Known for their pizza, mojo potatoes, and game rooms, Shakey’s Pizza Parlor is fondly remembered by many MoCo residents over the age of 30. The restaurant was popular with both children and adults as parents could drink pitchers of beer while the kids played Pac-Man or watched the chefs prepare pizza through their open kitchen.  As the first franchise pizza chain in the United States, the company expanded to as many as 500 stores worldwide at the height of it’s popularity. Shakey’s had multiple locations in Montgomery County in the 70’s and 80’s, including in Gaithersburg on Bureau Dr. and in Rockville on the pike.

The company was founded in 1954 by Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson and Ed Plummer in Sacramento, CA. According to wikipedia, Johnson’s nickname resulted from nerve damage following a bout of malaria during World War II. After multiple ownership changes in the 80’s, most of the U.S. locations were closed by the early 1990’s.  Currently you can only find Shakey’s in California (47 locations) and Washington state (2 locations). Who’s up for a road trip to the West Coast?


Opening soon signage is up at BooBoo Pho at 19230 Montgomery Village Ave. in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center. While no opening date has been announced, the restaurant is in the early stages of its buildout so it will likely be several more months. The restaurant will specialize in Vietnamese cuisine.

Last week we reported that Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken is also coming to the Montgomery Village Shopping Center. Hangry Joe’s will be located next to the upcoming Starbucks. Earlier this year Hangry Joe’s opened a location at 2533 Ennals Ave in Wheaton and has additional locations opening at 10050 Darnestown Road in the Travilah Square shopping center and at 718-B Rockville Pike.


Chain Store Ageone of the nation’s leading provider of retail news and analysis for retail headquarters executives across all sectors of the industry, has recently released part of its list of 2022’s ‘Top 10 Retail Experiences’ and MoCo’s very own Rio Lakefront came in at #10. CSA reports on and analyzes trends and strategies in all areas of store operations and store development, including technology, marketing, human resources, finance, store design & construction, facilities management and real estate. They are releasing the top 10 one at a time with only numbers 10 and 9 currently available, so it’s unknown if any other MoCo retail centers will be included on the list.

According to the article, “This year it has put the finishing touches on its transmogrification of RIO, a 610,000-sq.-ft. center in Gaithersburg, a suburb north of the nation’s capital that mixes White House Black Market, Target, and two Marriott hotels with eateries like Yard House, Silver Diner, and True Food Kitchen on the shoreline of a 9-acre lake.“The lake is a unique attraction that has worked great for our food and beverage offerings, which have outdoor seating lakeside,” said Paul Weinschenk, Peterson’s president of retail.”


With some of the nation’s best known chefs, restaurateurs and rising culinary stars helming eateries in our region, Metropolitan DC is known for its restaurants. Several Montgomery County restaurants will be participating (they can be searched by area at the restaurant week website). Per the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, “one of the most highly anticipated food-related programs in the region, Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week is a week-long celebration of area restaurants and the diversity of world-class cuisine. Local diners know that Restaurant Week is more than just a “deal” – it is an opportunity to experience new flavors, explore restaurants in different neighborhoods or visit old favorites. For visitors to the area, it’s an opportunity to experience many of the best of our regional restaurants without breaking the bank.”

Restaurants in the promotion offer 3-course menus for lunch at $25, dinners for $40 and $55, or if you love a good brunch, enjoy menus at $25. Participating restaurants use the promotion as an opportunity to “WOO” new patrons and “WOW” returning patrons. 90% of surveyed Restaurant Week diners say they are likely to return to their Restaurant Week picks and even more say they’ll recommend them to others. On the official Restaurant Week site, RWDMV.COM, diners can view the full list of participating locations, make reservations, view menus and sign up for RW Diner Rewards.


Westfield Montgomery Mall at 7101 Democracy Blvd in Bethesda will be holding a grand opening event on Thursday, August 11 at 10am for a new space in the mall that Montgomery County Police will be using as a resource room.

This project is an extension and expansion of Westfield Montgomery’s longstanding partnership with the Montgomery County Police Department. The community liaison room will provide an opportunity for visitors to the center to connect and engage with officers.


Toys “R” Us store-in-store shops are now open inside the Macy’s locations at both Lakeforest and Montgomery Malls. The Macy’s at Wheaton Mall is expected to begin the buildout of its Toys “R” Us soon.

Macy’s is adding the Toys “R” Us store-in-store shops to all of its U.S. locations over the next few months. The shops will range from 1,000-10,000 sq. feet, depending on the size of the Macy’s and will expand during the holiday season to offer a wider assortment of products. Photos of the Lakeforest Macy’s below:


Update: Opening date has been pushed back to Monday, August 15th, according to a new sign on the door.

The first announced Hangry Joe’s in MoCo (Wheaton already opened, but was announced later) will open in the Travilah Square shopping center on Saturday, August 13th, according to a sign placed on the front door.


Gregorio’s Trattoria will begin renovations on its newest location at the former home of Sugo (12505 Park Potomac Ave), this fall and is hoping to open in around January, according to Store Reporter. This will be Gregorio’s Trattoria third MoCo location, and fourth overall. Sugo closed its doors permanently last summer. Park Potomac is also home to Attman’s Deli, Founding Farmers, Gringos & Mariachis, King Street Oyster, and Yirisai Sushi.

Gregorio’s started out in Reston in 2008 and opened a second location in what’s now Cabin John Village in Potomac. The restaurant opened its second MoCo location in November 2020 at the Shops at Sumner Place in Bethesda, in the spot that was home to China Pavilion for over two decades until it closed almost three years ago.


Thrillist, a national media platform that covers food, drink, travel, an entertainment, has created a list of the ’40 Best Ice Cream Shops in the U.S.‘ Though the list doesn’t include any ice cream shops that are currently in MoCo, it does include a shop that will be coming to MoCo very soon. Back in March, we reported that Baltimore’s The Creamery is making its move into MoCo, with a location coming soon to Chevy Chase Lake in Chevy Chase. According to OpenCorporates, The Charmery will be moving in to 8551 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 202, a 1,306 SF location. Currently, The Charmery has locations in Hampden, Union Collective, Towson, Federal Hill, and it’s first location outside of Baltimore, in Columbia, that opened in 2021. We’ll have an opening date/timeframe as soon as it’s available.

Per ThrillistDavid and Laura Alima opened their dream ice cream shop The Charmery in 2013 and have since grown it to include a factory and event space, as well as more locations in the suburbs. Flavors here are incredibly creative, socially conscious, and rotate often. Some mainstays include the locally inspired and fudgey Maryland Mud and salty-sweet Old Bay Caramel, and one-offs have been an ice cream to celebrate Pride, the savory Baked Ricotta Orange, and Fear Factory flavors every Halloween (Pickled Onion Sorbet, anyone?) Needless to say, the Alimas churn humor and whimsy into everything they do.


The upcoming Taco Bamba location in Gaithersburg is now projecting to open this fall, although no opening date has been announced. The new restaurant will be located in the space that was formerly home to Urban Crawfish at 670 Quince Orchard Road, next to the recently opened Miyaji Kebab and Rumali Rolls (which is next to Beers & Cheers Too).

Taco Bamba had its hearing with Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services on June 2nd, for a “Class B, Beer, Wine and Liquor License, On Sale Only.” The restaurant was origin planning a June or July opening for the location.


Bethesda Gourmet, a small cafe/deli that has operated inside one of the Bethesda Towers at 4350 E W Hwy #100 for over a decade, will be closing towards the end of the month, according to one of the owners we spoke with earlier this week. The restaurant offers traditional breakfast and lunch items, as well as daily specials that include a variety of Korean and Chinese dishes.

An auction for the restaurant’s equipment, which has already started, is running until August 26th. 68 different items, ranging from coolers and refrigerators to fryers and griddles, are being auctioned off with the winners being able to pick up the equipment on August 27th.


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