Bai Khao Thai, a new a Thai restaurant, is preparing to open at 12944-D Travilah Rd in the Potomac Oak Center (Potomac/Travilah). The restaurant will be taking over the space that was recently home to 98 Cafe and previously home to Shanghai Cafe. Signage is now up and the restaurant is “coming soon” according to a small sign on the front door. An opening date is not yet available.
Third Hill Brewing Co., which is located in the former Astro Lab Brewing location at 8216 Georgia Ave in Silver Spring, will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, August 19, from 1-10pm. There will be live music, special guests, giveaways, and games.
“The Silver Spring community will be celebrating our newest brewery! The Third Hill Brewing Co. grand opening “christening” (in lieu of a traditional ribbon cutting) will be on August 19 from 1pm-10pm. We are inviting you, the community, and government leaders to attend the official ceremony beginning at 2pm at Third Hill Brewing Co. at 8216 Georgia Avenue.
A few weeks back we provided an update on Twinbrook Quarter, the future home of Wegmans in the area of Halpine Rd and Rockville Pike. According to signage recently put up at the construction site, Wegmans is now expected to open in 2025 (photos of progress available below). Previously, a more general “Late 2024 or 2025” was the expected opening date of the grocery store. In addition to the grocery store, the upcoming neighborhood has approval for 480,000 SF of retail (which includes the 80,000 SF Wegmans and an additional 25,000 SF of additional retail/restaurants in the first phase. Twinbrook Quarter will also consist of 450 apartment homes (The Milton) and 248,000 SF of trophy office above. It will also include over 1,500 parking spaces with electric vehicle charging stations. Our previous update can be seen below:
Brick facades are currently nearing completion after a couple months of work on the exterior of the buildings. “As we progress with the brick façades around all sides of the new building, a variety of building styles, brick colors, heights and architectural features will emerge to give visual interest to the block and provide a different “identity” for each side. The brick work will continue through the summer and into the fall.” Interior work is also ongoing. “We are busy with interior work as well. We are framing the walls on the second and third floors that will define hallways, apartment interiors and other spaces. Plumbing pipes for water and sanitary, mechanical ductwork and electrical work are all in progress. Interior work will move progressively up the building, and well into 2024.”
Cousins Maine Lobster, a leading quick-service Maine lobster roll concept, has announced the launch of their newest franchise market in Maryland. They are celebrating with the grand opening of the new food truck on August 18 at Streetcar 82 Brewing Company in Hyattsville, Maryland. The grand opening will take place between 12pm and 8pm at Streetcar 82 Brewing Company on 4824 Rhode Island Ave.
The operation is led by franchisees and brothers Yunus and Thameem Shahul and is part of a multi-unit franchise food truck deal for Washington, DC; Maryland; and Virginia. Yunus Shahul joined the Cousins Maine Lobster Franchise Family in September 2018 with his first food truck in Connecticut. Over the past five years the brothers have worked together to expand their franchise footprint to five markets that span from Connecticut to Virginia. The Shahul brothers launched their first DMV-area food truck in Virginia in March 2023 and have seen great success. “We are committed to investing in the DMV with the goal of building the same strong customer base that we have in our established markets,” Yunus explained. “Our brand has experienced great growth and a strong customer following on the East Coast and we know we can continue to connect with consumers in the DMV.”
Adam Greenberg, owner of Potomac Pizza, has announced the acquisition of Hunter’s Bar and Grill at 10123 River Rd in the Potomac Village Shopping Center. The restaurant opened as the Hunter’s Inn in 1978 and rebranded to Hunter’s Bar & Grill in 2014. Greenberg’s team plans to maintain a majority of Hunter’s menu offerings and will add their own twist by improving current recipes and experimenting with new items based on customer feedback. Full details below:
Adam Greenberg, the restaurateur behind Potomac Pizza, Bagels ‘n Grinds, and College Park Grill, today announced the acquisition of Hunter’s Bar and Grill, located at 10123 River Road in Potomac, MD. Hunter’s Bar and Grill first opened as Hunter’s Inn in 1978, the same year the original Potomac Pizza opened, changing its name to Hunter’s Bar and Grill in 2014 under longtime owners Fred and Murray Berman’s leadership.
The inaugural Maryland Cider Festival is on its way – Saturday, September 9th at Two Story Chimney Ciderworks (7115 Damascus Rd. Gaitherburg, MD 20882) from 11am until 4pm. This event will showcase hard cider makers from across the Old Line State. You’ll also find local artisans, craft vendors, live music, and food trucks. Whether you’re an aficionado who knows their cider, cidre, or sidra, or you’re just looking for a refreshing change of taste this is the place to be. Come join us for a celebration of Maryland craft makers.
The festival will feature ten local cideries showcasing their best hard ciders, from dry to sweet, still to sparkling, modern to heritage, and everything in between. Ciders of all styles and types will be in glass for you to sample and take home, and you’ll get to learn more about the cider-making process from the experts. The festival will also have food trucks serving up delicious bites to pair with your cider, live music from local musicians for your enjoyment, and local craft vendors selling their unique and handmade products.
Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar is coming to 7401 Woodmont Ave, according to a Biz Journals report. It will be taking over the space that was home to Cesco Osteria for a decade until it closed earlier this year. The space was also previously home to national chain McCormick & Schmick’s until the restaurant closed in the summer of 2011. According to the report, Pisco y Nazca will be taking about 5,500 square feet of the space vacated by Cesco Osteria, though Chevy Chase Land has broken up some of the former restaurant’s space for an expanded lobby.
Pisco Y Nazca adds a “modern twist to Peruvian cuisine. Inspired by Peru’s top eateries, the new DC outpost serves up bold-flavored dishes, unique cocktails and a vast selection of local and international beers.” It is named for Pisca- A city located in the Ica region of Peru, known for its Peruvian grape brandy that shares the same name and Nazca- a desert town in the southern coast of Peru, famous for its mysterious Nazca Lines and also for its production of Pisco. Per the restaurant, “Entre Pisco Y Nazca translates to “The enjoyment of libations in a social setting.” The restaurant currently has nearby locations in D.C. and a Reston location that opened last month. The menu of the DC location can be seen here, and includes creative fusion dishes like Lomo Saltado sushi rolls. An opening timeframe is not yet available.
VinoRita Wine Slushies is now open in the Montgomery Mall food court, taking over the kiosk space that was previously home to HalfSmoke, Gelato Galax, and Coldstone Creamery. Alcohol infused flavors include the best selling “Black San,” which is a Blackberry Sangria, Peach Frose, Strawberry Daquiri, and Blueberry Pomegranate. Non-alcoholic options include Blue Raspberry and Lemonade. According to VinoRita, the first 150 customers will receive their slushies in color-changing Margarita souvenir cups at the pop-up.
Additional information below, Per VinoRita:“If you’ve never had a wine slushy before, you’re in for a treat! Even if you have had a wine slushy, you’re in for a treat! VinoRita was created to bring you a fun & unique, Love at First Sip, top notch customer experience! Our goal is to revolutionize the way you experience wine! We’re not biased, our slushies really are delicious & they really are made with wine – no hard liquors or spirits are added. At VinoRita, we offer a delicious slushy cocktail that does not require you to indulge in hard liquor to have fun! We’ve worked hard to perfect our recipes over the years and can’t wait to bring our wine slushies to a city near you. In some of our locations, you can have a wine slushy while you shop! 🍷🍹🛍How fun is that? Check out our locations page to see where you can find us & experience Love at First Sip with a VinoRita Wine Slushy! Based on the way alcohol and liquor licenses have previously worked at the mall, we do not expect customers to be able to leave the VinoRita area with the drinks, but are awaiting word on that. Featured photo courtesy of VinoRitaWineSlushies.com
Last December, we let you know that Dunkin’ is continuing its massive expansion across the country and within MoCo, with an upcoming location coming to the Traville Village Center in Rockville. Crews have been working on both the interior and exterior of the space, with a projected opening timeframe of late 2023/early 2024.
Earlier this year learned that Dunkin’ will be taking over 1,500 SF in the back half of the building that was previously home to Capital One Bank building at 9761 Traville Gateway Drive (rendering available below). The location will also have a drive-thru. 1,700 SF on the front side of the building is still available to lease and has also received a facelift since its days as a bank (photo below).
Below is a list of businesses and events that are coming soon to Westfield Wheaton Mall at 11160 Veirs Mill Rd. Wise Guy Pizza: We first reported in June that […]
Rocktobierfest is set to return to Rockville after last year’s cancellation. The event will take place on Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and features two stages of entertainment, including German and rock music. Guests can also enjoy beverages for sale by local breweries and participants, food, and an artisan shopping area. This annual event attracts nearly 10,000 people to Rockville Town Center.
Local artisans and breweries are invited to apply to participate as a vendor for Rocktobierfest. Click on the appropriate application below to download the rules and application for this year’s festival. Applications are due by Friday, August 11, 2023. Additional information and applications can be found here.