Back in January, we let you know that Pollo Campero would be taking over the location that was home to KFC until December 2020 at 426 N Frederick Rd in Gaithersburg.
The building has been fenced off and construction has been ongoing since then. The exterior of the building has also been repainted as the restaurant moves closer to opening.
Galito’s Flame-Grilled Chicken is now open in the spot that was formerly home to Nirvana Reflexology Spa at 15918 Shady Grove Road in the Shady Grove Center (shopping center that is home to The Melting Pot). The restaurant offers chicken with “bold African flavors” and has been compared to international fast-casual restaurant Nando’s Peri Peri.
Galito’s currently operates in over 16 countries, with more than 150 stores– across Africa into Malaysia, Pakistan, the UAE, India and Canada. This is the South African chain’s first restaurant in the United States.
In December we let you know that the founder of Sweet Frog, Derek Cha, will be bringing his take on the Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich to MoCo with Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken. The restaurant will be located in the Travilah Square Shopping Center (the shopping center is anchored by Trader Joe’s) in Rockville, between Pholuscious and Tropical Smoothie Cafe, in the 1,600 sf location that was home to El Mexicano at 10050 Darnestown Road, per H&R Retail.
Construction has started, but there is plenty of work left to do. A late spring or summer opening is expected. A location is also coming soon to 2533 Ennals Ave in Wheaton, in the spot that was formerly home to El Pollo Kiki Riki. That location is expected to open later this Spring.
Fidel’s Peruvian Chicken has opened in Colesville at 13439 New Hampshire Ave in the same shopping center as Quench Craft Beer & Wine.
In addition to Peruvian chicken, the restaurant offers a variety of dishes off the grill (pork chops, shrimp, carne asada, etc.) and a Tex-Mex portion of the menu.
Hello Betty announced in February via Instagram that it was planning to open a Pike & Rose location in April. Today the restaurant announced that it will be open on Friday, April 8th and is accepting reservations for its grand opening. The seafood-focused restaurant aims to bring California beach, surf, and skate ambiance to their establishment.
A few months ago, a mysterious boat was seen in Pike & Rose being lifted by crane into Canopy. Hello Betty confirmed that this boat will be part of their restaurant’s decor. Hello Betty will open inside of Canopy by Hilton in Pike & Rose, replacing the Canopy Central Cafe– the restaurant that was there previously.
MoCo’s newest Chopt location opened in the Kentlands neighborhood in Gaithersburg earlier this year, and a new location is now set to be announced in Potomac.
According to a report by The Daily Record, “Chopt plans to open new restaurants in Towson and Potomac in the fourth quarter of 2022 as part of its growth in the Southeast region.”
Visit Montgomery is launching the 2nd annual MoCo Eats Week from April 22 – 30.
This county-wide restaurant week is focused on supporting food and beverage businesses of all sizes and is a great opportunity for residents to take the week to explore the diverse culinary scene in Montgomery County.
True Food Kitchen at 221 Rio Blvd Ste 0221 in Gaithersburg (former Joe’s Crab Shack location) has announced it will be opening on April 25. The restaurant posted the news on Facebook:
The wait is almost over. True Food Kitchen is bringing healthy and delicious to Rio Lakefront on April 25 for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. We can’t wait for you to experience the delicious seasonally-inspired dishes, handcrafted beverages, and warm hospitality.
Back in November we let you know that The Pretzel Bakery, which opened it’s DC location at 257 15th Street SE in DC back in 2012, is coming to Cabin John Village in Potomac.
The restaurant will be taking over the space formerly occupied by the Hair Cuttery at 7961 Tuckerman Ln and is currently in the “home stretch” of being ready to open, according to an Instagram post from 2 weeks back.
Connecticut-based Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana officially opened its first DMV location at Bethesda’s Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd) on Monday, March 28.
“It may have taken nearly a century for America’s best pizza to arrive in the DMV, but we are thrilled to finally be here.” said Jennifer Kelly, granddaughter of Frank Pepe. “These are our family’s original recipes,” she added. “We even replicated our signature coal-fired, hand-built brick oven using iron castings from the original restaurant.”
Back in December we let you know that DC’s Butter Me Up will be opening a Montgomery County location in Westfield’s Montgomery Mall.
HalfSmoke, which should be opening its first MoCo location in either Bethesda or Rockville Town Square soon, created Butter Me Up as a breakfast sandwich pop-up during the pandemic so that customers can pick up or order breakfast sandwiches for delivery.