Back in November of 2020, we let you know that Jongro BBQ, a popular New York Korean BBQ restaurant, is opening up shop at Wheaton Mall. The latest update we have received from Westfield Wheaton (this past October) is that the restaurant is expected to open in January, 2022.

On January 6th at 10am, the restaurant will have an ABS hearing for the alcohol license application on behalf of Jongro BBQ Corporation for a Class B, Beer, Wine, and Liquor License, On Sale Only, for the premises known as JongRo BBQ.


Update: Finnegan’s Wake has reopened. “We are back and HEALTHY! Thank you for your patience while we tested our staff to ensure everyones safety. We will be open today(Wednesday) for our normal hours.”

Finnegan’s Wake has announced a temporary closure via its social media, for the safety of staff and patrons


Federal Realty announced today that three new tenants, Carl M. Freeman Companies (CMFC), Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) and ACA Group, have committed to 909 Rose, located in the award-winning, transit-oriented Pike & Rose neighborhood in North Bethesda.

These new tenants will join ESABEmagine ITOneDigitalUnited SolutionsIndustrious and Federal Realty. With the addition of these three tenants, the building is now 89 percent leased.


We reported in November that DSW will be opening a new location in the Milestone Center in Germantown (20900-B Frederick Road), at the former home of Modell’s. The company currently has already has one store in Germantown, located in the Germantown Commons shopping center just under 3 miles away from the upcoming location. We were told there are no current plans to close the current Germantown location.

DSW was founded in 1969 as Shonac Corporation and was the shoe licensee for Value City. The company opened its first store in 1991 in Ohio and was acquired by Value City in 1998. It was acquired by Retail Ventures in 2004, went public in 2005, and then acquired Retail Ventures (its biggest shareholder) in 2011.


Nando’s Peri Peri has let us know that the last day of business for its Bethesda location (4839 Bethesda Ave) will be this Saturday, December 18th. Federal Realty recently announced that Madewell will be moving in to the location in 2022.

Nando’s is a South African fast-casual chain that specializes in flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken. The restaurant was founded in Johannesburg in 1987, and now operates over 1,200 outlets in 30 countries.


DC’s Butter Me Up will be opening a Montgomery County location in Westfield’s Montgomery Mall.

HalfSmoke, which should be opening its first MoCo location in Rockville Town Square soon, created Butter Me Up as a breakfast sandwich pop-up during the pandemic so that customers can pick up or order breakfast sandwiches for delivery.


A Yelp article titled “Top Breakfast Sandwiches in Each State” featured MoCo’s very own Sunday Morning Bakehouse as the sandwich chosen for the state of Maryland.

After the breakfast sandwich was featured on TasteMoCo, a reader reached out to let us know that the sandwich has been recognized nationwide.


Big Al’s Subs and Soups has opened in the Montgomery Mall food court, taking over the location that was previously home to Wicked Waffles next to Charley’s.

The restaurant offers ten different signature sandwiches, which includes a vegetarian option called “The Mediterranean”, or gives you the option to create your own regular ($7.49) or large ($10.49) sub.


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