Signage is up for Wild Custom Apparel on the lower level of Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Wild Custom Apparel currently has a location at St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf, MD. According to its website, “Wild Custom Apparel offers high quality, customized printing or embroidery for your t-shirts, masks, or hoodies.” No opening date has been announced.
Jolly Yolly Kids is now open on the lower level of Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, next to The Cheesecake Factory. The 8,000+ square ft. indoor play space features playgrounds, party rental space, and an art studio. Prices range from $12.95-$18.95 for two hours or playtime, depending on age and day of the week.
Per Jolly Yolly: “Jolly Yolly Kids is an indoor play and learning center for children aged 13 and under. The center has a play area of approximately 8,500 square feet, equipped with a multilevel premium indoor play structure for children aged 13 and under, tot lots for children from 2 to 7 years old, baby area for children aged 2 and under, and party rooms.
Melashops, a south Asian fashion market, is opening today (Saturday, April 1) at Montgomery Mall. Melashops, which originally opened in Lakeforest Mall in 2019, offers Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi apparel, jewelry, and accessories. “We have managed to grow our business over the years, even as the rest of Lakeforest was shutting down. Our new Montgomery Mall store, located on the first floor of the Nordstroms wing and across Urban Outfitters, represents the culmination of years of market feedback and optimization.” owner Bobby Mozunder tells us.
“We are in effect, a mall-within-a-mall and the only multi-vendor shopping destination for South Asian apparel in the DMV area.” Their vendors provide the full spectrum of South Asian clothing, including sarees, dresses, menswear, kids wears, high-end bridal wear, fancy Bollywood party dresses, casual wear, as well as lots of detailed jewelry. Some vendors are permanently located at the store and other vendors attend as their schedule permits. Holidays such as Eid and Diwali can be especially packed and busy. The shop also has an experienced tailor on-site available for alterations and to make custom matching blouses and dresses as needed. The stores hours of operation will be:
Lakeforest Mall will close to the public on Friday, March 31st (video of Lakeforest through the years available below). The Gaithersburg Planning Commission gave a recommendation of approval for redevelopment plans on March 1, 2023. The Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council will have a Policy Discussion April 17, 2023, where a final decision is expected to be made. No public testimony will be taken on April 17.
Lakeforest 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.
Westfield Montgomery has announced the signing of an expanded lease with Liljenquist & Beckstead. According to a press release, “The luxury boutique, housing exquisite collections of Swiss timepieces and stunning jewelry from around the world, will soon be home to a Rolex corner and storefront, along with an expanded selection of David Yurman offerings. The boutique will be built upon the existing location and expand into the former Lush and Swarovski spaces with Swarovski and Lush relocating nearby.”
Stuart Amos, Senior General Manager said: “we are honored to welcome the exciting expansion of Liljenquist & Beckstead. The Rolex boutique and expanded David Yurman offerings will be a welcome addition to our guests and speak to Westfield Montgomery’s evolution as an iconic shopping destination.”
Five Below is now open on the top level of Westfield Wheaton Mall at 11160 Veirs Mill Rd. The discount chain plans to add to open 200 new stores in 2023, bringing its total to over 1,500, according to Bisnow. Five Below has additional MoCo locations in Gaithersburg (Gaithersburg Square and Kentlands), Germantown, Rockville, and Silver Spring.
In other Wheaton Mall news, last week we reported that Moe’s Southwest Grill had closed its location in the food court. The restaurant opened in 2019.
Macy’s will close its doors permanently today, Sunday, March 19 at 6pm. The department store is one of a handful of stores that are open in Lakeforest Mall as the mall prepares to close permanently at the end of this month to allow for planned redevelopment of the area (a few photos accessible below). The Planning Commission gave a recommendation of approval on March 1, 2023. The Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council will have a Policy Discussion April 17, 2023, where a final decision is expected to be made. No public testimony will be taken on April 17.
Additional information by the City of Gaithersburg: The Applicant, WRS, Inc., submitted Zoning Map Amendment application Z-9444-2022 that proposes to rezone the Lakeforest Mall from the current C-2 (general commercial) to the MXD Zone (mixed-use) zone. The application includes a sketch plan requesting up to approximately 1.2 million square feet of non-residential uses and up to 1,600 dwelling units on 102 acres of land in accordance with § 24-160D.9(a) “Application for the MXD Zone and sketch plan approval” of the City Code.
Updated to reflect that the Montgomery Village location is the only Moe’s left in the county, rather than state.
Moe’s Southwest Grill made its triumphant return to MoCo when the fast-casual Mexican restaurant opened in the Wheaton Mall food court in late 2019. That restaurant has now closed permanently, a representative from the Montgomery Village location confirmed for us on Saturday morning.
The Jolly Shows Carnival will be at Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda) from March 29 through April 16. There will be over 30 attractions, including carnival rides, games, and food wagons. According to their website, “We are a new generation of carnival operators who strive to be more progressive and professional. We realize that we must produce a premium product for our customer’s hard earned money. We won’t forget our proud traditions, but we are committed to overcoming the stigmas which have hindered our industry for far too long.” Tickets can be purchased here.
ALSO SEE: What’s New and What’s Coming Soon to Montgomery Mall: Spring 2023
Westfield Montgomery has announced the signing of a new lease with Arhaus, a leader in artisan-crafted, sustainably sourced home furnishings and décor. The nearly 10,000 square-foot showroom will open on the lower level of the Nordstrom wing of the mall, providing shoppers with an inspiring destination to experience the brand’s heirloom-quality furnishings and complimentary design services.
“We are thrilled to have Arhaus open at Westfield Montgomery,” says Stuart Amos, Senior General Manager of Unibail-Rodamco Westfield. “The company’s sustainable mission and artisan-quality furniture and décor speaks directly to the values of the modern consumer in our region, and the new showroom will provide the sort of experience that our shoppers are looking to return to – one that emphasizes personal touches and in-real-life service.”
