Rio Lakefront is taking its proposal for a new sign package and design to the City of Gaithersburg’s Planning Commission tonight. Peterson Cos. is asking for language that does not allow for the sign to be within 10 feet of I-270 to be removed to allow the sign to be more visible.

Per the letter from Peterson Cos. to the City of Gaithersburg:


Back in August 2021 we let you know Èkó House would be coming to the space formerly occupied by Bar Louie at 150 Gibbs St. in Rockville Town Square. The restaurant has announced its soft opening for this upcoming week.

Eko House is asking all interested parties to make reservations via its website or resy.com


Over the summer, Federal Realty announced that the popular Roaming Rooster will open in Fall 2021 at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose.

We spoke with representatives from the restaurant over the weekend who informed us that the new location will now likely be opening in late April/early May. They cited permits taking much longer than anticipated as being the reason for the delay.


Eyewear brand Warby Parker, which does most of its business online, will be opening its third  brick and mortar location in MoCo this summer. It will be located on Grand Park Avenue, taking over two different locations that will be moving- Olive & Loom and a neighboring storefront. Last month Olive & Loom announced a move to Kensington.

Warby Parker opened its first MoCo location at Bethesda Row in 2017, and its second this past November in Downtown Crown (Gaithersburg). The stores carry the brand’s full optical and sun eyewear offerings including its first brand of daily contact lenses. The store will offer eye exams and children’s glasses that are only available in store.


This past summer we let you know that El Mercat Bar De Tapas would be taking over the spot that was most recently home to Gumbo Ya Ya, at 101 Gibbs Street Unit C in Rockville Town Square.

The restaurant held a ticketed preview dinner event this weekend, and will be opening for dinner service to the public tomorrow (Monday, January 23) starting at 5pm, with lunch and brunch arriving in the coming weeks.


Back in August, we let you know that Yirasai Sushi would be moving from its Westbard location in Bethesda to Park Potomac (12525 Park Potomac Ave Building G), following a conversation with restaurant management.

From August: “Earlier today we spoke with a manager at Yirasai Sushi, located at 5110 Ridgefield Road in the Westwood Shipping Center in Bethesda, who told us that the tentative plan is to close to the current location later this year as they prepare to move in to the old Elevation Burger spot in Park Potomac that became available last month.”


National chain Dollar Tree, which has MoCo locations in Derwood, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Montgomery Village, Rockville, and Silver Spring, has raised the price of all items in their stores from $1 to $1.25.

According to Market Watch, Dollar Tree says the higher prices are not a result of inflation, but rather to allow the company to offer a wider range of merchandise.


This past summer we let you know that El Mercat Bar De Tapas will be taking over the spot that was most recently home to Gumbo Ya Ya, at 101 Gibbs Street Unit C in Rockville Town Square.

Now we know the restaurant will hold a special friends & family dinner where guests can purchase $75 tickets to the event.


Last year Kohl’s announce a major partnership with Sephora that would open 850 Sephora “shop-in-shops” in Kohl’s locations across the country by 2023, in a similar deal to the one struck between Target and Ulta. Sephora previously had a partnership with J.C. Penney that has been slowly winding down ever since J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy in 2020.

Kohl’s has Montgomery County locations in Aspen Hill, Calverton, Gaithersburg, and Germantown, and is about to start construction on the first Sephora shop-in-shop location at the Calverton location, which is in the orchard Center on Cherry Hill Road. This will be the first Kohl’s location in Maryland to add a Sephora.


Olive & Loom, a Mediterranean-inspired lifestyle and apothecary boutique that opened in Pike & Rose in March 2019, announced via Instagram that it will be moving in with its sister business Kin & Care. Kin & Care is a hand -poured, small batch, scented candle company located in Kensington.

Owner Ferzan Jaeger, a Turkish-born mother of two who started her business inspired by the Turkish Baths/Hamam rooted in the rich history of the Ottoman Empire, announced on Instagram that the lease is up at the end of January. In Kensington, she says, they’ll be able to put both businesses under one roof and hope to continue the retail side of Olive & Loom, while offering candle pouring classes in the studio.


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