The 2022 Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival will take place on September 24th from 11am until 4pm at Rockville Town Square. The event is being held by Taiwan Sister Cities, an organization “dedicated to promoting, educating, and fostering intercultural understanding and cooperation among the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan.”

Participating in the festival will be Tiger Sugar Rockville, which recently reopened after a car crashed through their storefront. Bun’d Up, which has a Pike & Rose location nearby. Mr. Wish, which opened last year in Rockville. Bao Bei, which started operating out of a kitchen in Rockville recently. Doki Toki, which recently opened in Downtown Crown, and a lot more.


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.”


Èkó House, a modern Pan-African restaurant located in Rockville Town Square announces its grand opening weekend on July 29 and 30, 2022. Èkó House, which celebrates Nigerian culture with fusion cuisine, art, and entertainment, has been open since February, but will have its ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration next weekend. “With exquisite cuisine, carefully curated interior, and exciting ambiance, each moment transports you to the vibrant city of Lagos. “

Attending Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. will be: Will Jawando, Montgomery County Council Member; Marji Graf, President & CEO, Rockville Chamber of Commerce; Ricky Barker, Director, Community Planning and Development Services; and Cindy Rivarde, Director, Rockville Economic Development Inc., among others. On Saturday, July 30, SIMI, the Afrobeats singer/songwriter, Isaac Gerald and the Ayo Band will perform from 7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Tickets start at $75 and can be purchased in advance here.  “As one of the few Nigerian restaurants in the DMV, we are excited to share the richness of Nigeria’s culture and cuisine with the Rockville community,” said Yomi Ajao, co-founder, Èkó House. “We want the community and the greater region to experience Èkó (Lagos), here in Rockville, Maryland. Rockville Town Square offers an array of culinary offerings, and we are thrilled that Èkó House is now an option.”


The Fox 5 morning show will bring its Zip Trip live broadcast to Rockville Town Square, Friday, July 8 to highlight Montgomery County and the City of Rockville. The roving report from the news morning show highlights a different location with a live broadcast each week from areas in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.

​“The season will bring out our morning show talent to areas across the DMV,” reporter Sierra Fox said in a 2022 Zip Trip preview on the Fox 5 website. “We’ve got some familiar favorite segments, plus new ones up our sleeves. We want to share our excitement and prepare you to join us on Friday morning.”


The upcoming HalfSmoke location in Montgomery Mall is scheduled to open in “about four weeks”, according to a representative from the restaurant. HalfSmoke will be located in a kiosk in the food terrace that was the former home of Coldstone Creamery and more recently Gelato Galaxy. This will be the first restaurant/bar in the food court to serve alcohol. The menu will consist of the best selling sausages and sides from their DC location, as well as boozy milkshakes and a funnel cake bar. HalfSmokes sister restaurant Butter Me Up opened its Montgomery Mall location last week. Butter Me Up is located in the old Aroma Espresso Bar location, which is downstairs near the Old Navy entrance and features “instagrammable” decor, will offer a menu that consists of a variety of breakfast sandwiches, toasts, sides, bowls, smoothies, and juices.

HalfSmoke was the first restaurant of its kind to serve gourmet sausages via an assembly line format. Its sausages and toppings can be fully customized to create over 50,000 variations. The HalfSmoke menu also features craft beer, mac and cheese balls, tater tots, milkshakes, funnel cakes, wine, cocktails, and more.  HalfSmoke is also planning to open a Rockville Town Square location sometime this year.


Kumbia, a South American restaurant focusing on cuisine from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador, will be holding its grand opening celebration at on Saturday, March 19th. The new restaurant is located at 100 B Gibbs Street in Rockville Town Square, the former location of Spice Xing.

Per Federal Realty: Kumbia will occupy a 3,904-sqaure-foot space at 100 B Gibbs Street next to First Watch and Truist Bank. Named after the popular music style similar to salsa and reggae, the full-service restaurant will offer a variety of South American food from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador. It will also offer a robust tableside cocktail menu and a variety of nighttime entertainment.


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


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.


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.


Update: Finnegan’s Wake has reopened. “We are back and HEALTHY! Thank you for your patience while we tested our staff to ensure everyones safety. We will be open today(Wednesday) for our normal hours.”

Finnegan’s Wake has announced a temporary closure via its social media, for the safety of staff and patrons


In August 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 was granted its beer, wine, and liquor license hearing with Montgomery County on November 4th, and now signage is up and work is ongoing inside the restaurant.


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