This article has been updated to include updated plans for the Downtown Silver Spring location.
Chick Fil A on Tech Rd. in the Calverton/Fairland/White Oak area (technically Silver Spring) has temporarily closed for renovations. The store closed on Thursday at 2pm and will reopen in 8-10 weeks (approximately two months).
It has been over two years since Pizza Hut signed on to take a portion of the former GameStop in the Four Corners area in Silver Spring, but the store recently made plenty of progress and is now open according to a report by Source of the Spring.
The new Pizza Hut location is a smaller version than traditional Pizza Hut locations of the past– focusing solely on carry out and delivery orders, but still brings the charm of the 80s with the retro lamps hanging inside the carry-out/delivery spot (photo below). In September 2021, David Gibbs (CEO of Pizza Hut parent company Yum Brands), told investors, “We closed a lot of the dine-in stores that didn’t belong on the portfolio over the last 18 months in the United States,” according to a transcript on the financial services site Sentieo. “But for the most part, the stores we have in the portfolio now are good, long-term stores.” The new Germantown Pizza Hut location and the new Rockville location both follow the same model.
A couple weeks back we let you know that Luna Hall has signed on to move into one of the vacant spaces in the Pike Center (the shopping center that’s the longtime home of TGI Friday’s and the recently opened Golfdom), according to Kimco. The location is listed as taking is the former CiCi’s Pizza spot.
Luna Hall tells us that in addition to Rockville, Luna Hall also has new branches on the horizon in Tyson’s and Ellicott City, but that Rockville’s Luna Hall will be their “premier location.” The Rockville location will offer Hot Pot and Korean BBQ at Top Pot KBBQ, and food court with ten offerings, including Dumpling District, Kung Fu Tea, TKK Fried Chicken, Pollo Aria, Buena Onda by renowned Iron Chef Jose Garces, Mala Pot, Ramen, Kebob, a dessert spot, and a bakery. An opening date is not yet available.
Kung Fu Tea in Rockville Town Center (275 N Washington St) has closed permanently. Though Kung Fu Tea has opened various Montgomery a county locations in recent years, the store on N. Washington Street was the first to open in the county back in July of 2015. The store recently added ‘Neon Gaming’ this past spring in an effort to bring in additional customers.
A sign has been placed on the door that reads, “Dear Valued Customers, We regret to inform you that Kung Fu Tea Rockville has closed its doors. We sincerely thank you for your support over the years. Please visit our sister store KFT Rio 6 Grand Corner Ave Gaithersburg, MD 20878.” There are additional Kung Fu Tea locations across the county.
Per IKEA, “Our Plan and Order points are smaller stores dedicated to kitchen, bedroom, and living room planning where you can find home furnishing advice and expertise to help design your ideal space.” You can book an appointment to start your design with a planning specialist, or use in-store, self-service tools to design your own solution. “Whilst there are no items to purchase in-store and take home on the day, for your convenience, purchases made at the Plan and Order points can be delivered to your home or picked up from one of our collection points.”
More bout Poke Bros: After the founders were introduced to the Hawaiian staple on a trip to California. The appeal of this fast and casual—while healthy—concept immediately inspired the founders to begin thinking how they could bring this unique dish to the midwest. From its inception, we were confident the foodies of Columbus would love the poké concept, but wanted to provide an inexpensive and accessible product in the larger market. After some intense research and trial and error, the Poké Bros founders developed their own brand of poké bowl flavor they are proud to share and call their own. Modeling similar assembly line casual dining concepts, we developed a unique way to build your “sushi in a bowl” and have fun doing so! As the poké movement has caught on, Poké Bros has rapidly expanded into multiple states across the Midwest and East Coast, offering the same fresh and authentic cuisine to a wider range of customers. We will continue to stick to our roots, as Poké Bros continues to grow, and offer only the best fresh ingredients that fill you up but don’t slow you down.
Peter Chang is coming to 637 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg, the former location of Ichiban Restaurant. Ichiban closed in September 2021 after 35 years in business. Chef Peter Chang’s signature dishes include Boneless Whole Fish, Dry Fried Eggplant, Crispy Pork Belly, Cilantro Lime Fish, Duck In Stone Pot, and Beef in Sichuan Chili. Peter Chang opened its Rockville location at 20A Maryland Ave in 2016, and Q by Peter Chang opened at 4500 East-West Hwy in Bethesda in 2017. The restaurant is hoping to open by the beginning of February 2024.
In May, Peter Chang visited the culinary program at Paint Branch High School to teach students two recipes inspired by his family and culture as a part of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings is now open inside of the Germantown Walmart at 20910 Frederick Rd, in the space formerly occupied by McDonald’s. Earlier this year, Charleys also opened a location at 19877 Century Blvd in Germantown, in the space that was previously home to Roll by Goodyear and Yogi Castle in the Shops at Town Center & Century Station shopping center.
Charleys is a Philly cheesesteak franchise that opened its first location across the campus of Ohio State University in 1986. While studying real estate at the school, Charley Shin worked in his mother’s Japanese/Korean restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. A wrong turn on a family trip to New York City resulted in Charley’s discovery of the Philly cheesesteak. Charley convinced his mother to sell her restaurant, and invest her life savings of $48,000 into Charley’s, a 450-square-foot restaurant across the street from Ohio State’s campus.
The Container Store, which currently has one Montgomery County location at 1601 Rockville Pike in Congressional Plaza, will be opening a second Montgomery County location in Gaithersburg. The retailer specializes in storage, home office organizers and organization supplies, including custom closets and shelving systems. It provides an experience-driven shopping destination with more than 11,000 organizational products offered.
Representatives from the Rockville location were unable to provide us with any additional details about the exact location of the retailer, but we are told that the vacant space in Downtown Crown next to Woodhouse Day Spa is the likely location. The Container Store recently announced that it will be opening six new small format stores in fiscal 2023 and three new stores in fiscal 2024, with Gaithersburg estimated to open in Winter 2023. The Rockville location is approximately 24,000 SF and the small format stores tend to be approximately 15,000 SF. Visit www.containerstore.com/locationsfor more information about store locations, the product collection, and the services offered. We will have an update with confirmation of the Gaithersburg location being in Downtown Crown as soon as we have it. Below is a list of the six new locations expected to open by the end of 2023.
Sarku Japan has reopened in Wheaton Mall in a new location just outside of Costco, near the relatively new Sydney’s Burger. Sarku Japan is often found inside of malls and has a mall location in Bethesda’s Montgomery Mall. Its other MoCo location can be found a standalone store (located within a strip mall rather than in a food court) in the White Oak shopping center. The chain offers made-to-order teppanyaki-style Japanese dishes cooked on sizzling grills as well as a limited amount of sushi rolls.
History of Sarku: “In Japan, lunches are often taken quickly from small stalls where freshness and quality are key. Shops value their reputations very highly. This was the same dedication of our founders when they opened the first Sarku Japan in 1987.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police -2nd District Investigative Section are investigating a theft that occurred at Cubano’s Restaurant in the 4900 block of Cordell Avenue on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Detectives have released surveillance video of the suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him.
The preliminary investigation by detectives has determined that the suspect entered the restaurant at approximately 8 p.m. The suspect immediately walked to the back of the restaurant, grabbed the victim’s purse that was hanging on a rack and entered the bathroom. The purse was later located inside the bathroom by a customer but was missing cash, personal items and property. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 30-years-old, thin build, wearing a gray t-shirt.
Wendy’s, located at 5001 Nicholson Ln. in Rockville, will hold its Grand Reopening celebration on Saturday, September 23rd at 10:30am. As with recent area Wendy’s Grand Reopening celebrations, the fast food chain will offer “free food for a year” to the first 100 guests in line.
As the fast food chain did with one of its Gaithersburg locations and its Derwood location, Wendy’s will give away 100 VIP ticket to those 16 and older and present in line at 10:30am when the dining room opens (a purchase is necessary to be considered for a card). Anyone who gets a VIP ticket will be able to come back to the store once a week for a year to receive a free sandwich, salad, or breakfast biscuit.