Charley’s Cheesesteaks and Wings is coming to 19877 Century Blvd in Germantown. It will be taking over the location that was previously home to Roll by Goodyear and Yogi Castle in the Shops at Town Center & Century Station shopping center.

Charley’s now has over 600 stores nationwide. Newer locations have adopted a new menu concept, offering chicken wings and tenders alongside its Philly cheesesteaks, which this location will have. This Germantown location and the upcoming Gaithersburg location will both have the updated menu. “Tossed-to-order, the wings are made with 10 chef-inspired flavors ranging from Angry Ghost and Nashville Hot to milder options like Zesty Lemon-Lime Rub and Sweet Teriyaki. Customers can order classic or boneless wings and choose from sides including celery sticks, coleslaw, baked beans or Texas toast.”


Gringos & Mariachis, the popular Mexican restaurant with both of its locations in Montgomery County, has been voted as 2022’s ‘Best Place to Get a Drink.’ The restaurant opened its first location at 4928 Cordell Ave in Bethesda back in early 2014 and opened its second location in Park Potomac three and a half years later in late 2017.

The restaurant, brought to you by the same folks who own and operate Olazzo in Bethesda (the Silver Spring location closed in April 2021, is co-owned by Kennedy High School graduate Roberto Pietrobono. It serves Mexican food and drink,  focusing on tacos and tequila. The restaurant offers a wide variety of margaritas as well as about a dozen beers on tap and various wines.


La Pizza recently opened at 17609 Redland Rd in Derwood. The location was recently home to California Bistro and previously home to Hungry Howie’s, a popular pizza chain that operated one of its MoCo restaurants in Derwood for many years.

La Pizza is owned and operated by MoCo resident Ali Zaidi, who has over 30 years experience in the restaurant industry primarily in the Baltimore area. He was recently the mind behind BITES food court in Langley Park, bringing together multiple restaurants like Charley’s Cheesesteaks, Halal the Rice Bowl, Mini’s Pizza, Smoothie Fresh, and La Cantina Bites Bar to form a food hall just across the MoCo border in Prince George’s County.


Charley’s Philly Steaks will be opening at 405 N Frederick Ave, in the location that was recently home to Teriyaki Express. The new Charley’s restaurant will be located in the shopping center anchored by Megamart and FedEx Office, and is currently hiring. We were told by employees of the Lakeforest location that the Lakeforest location will close when this restaurant opens, but a specific date has not yet been provided.

Charley’s now has over 600 stores nationwide. Newer locations have adopted a new menu concept, offering chicken wings and tenders alongside its Philly cheesesteaks, which this location will have. “Tossed-to-order, the wings are made with 10 chef-inspired flavors ranging from Angry Ghost and Nashville Hot to milder options like Zesty Lemon-Lime Rub and Sweet Teriyaki. Customers can order classic or boneless wings and choose from sides including celery sticks, coleslaw, baked beans or Texas toast.”


Teriyaki Express, located at 405 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg, has closed after less than two years at the location. We are told the restaurant closed earlier this summer in the shopping center that is anchored by Megamart and FedEx Office. Another Teriyaki Express remains open at 9128 Rothbury Drive in Goshen Plaza (Montgomery Village).

A replacement has already been tabbed as Charley’s Cheesesteaks will be taking over the location soon, moving from its current Gaithersburg location in the Lakeforest Mall food court. An exact date for the move has not yet been announced, but it is expected in the coming months.


Sushiko is known for being D.C.’s first sushi restaurant, opening in the 70s in Glover Park. That location closed in 2013, but in 2008 the restaurant opened its Montgomery County location in Chevy Chase (5455 Wisconsin Ave). Sushiko’s indoor dining has remained closed since Covid-19 restrictions shut down indoor dining in March 2020, but has recently reopened.

Chef Piter Tjan, Sushiko’s executive chef, got one of his first jobs as a sushi chef at Bethesda’s Raku. He worked there for three years before leaving to open Sushiko in 2008. He left Sushiko to work under Tyson Cole in Austin’s Uchi, one of the most popular sushi restaurants in America, and remained there until 2013 when he returned to Sushiko and has been back ever since.


Scratch Kitchen is now in holding a soft opening at 18062 Georgia Ave in Olney. The restaurant is open from 10am-3pm on Friday, August 19th and from 7am-3pm every other day it’s open (it is currently closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). For now, Scratch Kitchen is offering a limited menu that consists of breakfast sandwiches made with eggs from nearby Bella Vita Farm (soft opening menu available below).

At the start of 2022, owner Bernie Rousseau decided she would lease the space formerly occupied by CB Acai for her daughter, who shared Bernie’s passion of cooking, to operate starting April– when the restaurant initially hoped to open. Tragedy struck, as Bernie’s daughter passed away on February 1st– the same day Bernie got the keys to the new location.The decision was made to push forward and continue with the plans to open the the restaurant to create a legacy for her daughter and two younger children. Bernie was planning a funeral and putting a restaurant together. She continued to forge ahead while grieving– ordering signage and restaurant equipment. “It was like so arrived at my destination and lost my why.”,  she told us. She decided she was going to make the most of this tragic situation– creating jobs, bringing healthier food to the community, using local products, and opening a place the community is proud of.


Last December we let you know that Dunkin’/Baskin Robbins would be coming to 115 University Blvd W, in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring. The location is now open, according to an employee of the store.

The new location has taken over the former home of Chevy Chase Bank and has a drive-thru like the most recent Dunkin’/Baskin Robbins in MoCo (located in the Rock Grove Center on 355/Shady Grove Rd.) and the upcoming Cloverly location, which is just a Dunkin’.


Armand’s Pizzeria and Grille, located at 190 Halpine Road in Rockville, has been voted as the favorite in WTOP’s ‘2022 Best Pizza’ list. Armand’s once had over 25 DMV locations with multiple restaurants right here in Montgomery County. The once-mighty local chain is now down to two family-owned locations with just the Rockville location remaining in the area and “Armand’s By the Sea” located in Bethany Beach, DE. In January of 2021, Armand’s Pizza won Taste MoCo’s tournament of 64 Montgomery County restaurants that offer pizza.

Founder Lew Newmyer opened the first Armand’s back in 1975 at Veazey Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW near Tenley Circle in Washington, D.C., after tasting deep-dish pizza during a visit to Chicago. The Newmyer family, residents of Montgomery County, owned and operated several Armand’s location, closing the last of their restaurants in 2018 when the Silver Spring location closed. The two remaining restaurants are franchised locations that still use the original recipe and cooking style Armand’s is known for. Lew, who was a Silver Spring resident, passed away in 2015 at the age of 92.


Paris Baguette, “the neighborhood bakery café where communities come together over expertly crafted baked and brewed goods”, announced that the brand is on track to open a projected 40 new locations by the end of 2022, reaching nearly 150 locations across the United States and reinforcing its status as one of the fastest growing franchises in the country. One of those location will be in Rockville Town Square with another location (currently unknown) coming to the area soon, according to a report by Bethesda Magazine. The Rockville Town Square location will be located at 101 Gibbs Street and will offer Korean and French baked goods. Doors may open by the end of 2022.

In addition to the upcoming Montgomery County locations, the growth of the bakery/cafe will accelerate in 2023 with 96 slated bakery café openings and increased interest from franchise partners. Paris Baguette currently operates in 14 states with a focus on expanding to a nationwide footprint in top-tier markets through a combined strategic approach of corporate-owned and franchise locations; franchise agreements have been signed to expand across 25 states. “The increased interest we’ve seen in franchise agreements and rapid expansion through new store openings at Paris Baguette is a testament to the success we’ve seen by focusing on the elevated bakery café experience and creating an emotional connection with our guests,” said Darren Tipton, Chief Executive Officer, Paris Baguette America. “We set an aggressive goal to open 1,000 locations in the U.S. by 2030 and we’re on track to exceed this plan with strategic direction on growth, quality products, customer experience, and innovation.”


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