Per Westfield Montgomery: Westfield Montgomery is proud to partner with Bethesda-based non-profit organization, The Napkin Network for the “Napkin Nook” initiative in a testament to the mall’s ongoing commitment to the community. As 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers for their children, the Napkin Nook welcomes those in need to take home essential baby items such as diapers and formula, making their parenting journey a little easier. Stationed on the lower level in front of the PlaySpace, the activation aims to bridge the gap between families in need and those eager to help, recognizing the challenges of motherhood and the persistent need within the community.

“The Napkin Network is here to assist in this messy, wonderful, challenging, and necessary journey known best as ‘motherhood,” says Founder Lindsay Gill. Echoing Gill’s objective, Zeina Davis, Director of Marketing for Westfield Montgomery says: “As a native of Montgomery County and a mother myself, it’s my pleasure to facilitate the betterment of mothers and families who contribute to the vitality of our center and are at the heart of our vibrant community. We aim to be a cornerstone of the community, offering both support for families and a platform for local artists.”


Permanent signage has been installed at Hangry Joe’s in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center.  The Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant will be located adjacent to the Starbuck’s at 19290 Montgomery Village Ave.  Hangry Joe’s in know for its hot chicken sandwiches, known as the “Chicken Sando”, and allows guests to choose the spice level of the fried chicken (Plain<Mild<Medium<Hot<Angry Hot). The menu also consists of chicken fingers, chicken & waffles, wraps, nuggets, loaded fries, and salads. Sides include cider slaw, waffle fries, and fried okra.

Hangry Joe’s has additional Montgomery County locations in Wheaton (2533 Ennals Ave) and Rockville (718-B Rockville Pike and 10050 Darnestown Rd.)


Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream will open its third Montgomery County location in Rockville’s Fallsgrove Village Center. The ice cream shop, which was recently ranked #1 in “Mr. MoCo’s 15 Favorite Ice Cream Spots in MoCo” list, has two existing locations in Bethesda– The Wildwood Shop (10219 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814) and River Road Shop (5241 River Road Bethesda, MD 20816). Sarah’s Handmade aims to open its Fallsgrove location by the end of the year, with additional information to follow.

Per the ice cream shop, “Sarah’s Handmade was created by a Bethesda mother-daughter team, Sarah and Annie Park. When Sarah retired in 2018, she suddenly found herself with time to indulge in her old hobbies. She began to experiment and create original ice cream recipes for her family, friends, and neighbors, fit for each occasion. Soon enough, she was receiving calls and orders from strangers for her handmade ice cream! With strong enthusiasm from friends and wide support from neighbors, Sarah and Annie decided to bring the homemade flavors to a River Road storefront in Bethesda. To stay true to Sarah’s commitment to the highest quality ice cream that she would “feel proud feeding my family,” Sarah uses only the best, local-whenever-possible ingredients and sticks to her small-batch, all-natural recipes.”


True Respite Brewing Company at 7301 Calhoun Place Suite 600 in Rockville has announced it will be closing on Saturday, September 2. True Respite owners Brendan and Bailey O’Leary opened up shop in 2018 and the brewery made a name for itself in the local beer community by winning multiple Maryland Craft Beer Awards and hosting community events. In June, we reported that the brewery’s location had been made available to lease.

True Respite posted the following message on their social media accounts on Thursday afternoon:


Swarovski has reopened in a new location on the upper level of Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd) in Bethesda. Swarovski closed its previous location this past spring to make room for a new Rolex storefront at Liljenquist & Beckstead, which is taking over the former Swarovski space. Swarovski is an Australian based company that specializes in jewelry, watches, and crystal decorations.

In other Westfield Montgomery news, VinoRita Wine Slushies is now open mall’s food court, taking over the kiosk space that was previously home to HalfSmokeGelato Galax, and Coldstone Creamery. Alcohol infused slushie flavors include the best selling “Black San,” which is a Blackberry Sangria, Peach Frose, Strawberry Daquiri, and Blueberry Pomegranate. Non-alcoholic options include Blue Raspberry and Lemonade.


Signage is up for No Regrets Pizza Co. at 5454 Nicholson Lane in North Bethesda. The pizzeria/bar will be located on the lower level of the Harwood Flats apartment building. An opening date has not yet been set and we will update with additional information (menu, etc.) when it becomes available. The news of No Regrets Pizza Co. was first reported by Robert Dyer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu8ApTIRfgf/


Jolloff Etcetera recently opened at 11237 New Hampshire Avenue, which was the longtime home of Hunan Manor (there for 20 years by most recent ownership group) until it closed permanently in February 2022. The restaurant is located in the White Oak Shopping Center near Dollar City and Montgomery County liquor store.

Jolloff Etcetera offers Nigerian cuisine and opened its first location in nearby Hyattsville, MD (Prince George’s County). The menu offers a variety of Nigerian cuisine, including Jolloff rice, grilled fish, fried rice, multiple soups, and more. Featured photo courtesy of Jolloff Etcetera.


Permanent signage is up for Akira Ramen & Izakaya in Gaithersburg. The restaurant will be located next to Ela Mesa Taste of Greece (109 Paramount Park Drive) in the Spectrum Town Center. Construction is progressing, but there’s plenty of work left to go before there’s a better idea of when the restaurant will open. Akira’s first restaurant opened in 2017 at The Galvan in Rockville.

Per Akira: At Akira Ramen, we specialize in taking the authentic ramen experience to the next level. First, we offer unique in-house broth that would suit everyones’ taste: Tonkatsu salt, Miso, Shoyu and Vegetable broth. With extra toppings as an option, you can customize your ramen anytime. Second, our thin and curly noodles are made in-house daily.


In June we let you know that popular burger truck Slider Rider announced it will be relocating to Jacksonville, Florida. This week will be the food truck’s last week of service at 8600 Zetts Ave in Gaithersburg, as it closes up locally on August 20th.

“While we’ve had a blast being part of the community, the time has come for Slider Rider to take off. With only 5 days of service left, we are teaming up with @MOCOSOFTEE to end the 4th quarter. We hope to see all the familiar faces one last time.” The truck is open on Wednesday-Friday from 12pm-7pm, Saturday from 2pm-8pm, and Sunday (with Mr. Softee) from 2pm-7pm.


Furniture & Rug Depot is holding a liquidation sale at 5230 Randolph Rd in Loehmann’s Plaza. The furniture and rug store is located in the long time home of the department store the shopping center is named for (Loehmann’s closed in early 2014), and has announced that it will be closing permanently amid the likely redevelopment of the shopping center.

Per a social media post, the store is offering “immediate liquidation prices on quality home essentials for every room in your home.” There are plans to redevelop the shopping center, which was also the longtime home of Chuck E. Cheese until it announced its move a couple miles away earlier this year. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


Ming’s, a new restaurant serving Chinese cuisine, is coming soon to 800 Pleasant Dr. Suite 120 in Rockville’s King Farm neighborhood. Permanent signage is up and the restaurant is currently making interior improvements as it prepares to open in the space that was previously home to Imperial Chinese Gardens. An opening date has not yet been set and we will update with additional information (menu, etc.) when it becomes available.


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