“We wanted to create a COOL collaboration with a great, long-standing local business – and chose Carmen’s for the fabulous products there,  as well as the owner’s (Jason Mandler) dedication to the community.” a representative from the brewery told us.

Carmen’s Italian Ice started when New Jersey native Jason Mandela wanted to introduce homemade gourmet Italian Ice to the Washington DC area. It has operated in Montgomery County for over 20 years, opening its Rockville location at 1115 Nelson St. in 2001. A second location opened in Olney in 2021 at the former Rita’s location at 3233 Spartan Rd.


Back in May 2021, we let you know that fast food chain Cook Out is coming one step closer to us, as a new location was expected to open at 8502 Centreville Road in Manassas Park. The location, which was formerly home to a Roy Rogers, is now almost fully-staffed and expected to open by the end of the summer, a representative told us.

In 2020, the MoCo Show made the 60 mile trek down to Fredericksburg, VA to visit the areas closest Cook Out location. We left Gaithersburg, located in the approximate center of MoCo, at 6:14pm and arrived an hour and twenty minutes later, at 7:34pm. The Manassas Park location is a little over 30 miles from the center MoCo, about half the distance of Fredericksburg. There is a location in Salisbury, but that is further than both of Virginia locations mentioned.


Permanent signage has been installed at The Scoop (7909 Tuckerman Ln, Potomac), the former Baskin-Robbins location in Cabin John Village. The creamery is being opened by Timothy and Mitch Ryoo, Potomac natives and Winston Churchill High School Graduates (2010 and 2006).  They are hoping to have The Scoop open by next weekend.

The Scoop will feature 24-30 permanent flavors and 8-10 seasonal options. All of the ice cream is made in house with natural ingredients, staying away from products like simple syrup.  The owners tell us they are working with local distributors and are in talks with local farms to purchase ingredients from. The Scoops plans to stay open later than their competitors (11pm) as they want to be known as a late-night dessert destination. The Scoop will offer ice cream cones, cups, and milkshakes, as well as Italian ice and dairy free ice cream. They also plan to eventually serve gelato.


Biryani Joint is now open at 15504 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. A few weeks back, Biryani Joint took over the location that was formerly home to Royal Indian Cuisine, which closed after an approximate 7-year run earlier this summer.

Biryani Joint offers “30 exotic flavors of Biryanis”– a spiced mix of meat and rice, traditionally cooked over an open fire in a leather pot, that’s combined in different ways with a variety of components to create a number of unique flavor combinations. Also included on the menu are a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian traditional Indian soups and appetizers, entrees, and Inso-Chinese dishes, desserts, and drinks. Per the restaurant: “If you’re looking for an irresistible Indian meal, look no further than BiryaniJoint restaurant. We are known for delicious biryani dishes, which are sure to tantalize your taste buds. From chicken to shrimp, we have wide a variety of biryanis to choose from.the restaurant’s atmosphere is warm and inviting, making it the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends.”


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.


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