One of the latest upcoming Dunkin’ locations is currently under construction at the Layhill Center (14328 Layhill Rd) in Silver Spring. The new location, which will have a drive-thru, will be located next to Sole D’Italia, in the space that was formerly home to Truist and BB&T Bank.

Since Inspire Brands acquired Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins in late 2020 for $11.3 billion, the company has been opening in former bank locations that allow for easy installation of a drive-thru window. Dunkin has also aimed for non-traditional development that includes opening in airports and on college campuses, including the University of Maryland.


Kusshi has opened its first Fairfax County location as Kusshi Ko is currently in its soft opening phase at 8365 Leesburg Pike at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons. The restaurant opened its first location in Pike & Rose in 2018 as an offshoot of its sister restaurant, Hanaro Sushi in Bethesda. Kusshi Sushi first opened at Bethesda’s Pike & Rose shopping center before expanding to Pentagon City in July and then in Downtown Silver Spring in October. The restaurant group also has Poke Dojo in Bethesda Row, which opened in the summer of 2019.

The Tysons location is named Kusshi Ko because it is smaller version of the current Kusshi restaurants. It is taking over a 1,500 SF location that was previously home to Manhattan Pizza and will not have a full bar, but still still have the sushi favorites offered at other Kusshi locations. For discount promotions you can @KUSSHIKO on Instagram, as they’ll be offering discounted promos for all of December. Kusshi Ko is located at 8365 leesburg pike Vienna VA 22182 571-777-1997


Caruso’s Grocery in Pike and Rose is taking reservations starting this Wednesday, December 7th. The restaurant is located at 11820 Trade St. in the dining room space that was home to Owen’s Ordinary and currently home to the recently rebranded Owen’s Tavern and Beer Garden.

The restaurant has rebranded from Owen’s Ordinary with the bar and patio becoming Owen’s Tavern and Beer Garden (launched last month) and the dining room making the change to Caruso’s Grocery. Both Caruso’s and Owen’s are operated by Neighborhood Restaurant Group.  Chef Matt Adler previously told Washingtonian Magazine that Owen’s dining room was never as busy as its  bar and patio so it made sense to repurpose the underutilized space.


Tacos Don Perez will be taking over the location that was home to K-Town Bistro at 3784 Howard Ave in Kensington for the last 12 years. Tacos Don Perez took over in early November and plan to open to the public late Spring 2023  (possibly sooner) with a taqueria quick-service concept. Photos of the food available below.

Tacos Don Perez started off as a small, family-run catering business back in 2017. It continued that way until may 2020, when it became a once-a-week home-based pop-up when the family was left without work due to Covid-19. The pop-up quickly gained support from the local community, as Tacos Don Perez sold out in a matter of hours every single week. With the support of their customers, the family was able to buy and custom build their own food truck, which is located in the Glenmont shopping center (12321 Georgia Ave). In March 2022 the family opened what they’ve referred to as “the biggest food trailer in Montgomery County” in the same Glenmont location.


Back in May we let you know about ‘That Smoothie Place’ coming to Damascus, taking over the location that was formerly home to Sprint in the Damascus shopping center at 9815 Main Street, suite 106. The store has recently announced that its soft opening is set for Friday, December 9th. Full announcement and more info below:

“The wait is over, folks! That Smoothie Place is finally ready to announce our opening date: our soft opening is set for Friday, December 9th! 🎊 During this soft opening phase, we will be open from 10am-9pm Mondays to Saturdays, and Sundays from 11am-7pm.  We can’t wait to share our delicious food & smoothies with you all 🤗”


MOD Pizza, a fast-casual pizza restaurant with over 500 locations nationwide, has temporarily closed its Kentlands location (145 Commerce Square Place in Gaithersburg), with brown paper covering the restaurant’s windows, according to several readers. The reason for the temporary closure is currently unknown, but the MOD Pizza website has the location reopening on Monday.

The acronym “MOD” in the company’s name stands for “Made on Demand” and the company has three locations in Montgomery County– Downtown Silver Spring, Kentlands, and Montrose Crossing in Rockville. MOD Pizza offers individual, customizable pizzas made with organic dough using King Arthur Flour. Customers specify which ingredients they want included on their order, and watch the preparation process, though the restaurant also offers recommended combinations. Pizzas are then cooked in three minutes using stone ovens at 800 °F.


Hangry Joe’s, located next to Roy Rogers at 718-B Rockville Pike, is now open according to Hangry Joe’s social media accounts. This is the third Montgomery County location after opening restaurants in Wheaton and Travilah Square earlier this year. An upcoming restaurant is also coming soon to Montgomery Village.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkV1rp1ugOX/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE=


Update: Popeyes has reopened.

The Montgomery Mall food court has been without a familiar favorite recently with Popeyes remaining closed over the last few days. According to official Popeyes website, the Montgomery Mall restaurant (7101 Democracy Blvd) is temporarily closed. As of now, there is no word on when it may reopen.


Back in December we let you know that Pizza Hut is moving into the Cloppers Mill shopping center in Germantown. Signage was installed today at the upcoming restaurant. It will be located at 18070 Mateny Rd, between Shoppers and Popeyes. Construction began this past summer and while an opening date isn’t yet available, we anticipate an early 2023 opening (photo of interior progress below).

The location is smaller, so it will likely be similar to the upcoming Pizza Hut location that is taking over part of the former GameStop location in Four Corners, which is also a smaller store.


In September, we let you know that Ding Tea was available for purchase for $650,000. According to the listing, the price is now $450,000. Ding Tea opened in January 2020 at Ritchie Plaza next to Kiim Imm Thai restaurant (785 Rockville Pike). According to a listing, the bubble tea shop is now available for sale and can be purchased for $450,000. It is the only Ding Tea franchise in the state of Maryland.

Per the listing, the shop is being sold due to the owner moving out of state. They’re are currently 2 years left on the lease, with an option for an additional 5 years. Everything in the store would be included in the purchase of the store, which touts “no competition” since it’s the only Ding Tea store in the area. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


While there aren’t any restaurants in Montgomery County that have been awarded Michelin stars, we’ve put together a list of the 24 nearby restaurants that have earned stars. Michelin stars are awarded in a three star system: one star meaning “a very good restaurant”, two stars meaning “excellent cooking that is worth a detour” and three stars meaning “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey”.  These are not based on customer reviews, rather these stars are awarded by Michelin Inspectors who are anonymous food experts and have undergone official Michelin Guide training in France.  

As explained by Fine Dining LoversThe judging criteria is the same for each restaurant, focusing on the quality of the ingredients, cooking techniques and, most importantly, taste. Michelin stars are awarded solely on the standard of cuisine, so inspectors will not consider things like restaurant decor or ambience when awarding stars, although the comfort and quality is rated from 1 to 5 using a crossed fork and spoon symbol.” Below is the list of the 24 nearby Michelin star restaurants:


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