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.


Paris in Town, a Florida based French bakery and Café at 4903 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda has closed. The café opened in April 2022 and was located in the spot that was formerly home to Smashburger and Fuse Taco. According to a listing by Capital Online Auctions, the “one year young café has shut its doors and is making a complete and urgent liquidation.” Items up for auction include convection ovens, tables, chairs, and an ice machine.

According to a report by Robert Dyer, last month the restaurant posted a message on its front door which stated, “We will be back to serve you after a short summer break.”  The report also states that Paris in Town was also scheduled to have a hearing on August 4th at District Court in Rockville due to unpaid rent.


Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg was included in a list of the “Top 10 Retail Experiences” in the country in 2022. With a beautiful lake/boardwalk and long-time favorites like the AMC theaters, Dick’s, Guapo’s, Target, and others still going strong, the retail area has recently welcomed new additions and plans to welcome more in the coming months. Below is a list of newer stores and restaurants as well as some that are coming soon.

Auntie Anne’s Cinnabon: Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon combination restaurant is now open at 220 Boardwalk Place in Rio, taking over the location that was recently home to Lilly Magilly’s– as the cupcakery is still preparing for a move to a new location. The two brands, popular for their presence in malls, are co-branding to open locations across the country. In recent years, Cinnabon left then returned to Montgomery Mall. There’s also an existing Cinnabon location in Wheaton Mall. Auntie Anne’s has locations at the outlets in Clarksburg, Ellsworth Place Mall, Montgomery Mall, and Wheaton Mall in MoCo.


Per Westfield: Westfield Wheaton will host the annual back-to-school fair in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 (two days before students in Montgomery County are scheduled to report back to school on Monday, August 28). The event will take place in The Streetery, the center’s outdoor event and dining space situated between Macy’s and the food court on Parking Level 2. Shoppers and members of the community will have the opportunity to enjoy family-friendly activities while learning more about the school system, county programs and receiving free curriculum resources.

This year’s 2023 Back-to-School Fair promises to be an even more dynamic and informative event. “We are so excited and look forward to welcoming families to the new school year,” said MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight. “As we begin our new school year, we are reminded of the importance of our partnerships with families and community and we say, ‘All Together Now”;  an excellent example is our continued partnership with Westfield Wheaton to bring these valuable resources and information to our community. We encourage all MCPS families to engage with the more than 100 offices, businesses and organizations at the fair as we prepare for an amazing school year at MCPS.”


Bassett’s Restaurant at 19950 Fisher Ave in Poolesville plans to reopen next month. The restaurant closed due to a fire on June 5. Owner Erika Myers tells us repairs are taking longer than anticipated due to the wait for construction permits. The fire was located in a small building in the back, with no extension to the main building/restaurant.

Bassett’s, which opened in 1993, closed its doors on December 31, 2021. Myers, who worked at Bassett’s for over 15 years before leaving to open Rio Grande Grill in Germantown in 2020, purchased the restaurant and reopened it in May, 2022. Menu items include fried chicken, burgers, salads, and home-style entree’s such as meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and grilled calves liver.


Six months ago we let you know that Downtown Silver Spring landed two major tenants with Uniqlo and Golds Gym signing on for the shopping center. Now Uniqlo has set an opening date as its Google listing shows Friday, August 25th as opening day for the clothing store.

Uniqlo opened its first and only other MoCo location in September of 2018 in Pike & Rose. The Downtown Silver Spring location will be taking over the 10,058 SF space at 914 Ellsworth St that was formerly home to Ulta prior to the move to its current location in Downtown Silver Spring.


Aldo, a shoe and accessory store for men and women, is opening its third Montgomery County location at the Clarksburg Outlets (featured photo courtesy of @LillyMagillys). Also currently has locations in Montgomery and Wheaton malls. The Clarksburg location is currently hiring and aims to open this fall.

Aldo announced a restructuring in May of 2020 when it filed for creditor protection during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. In 2022 the company announced a successful restructuring, which would “mark the beginning of a new chapter” for the company that has been in business for over 50 years. Current CEO David Bensadoun, whose father Aldo founded the chain in 1972, stated the following in 2022, “It is with great relief that we put this process behind us, and with excitement that we now look ahead.”


Olney Winery has been operating since 2012, initially as The Winery at Olney. The winemaker was previously located at 18127 Town Center Drive in the Fair Hill shopping center in Olney until September of last year. In 2016, expanded and opened a tasting room in the stone house at 12810 Shank Farm Way in Hagerstown. In July, Olney Winery opened its new space at 52 Olney Sandy Spring Road in Ashton Market that includes a large outdoor patio. In addition to wine, they’re also offering pizza at the location (first look video available below).

Per Olney Winery: “Olney Winery employs the unique business model of sourcing our grape product from suppliers and vineyards all over the world to ferment over 34 different varietals of award-winning wines locally. We bring the world of wine to Maryland.


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