Gaithersburg Archives - Page 263 of 411

Gaithersburg Celebrates Black History Month

Published January 19, 2023 at 8:09AM

The City celebrates & honors Black History Month with storytime programs, film screenings, discussions, and an official proclamation. A list of events can be found here.

Celebrated annually in the United States during the month of February, Black History Month was started in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. He sought to bring national attention to the important contributions African Americans made to the history of the United States. Woodson chose February because it includes the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes & Abraham Lincoln.

Update on Neal’s Bagels in the Kentlands

By Patrick Herron

Published January 18, 2023 at 5:32PM

Construction is scheduled to begin later this week at the upcoming Neal’s Bagels in the Kentlands. Neal’s Bagels is relocating from its current location about a mile and a half away at 12141 Darnestown Rd in the Potomac Valley shopping center in Gaithersburg. The Jewish deli has been there for about 30 years, previously operating under the name Bagels Deluxe. The new shop will be located in the Kentlands paseo, next to Burtons and across from RanKen Noodle House.

The plan for the Kentlands location is to include indoor seating, as well as an outdoor patio where customers can enjoy their breakfast. Additions will include a grill that will allow the breakfast spot to add fresh-made eggs to breakfast sandwiches, omelets, pancakes, and waffles. The restaurant is hoping for a May 1st opening.

Update on Shake Shack in Kentlands

By Patrick Herron

Published January 18, 2023 at 12:28PM

Permanent signage is now up at the upcoming Shake Shake location in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood. No opening date has been announced but we’re told the restaurant is expected to open in the first half of 2023. Shake Shack has additional MoCo locations at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda and Cabin John Village in Potomac.

Background: On July 8, 2021, Shake Shack was granted approval for the construction of a 4,700 square foot building with outdoor seating as the second of three commercial infill sites totaling 16,000 square feet along Kentlands Square Place. The burger chain was granted its license to sell beer and wine on the premises during its Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) hearing on January 6th of 2022, and prepared to break ground in February. Construction began in March, but stalled after flooding that occurred over the summer.

Update: Detectives Investigate Bank Robbery in Gaithersburg; Surveillance Photos of Suspect Released

By Patrick Herron

Published January 17, 2023 at 10:58PM

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division are investigating a bank robbery that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at the Bank of America in the 400 block of N. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. Detectives have released surveillance photos of the male suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him.

At approximately 3:36 p.m., officers responded to the location for the report of a bank robbery that just occurred. The investigation by detectives has revealed that the suspect entered the bank, implied he had a firearm, stole an undisclosed amount of money and left the bank. Detectives reviewed the surveillance footage of the bank and obtained surveillance photographs of the suspect.

Lakeforest Mall to Close at the End of March after Almost 45 Years

By MCS Staff

Published January 17, 2023 at 10:07PM

WRS, Inc. officially announced that Lakeforest Mall will be closing at the end of March, after almost 45 years in Gaithersburg. The closing of the mall aligns with the recently announced closing of Macy’s, the last of the remaining anchor stores at the mall. The announcement was made at a City of Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council meeting on Tuesday night. WRS plans to demolish “as soon as they can.” Financing requires the mall to remain as an option in case “things go really sideways”, which could cause WRS to have to look at re-tenanting the mall. It was made clear that WRS does not intend to do this, but needs to keep it as an option. Previously, WRS mentioned 2024 as a target date for demolition to occur and new construction to begin.

Lakeforest Mall first opened on September 12, 1978. At that time, the mall’s anchor stores were JCPenney, Sears, Woodward & Lothrop, and Hecht’s. The mall was one of the first in the United States to feature an indoor ice skating rink on the lower level, in the “H section”, along with being the biggest indoor shopping mall in the county at the time of grand opening. The ice skating rink was replaced by a NTI Theaters movie theater in 1984, later renamed Cineplex Odeon Lakeforest 5, then by a food court, which now occupies the space. The mall was built on top of Lake Walker, a park on the property prior. The mall opened with approximately 30-50 stores, with some of the first stores being relocated from the then nearby indoor Village Mall (now an outdoor strip mall called Montgomery Village Center since 1991) and absorbed onto the property.

Police Respond to Bank Robbery in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

Published January 17, 2023 at 8:18PM

Police responded to a bank robbery on Tuesday afternoon in Gaithersburg. According to MCPD, “Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at approximately 3:36 p.m., MCP officers responded to the Bank of America at 474 N. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburgfor the report of a bank robbery that just occurred.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the adult male suspect entered the bank, implied he had a firearm, stole an undisclosed amount of money, and left the bank. Injuries have not been reported. The suspect has not been apprehended.”

MoCo’s Newest Roaming Rooster Now Open

By Patrick Herron

Published January 17, 2023 at 1:01PM | Updated January 18, 2023 at 9:25AM

Roaming Rooster at 511 Quince Orchard Rd in Gaithersburg is currently holding its soft opening. The restaurant has an official grand opening scheduled for February 15. Roaming Rooster is located in the space previously occupied by Duck Donuts in the Firstfield Shopping Center. Duck Donuts permanently closed in August. The restaurant is currently open 11am-4pm and will be extending its hours beginning next week.

Roaming Rooster is known for its variety of buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches that vary in heat depending on the diner’s preferences – mild, medium or hot. In addition to its free-range, grain-fed, antibiotic-free and Halal chicken, Roaming Rooster offers an all week breakfast menu, salads and sides including wings, chicken tenders and hand-cut fries.

Opening Information for Sweetgreen in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

Published January 17, 2023 at 12:31PM

Sweetgreen will be holding a soft opening for its new Gaithersburg location at 299 Copley Place D100 in Downtown Crown this Friday, January 20 and Saturday, January 21. The official grand opening will be held on Tuesday, January 24. You can register for a free meal at the soft opening or a $5 app credit to use during the grand opening week at this link.

“We can’t wait to bring sweetgreen to your neighorbood! Join us before we officially open on Tuesday, January 24th to get a sneak peek of our new restaurant, meet the team, and taste our fresh, made-from-scratch menu with a bowl, plate or salad on us.”

Happening Today: Lakeforest Redevelopment Plan Joint Public Hearing

By MCS Staff

Published January 17, 2023 at 7:15AM

The City of Gaithersburg Joint Planning Commission/Mayor and City Council Hearing on the Lakeforest redevelopment plan is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 at City Hall, 31 S. Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

WRS Inc., the company redeveloping the mall, held an informational meeting on October 20 at the mall and additional meetings in the area since providing information on its plan. WRS purchased the core, ponds, and forest conservation of the mall back in 2019 and added the four anchor sites earlier this year, spending a total of $75 million to acquire Lakeforest Mall. In October they announced that they have worked with the City of Gaithersburg since March and plan to submit their zoning application and sketch plan in the next couple weeks. The target date for demolition of the mall and the start of new construction is currently 2024, with a more specific date to come after the approval of sketch plans. The sketch plan requires at least 35% “green space” and WRS stated that initial sketches are currently at a little more than 35%. Green space is defined as trees, grass, walking/biking areas, etc.

TaKorean to Take Over Recently Closed Nalley Fresh Location in Kentlands

By MCS Staff

Published January 16, 2023 at 5:11PM

TaKorean will be opening its first location outside of D.C. in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood, taking over the recently-closed Nalley Fresh location at 261 Kentlands Blvd. The restaurant offers Korean style tacos and bowls. No opening timeframe is available, as Nalley Fresh still needs to be cleaned out in order for TaKorean construction to begin.

The line-style restaurant was operating five locations at once, a few years back, but now there are just two TaKorean locations open in Washington, D.C. According to RestaurantDive, TaKorean is currently looking to open one restaurant at a time with future franchisees, and wants to ensure success at its initial franchise locations to create a strong base for a burgeoning franchise program. The company is open to multi-unit deals, but isn’t seeking them out. TaKorean is currently casting a wide net for potential markets, and once it sees brand recognition and franchisee interest in a particular market, it expects to build up that area, Lenard said. TaKorean is flexible on potential restaurant sizes, depending on a market’s real estate conditions.

MoCo’s First Full-Time Comedy Club to Launch January 20 In Gaithersburg; 50% of Proceeds Go to Local Charities

By MCS Staff

Published January 16, 2023 at 11:19AM

On January 20 ‘Give a Hoot’ comedy club, the first ever full-time comedy club in Montgomery County, will launch at La Mexicana in Gaithersburg with a twofold mission: to show patrons a great time, and to give back to the local community. According to the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, ‘Give a Hoot’ will give 50% of its proceeds to local charities. In addition to comedy shows, the club will also feature murder mystery and hypnotist acts.

Per the press release: The brainchild of co-founders Irwin Weinstein and Ken Watter, local comics who have collectively produced and performed in over 1,000 shows, Give A Hoot comedy club aims to fill an entertainment niche in the region – offering access to some of the East Coast’s most beloved comics on a predictable and accessible basis.