Restaurants

Approximately 65 Firefighters Respond to Early Morning Fire at Wheaton Restaurant

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call for a fire in the basement of Rumba Y Carbon, a restaurant located at 11222 Grandview Ave (off of Veirs Mill Rd) in Wheaton, early Sunday morning.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the call came in at approximately 3:30am and approximately 65 firefighters responded to the call to get the fire under control and eventually extinguished. One person was transported to the hospital with minor burns and other non-life threatening injuries. As of 7:17am, the origin/cause of the fire was still under investigation with explosive investigators on the scene.

Go to Approximately 65 Firefighters Respond to Early Morning Fire at Wheaton Restaurant Read more

Class 520 in Rockville For Sale, According to Facebook Post

By Patrick Herron

Class 520 at 5 Dawson Ave. in Rockville has been listed for sale, according to a post by the restaurant on Facebook Marketplace (seen below). The store specializes in Thai-style rolled ice cream and was recently featured in Mr. MoCo’s 15 Favorite Ice Cream Spots in Montgomery County.  According to the post, titled “SEEKING NEW OWNER,” the sale price is $80,000 and the monthly rent is $3,000. “Owner will provide training and the ingredients. Lots of parking spaces, small strip shopping center, very busy areas.”

Menu items at Class 520 include ice cream, milk tea, fruit tea, and “lightbulb” drinks, which are served in giant plastic lightbulbs. According to its website, ” Class 520 is the very first Thai-inspired ice cream establishment opening in the state of Maryland. We are open. Handcrafted rolls made with no preservatives or stabilizers, so you know it’s fresh. Thai-inspired ice cream has flourished in NYC, and it’s time to bring it down to Maryland.”

Go to Class 520 in Rockville For Sale, According to Facebook Post Read more

Duck Duck Goose is Ducking Out; Good Ducking Burger Will Be Landing In Its Place

By MCS Staff

Duck Duck Goose Bethesda has been a staple of fine dining in Bethesda since French-trained chef, Ashish Alfred, opened it in 2016. Immediately, the French brasserie was a bonafide success. There were lines, waits for tables and Southern Living Magazine even named it the Best Restaurant in Maryland. More than a commercial success, Chef Alfred, who is a MoCo native and 2005 graduate of Magruder High School, credits the intimate, 27-seater for saving his life – this was his first venture after kicking an almost life-ending drug and alcohol addiction. And he feels Duck Duck Goose Bethesda put his career on the map. It was also because of DDG Bethesda that Alfred was named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland and the restaurant was named Best Brunch by Washingtonian Magazine three years after opening.

He doesn’t take any of that lightly. However, change is the one constant in the restaurant business. Times change, tastes change, prices fluctuate and the one who chooses NOT to evolve is the one that sinks. For Duck Duck Goose Bethesda, it all came down to the numbers. Despite having a packed dining room most nights, the rising costs of doing business caused DDG Bethesda’s profit margin to plummet. While Alfred’s four other restaurants in Baltimore and DC are both spacious and busy, Bethesda was just busy. Cozy and intimate at about 1100 square feet total (counting interior and the seasonal outdoor patio), and unable to add any more seating, it became obvious that the business was just no longer sustainable as is and, according to Alfred, he was putting an increasingly unfair demand on his employees.

Go to Duck Duck Goose is Ducking Out; Good Ducking Burger Will Be Landing In Its Place Read more

Chaia Vegetarian Tacos Closes Bethesda Pop-Up Shop After Almost Two Years

By MCS Staff

Chaia, a vegetarian taco shop, has closed its pop-up shop on Bethesda after almost two years. The restaurant was located at 7237 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda, the former site of Häagen-Dazs. Though the pop-up shop in Bethesda has closed, Chaia owners have “plans to soon bring its insanely delicious tacos further into the DMV area and beyond.”

On social media, Chaia wrote, “When we opened our pop up shop in Bethesda, we thought we’d have a great time – and boy did you prove us right! Thank you so much for welcoming us with open arms, big hearts, and hungry bellies. Come stop by during our pop up’s LAST FEW DAYS to get your fill of our fresh, seasonal veggie tacos. We’re open through Wednesday! After that, come visit us in one of our two shops in Georgetown and Chinatown.”

Go to Chaia Vegetarian Tacos Closes Bethesda Pop-Up Shop After Almost Two Years Read more

Red Ribbon Bakeshop Moves Closer Toward Opening Wheaton Location

By MCS Staff

In December we let you know that Red Ribbon Bakeshop, a Filipino bakery chain, is coming to Wheaton. The bakery will be located at 2501 University Blvd W right next to the Anchor Inn sign that still stands. Currently, Red Ribbon Bakeshop has over 200 locations across the Philippines and 39 in the United States. In 2005 it was acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation, which opened its first D.C. area Jollibee location at Wheaton Mall in 2021. ‘Coming Soon’ signage came and went, but the bakery now appears to be very close to opening based on interior construction looking to be nearly complete (photo below). We still don’t have an opening date, but fans may be enjoying sweet treats by the end of the summer. Google lists a September opening.

More about Red Ribbon: In 1979, Amalia Hizon Mercado, husband Renato Mercado together with their five children, Consuelo Tiutan, Teresita Moran, Renato Mercado, Ricky Mercado and Romy Mercado established Red Ribbon as a small cake shop along Timog Avenue in Quezon City. The cakes developed by daughter Teresita Moran are what gave Red Ribbon its prominence in the dessert market of the Philippines. In 1984, it opened its first overseas outlet in West Covina, California. The company began franchising in 1999. Today, there are more than 200 branches all over the Philippines and 39 in the United States as it continues to expand.

Go to Red Ribbon Bakeshop Moves Closer Toward Opening Wheaton Location Read more

Sarku Japan to Return to Wheaton Mall

By MCS Staff

Sarku Japan will be returning to Wheaton Mall, opening in a location just outside of Costco, near the relatively new Sydney’s Burger. Sarku Japan is often found inside of malls and has a mall location in Bethesda’s Montgomery Mall. It’s other MoCo location can be found a standalone store (located within a strip mall rather than in a food court) in the White Oak shopping center. The chain offers made-to-order teppanyaki-style Japanese dishes cooked on sizzling grills as well as a limited amount of sushi rolls.

History of Sarku: “In Japan, lunches are often taken quickly from small stalls where freshness and quality are key. Shops value their reputations very highly. This was the same dedication of our founders when they opened the first Sarku Japan in 1987.

Go to Sarku Japan to Return to Wheaton Mall Read more

First Watch Granted Waiver For New Sign in Gaithersburg; Currently in the Process of $100K in Upgrades

By MCS Staff

First Watch, a tenant of the Muddy Branch Square Shopping Center, located at 802 Muddy Branch Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, was granted a major sign waiver by the City of Gaithersburg to accommodate a second principal sign. The major waiver is needed to allow the replacement of the secondary signage that First Watch has utilized since they opened their location. Current code only allows one sign per business.

The proposed second principal sign consists of internally illuminated channel letters mounted to a finished backer panel, installed on existing roof brackets. First Watch is in the process of investing more than $100 thousand in the renovation of their Muddy Branch location in an effort to drive business to their restaurant. The renovation includes new signage, replacement awnings, and an updated interior for diners to enjoy.

Go to First Watch Granted Waiver For New Sign in Gaithersburg; Currently in the Process of $100K in Upgrades Read more

Firehouse Subs to Open Third MoCo Location in Wheaton Mall

By MCS Staff

Firehouse Subs will open its third Montgomery County location when the new restaurant opens in the Wheaton Mall food court. An exact date is not available, but the space is now closed off with Firehouse Subs signage posted while construction begins behind the wall. Firehouse Subs has current MoCo locations in Germantown (19851 Century Blvd) and Rockville (28 Upper Rock Circle).

Firehouse Subs was founded by two former firefighting brothers in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994. Firehouse Subs is all about hearty portions, premium ingredients, and delicious recipes, with a commitment to saving lives through raising funds to support local public safety organizations. To date, more than $80 million has been awarded to first responders and public safety organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

Go to Firehouse Subs to Open Third MoCo Location in Wheaton Mall Read more

Kantutas Restaurant Has Officially Opened in its New, Larger Location

By MCS Staff

Kantutas Restaurant Bar & Grill, a Wheaton staple serving Bolivian, other South American, and Latin American cuisine, has moved from its previous location at 2462 Ennalls Ave to its new, much larger location at 2400 University Blvd W (video below). The new location was previously home to New Kam Fong, which moved from DC to Wheaton and became Eastern Gourmet before closing last year.

Kantutas’ new space comes with a more modern look and a lot more seating than the previous location. The new restaurant also has a new bar and the same menu that those who are familiar with the restaurant are used to. A video preview of the new location can be seen below:

Go to Kantutas Restaurant Has Officially Opened in its New, Larger Location Read more

New Name For Upcoming Kensington Shopping Center That Will Feature at Least Three New Restaurants

By MCS Staff

Construction began earlier this year at the upcoming  Kensington Crossing shopping center, which is located at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road). Recently, a decision to change the name from Kensington Crossing to ‘Crossroads in Kensington.’

Since plans were approved, Crossroads at Kensington has also signed M&T Bank, Buffalo Wild Wings GO, Mezeh, and Marathon Deli for the upcoming shopping center. M&T Bank, which currently has a Kensington location on Howard Avenue, will move once construction of the new space is complete. Buffalo Wild Wings GO is a scaled-down version of the traditional BWW restaurant that focuses on the to-go and delivery format. Mezeh is a fast-casual eatery with a buffet-style of offerings that include rice and salad bowls, wraps and a variety of sauces and toppings. Marathon Deli, a staple of College Park and life at the University of Maryland for decades, is the most recent to sign on, and one more space remains available in the shopping center.

Go to New Name For Upcoming Kensington Shopping Center That Will Feature at Least Three New Restaurants Read more
View More Stories