Below is a list of businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, as well as information on an upcoming circus that will take […]
Shopping Mall
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Pollo Campero is coming to the dining terrace at Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda). It will be taking over the space recently occupied by Greek Aroma Grill. Menu items include fried and grilled chicken, empanadas, yuca, plantains, and flan. No opening date has been announced.
Pollo Campero has additional Montgomery County locations in Gaithersburg, Takoma Park, and Wheaton. The fried chicken chain, which originated in Guatemala, opened its first location in 1971 and has grown to over 400 locations worldwide, including over 70 in the United States.
If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of Lakeforest Mall, now is your chance. Capital Auctions has just listed over 1000 items from inside of the mall, including fixtures from stores, decorative pieces, a Chevy Silverado and more. According to Capital Auctions, interested parties will be able to preview the items on Wednesday, July 5th 2023 10am-4:30pm with the auction closing on Thursday, July 6.
Lakeforest Mall closed permanently to the public on March 31st, after almost 45 years. The mall first opened on September 12, 1978. At that time, the mall’s anchor stores were JCPenney, Sears, Woodward & Lothrop, and Hecht’s. The mall was one of the first in the United States to feature an indoor ice skating rink on the lower level, in the “H section”, along with being the biggest indoor shopping mall in the county at the time of grand opening. The ice skating rink was replaced by a NTI Theaters movie theater in 1984, later renamed Cineplex Odeon Lakeforest 5, then by a food court, which now occupies the space. The mall was built on top of Lake Walker, a park on the property prior. The mall opened with approximately 30-50 stores, with some of the first stores being relocated from the then nearby indoor Village Mall (now an outdoor strip mall called Montgomery Village Center since 1991) and absorbed onto the property.
Do Portugal Circus is coming to Montgomery Mall ( 7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda) from June 9-25. According to its website, Do Portugal Circus is, “A combination of excellence and magic takes you on a journey of laughter and pure amazement. Our talented and passionate artists will have you gasping in awe as they perform their death defying acts. And of course no circus is complete without our wonderful clown that will have you grinning from start to finish. It truly is a show that every generation can enjoy, leaving you with memories that will last a lifetime!” Details and ticket information below courtesy of Do Portugal on Facebook:
Westfield Wheaton Mall offers a wide variety of retail and dining options and play areas for children. In conjunction with the event, AMC Wheaton Mall 9 will showcase the latest, live-action rendition of Disney’s classic tale, which is set to be released in theaters on May 26. Movie goers are encouraged to purchase their tickets here.
This version of The Little Mermaid features a Black actress, singer Halle Bailey, in the iconic role of Ariel. The official trailer for the movie went viral last fall and now surpasses 15 million views. The decision to cast Bailey and release of the trailer sparked a worldwide response, with parents of young Black girls sharing their children’s enthusiastic reactions across social media. “We can’t wait to see the smiles on everyone’s faces as they meet real mermaids and lay their eyes on the elaborate decorations and experiences we’ve been planning for months. It feels great to welcome back The Little Mermaid to the big screen,” says Michael Lado, Director of Marketing at Westfield Wheaton Mall. “I know our mall patrons will be thrilled with everything Westfield Wheaton has done to bring this film to life, and make it part of their world.”
If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of Lakeforest Mall, you will have your chance in late June as items from the mall will be available via auction, per Capital Auctions. The listing posts soon, so it is unclear what items will be available, but you may be able to purchase fixtures from stores, decorative pieces, and more. Interested parties will be able to preview the items on Wednesday, June 21st and pick up items they win via the auction between June 26 and June 30th. We’ll have additional information once the auction goes live.
Lakeforest Mall closed permanently to the public on March 31st, after almost 45 years. The mall first opened on September 12, 1978. At that time, the mall’s anchor stores were JCPenney, Sears, Woodward & Lothrop, and Hecht’s. The mall was one of the first in the United States to feature an indoor ice skating rink on the lower level, in the “H section”, along with being the biggest indoor shopping mall in the county at the time of grand opening. The ice skating rink was replaced by a NTI Theaters movie theater in 1984, later renamed Cineplex Odeon Lakeforest 5, then by a food court, which now occupies the space. The mall was built on top of Lake Walker, a park on the property prior. The mall opened with approximately 30-50 stores, with some of the first stores being relocated from the then nearby indoor Village Mall (now an outdoor strip mall called Montgomery Village Center since 1991) and absorbed onto the property.
Greek Aroma Grill has closed the Montgomery Mall location the restaurant opened back in the fall of 2022. The restaurant was located in the food terrace and offered items that included, dolma, gyros, kababs, salads, souvlaki, and baklava. Greek Aroma has additional location/ at 177 D Thomas Johnson Dr. in Frederick, MD and at 4555 Woodberry St, in LeFantome Food Hall (Riverdale, MD).
According to Greek Aroma, “every dish is created using only the freshest and finest ingredients. We serve only the finest meats, freshest vegetables, and desserts that are baked fresh daily. Our authentic menu and atmosphere create a truly enjoyable dining experience. Every dish is made to order.” For a full list of what’s new and what’s coming soon at Montgomery Mall, check out our recent update here. The news of Greek Aroma’s closing was first reported by Robert Dyer.
Below is a list of businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, as well as information on the 2023 MCPS Countywide Art Show […]
To coincide with the release of the upcoming live-action Little Mermaid movie, Westfield Wheaton will be hosting a “Make a Splash with Real Mermaids” event on May 27th from 12-4pm in the mall’s lower level Macy’s Court. The event will feature “live” mermaids, a full custom designed mermaid cove, and live DJ.
Per Westfield Wheaton: “Everyone’s favorite little mermaid makes her return to the big screen at AMC theaters, but you’ll only find REAL LIVE MERMAIDS at Westfield Wheaton center! Come see the highly anticipated film at AMC and swim over to Macys lower court to meet real mermaids! Enjoy 3 live mermaids, with live music, get a little mer-makeover with face painters, and take home a keepsake photo from a professional photographer. Find out what’s in a mermaid’s purse by diving into deals in our many retailers surrounding the mermaid’s cove. Make sure to buy your cinema tickets HERE before they sell out.”
Sideline Swap is hosting a trade-in event at the Dick’s Sporting Good in Wheaton Mall (11160 Veirs Mill Rd) from Friday, April 28th until Sunday, April 30th. You can bring your gently-used sports gear to receive a gift card for the trade-in value. Sideline Swap is accepting hockey, baseball, lacrosse, golf, ski gear & more. Sideline Swap runs from 2pm-7pm on Friday, 10am-6pm on Saturday, and 10am-6pm on Sunday. Items accepted include:
Items not accepted include:
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“Tonight we approved the Lakeforest Sketch Plan application & MXD rezoning by a 5-0 vote. During policy discussion, I implored the applicant to wow us at the schematic development stage and create a destination with a true sense of place. A true Transformational opportunity for the City of Gaithersburg!” – Gaithersburg City Councilmember, Jim McNulty
The next step is for WRS, Inc. to present a Schematic Development Plan (SDP) that will include very specific designs for the soon-to-be redeveloped Lakeforest Mall land. In a January meeting, WRS Inc. stated plans to demolish “as soon as they can.” Previously, WRS mentioned 2024 as a target date for demolition to occur and new construction to begin. This is all dependent on approval of the SDP in the coming months. Our very own Alex Tsironis discusses it on FOX 5 below: