


North Potomac

In December 2021, about a year and a half after Flower Child closed permanently, H&R Retail listed Holy Cross Health as the new occupant of the space at 10072 Darnestown Road in the Travilah Square Shopping Center. Flower Child initially closed when the pandemic shut down indoor dining back in March of 2020 and made the decision to close permanently a few months later. Holy Cross Health, an Urgent Care center operated by Holy Cross (a member of Trinity Health), signed on and even started construction in the space. The space has recently been listed as available to lease again by H&R Retail. Prior to Flower Child, the storefront was home to Sweet Frog.

Travilah Square has seen changes in recent years. One of the first moves made was to demolish the existing office building and Burger King and replace it with a new building containing a 12,500 square foot Trader Joe’s grocery store, along with a second, smaller retail space (upcoming tenant below). The late 1980’s look of the center was dated and Finmarc brought on MV+A  to revitalize the center and give it a new, clean, vibrant appearance. The new building blends with the shopping center utilizing the same patterned brick and steel trim to create a permanent, “timeless” appearance. A landscape plaza fronts the Trader Joe’s, and a curved brick and steel pergola shades this new outdoor amenity for the shopping center. More recent changes below:


Bethesda

MD-190 River Road between Brookdale Road and Western Avenue, now single file both directions for approximately six weeks past the Washington Gas valve replacement. NO LEFTS from Eastbound/Inbound River at Western during the work. Full letter from Washington Gas below:

“Dear Neighbor, At Washington Gas, safety is our highest priority as we continue reliably meeting the energy needs of our customers. Today, natural gas is the fuel of choice for more than nine out of ten new homebuyers in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and Washington Gas serves more than 1.2 million customers throughout the region. As the region continues to grow, rehabilitation of our existing infrastructure is critical to maintaining a safe and reliable natural gas system.


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