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.


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.


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.


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.


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.”


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