168 Asian Burrito at 18000 Georgia Ave in Olney has announced on social media that it will be reopening on June 10. The restaurant, which is located inside of the Olney Exxon gas station, had previously announced that it would be closed from 4/18-5/26 due to “family reasons.” 168 Asian Burrito serves sushi burritos, poke bowls, and Chinese buns.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd46OkmBH2o/
From a 2019 Hidden Gems article we wrote about 168 Asian Burrito:
“When owner Peter Chen saw that the spot in the Olney Exxon was available he jumped at the opportunity to open up shop and serve the people of Olney. Peter has been a chef for over twenty years. He has worked in a couple different restaurants in the county and even had his own place just off the food court in Montgomery Mall, but rent was too high for his business to remain profitable. “I like Olney. The people are so nice and very friendly.” Chen said when I asked him about the six months he spent in Olney. “Every day is a good day because of the people.”
The people of Olney seem to like Peter too, as 168 Asian Burrito has a 5 star average on Yelp with 27 reviews. It doesn’t hurt that Peter is also one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. You’ll get to meet Peter and wife behind the counter whenever you stop by. Everything on the menu is made to order and can be customized (from fried to pan seared, etc.). The menu has great options for kids or anyone who wants something more traditional…like a salad, chicken sandwich, tuna sandwich, or fries.”
Read the full article here.
Per MCPD:
For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 19, 2022
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigation Division (SVID) have arrested an Olney surgical assistant for sexual assault. Mir Asadullah Naqvi is alleged to have sexually assaulted a patient following a surgical procedure at the Olney Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery on Monday, April 5, 2021. The female victim immediately reported the assault and evidence was collected that SVID detectives were eventually able to connect to Naqvi.
On the strength of the evidence, a warrant for Naqvi’s arrest was filed on May 5, 2022. Naqvi was arrested on Wednesday, May 18. 47-year-old Naqvi of Ellicott City has been charged with second-degree sexual assault and third- and fourth-degree sexual offenses.
Naqvi is currently being held in the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he awaits a bond hearing. Detectives believe that there may be additional victims of Mir Asadullah Naqvi that have not contacted police. Detectives are urging victims to contact the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5400.
On April 6, Starbucks Workers United, on behalf of employees at the Starbucks location at 16806 Georgia Ave in Olney, sent a letter to Starbucks President Howard Schultz announcing their intention to unionize. In the letter, workers at the Olney Starbucks say they have attempted on numerous occasions to communicate with management regarding their grievances but believe their concerns fell on deaf ears.
“Much like our neighboring stores, we have grown increasingly exhausted and stressed, not to mention faced with constant, inconsistently enforced changes. While as a team, we’ve been grateful for the opportunities given and the benefits provided with our employment. But these provisions, which should be bare minimum at any job, come at the cost of our physical and mental wellbeing, and money from our own paychecks. With labor cuts, COVID-19 restrictions and isolations, improper staffing, production shortage and outages, and facing the backlash from our customers- we are tired. Meanwhile Starbucks’ profits have been skyrocketing more than the pre-pandemic era.”
According to a report today by Bethesda Beat, a National Labor Relations Board filing shows that a workers will take a vote on May 20 whether or not to join the union. In April, fourteen baristas that work at the Starbucks at 1209 North Charles Street in Baltimore voted at to join a union, making that location the first to unionize in Maryland. On Monday, workers at the Starbucks location at 1700 W Nursery Rd. in Linthicum Heights, voted 15-2 in favor of unionization.
The PARTNERS UNITED will never be defeated! Welcome the workers from Olney, MD to the movement! 🙂 pic.twitter.com/zl25K0vAa0
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) April 6, 2022
Feature photo from Google maps.
Coming soon signage is up at the Olney Crab House, located at 18200 Georgia Avenue, the former site of the Olney Tavern in the Hillcrest Center in Olney. In February we were informed by the property management of the center that the original owners had pulled out of the location and new owners had just recently taken over the lease. We first reported that the Olney Alehouse was coming back in November 2019. Renovations on the building began in the summer of 2020 but remained dormant until the new tenants took over. No opening date has been announced.
The Hillcrest Center is also home to the Olney School of Dance, Olney Barbar, and Kang’s Black Belt Academy. In other Olney restaurant news, earlier today we posted an update on the Olney Ale House and Quickway Japanese Hibachi is now open at 3116 Olney Sandy Spring Rd.
Photos of the Crab House below:
Update: Jonathan Everett has been located safe and unharmed.
Per MCPD:
For Immediate Release: Monday, April 25, 2022
Gaithersburg, MD – Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigation Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 10-year-old from Olney. Jonathan “Jon” Everett was last seen at approximately 8:40 a.m., on Monday, April 25, 2022, near the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Queen Elizabeth Drive.
Everett is approximately 4-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 85 pounds. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing glasses, an olive green zip-up hoodie, gray shorts with yellow stripes and white Nike sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Jonathan Everett is asked to call the Montgomery County Police SVID at (240) 773- 5400 or the police non-emergency number at (301) 279- 8000 (24-hour line). Callers may remain anonymous.
The Olney Chamber of Commerce has received a $1,000,000 grant from the State of Maryland for a new, permanent satellite police station and community center, replacing the existing police trailer that is located in front of Onelife Fitness at 17821 Georgia Avenue. Full details below per the Olney Chamber of Commerce:
(April 18, 2022) Olney, MD – The Olney Chamber of Commerce will receive a $1 million grant from the State of Maryland allocated towards construction of the Olney Police Satellite Station and Community Facility. The project involves replacing an existing trailer that currently houses the Olney Police Satellite Station with a permanent building. In addition to the police facility, the building will provide office and meeting space for the Chamber of Commerce, as well as other community and non-profit organizations.
The Chamber of Commerce is grateful to the Maryland District 14 Delegation – Senator Craig Zucker, Delegate Anne Kaiser, Delegate Eric Luedtke, and Delegate Pamela Queen. The Delegation secured the funds to support the ongoing efforts of the Olney community to ensure the future of the Montgomery County Police Department’s local satellite facility presence, and to help realize the community’s interest in having a civic building. The $1 million allocation follows $175,000 included in last year’s Maryland Capital Budget for the project.
Terri Hogan, the Olney Chamber’s Executive Director and Chamber Board Member Marc Rosendorf have worked closely with the District 14 Delegation to help bring this critical project to fruition. “We are extremely grateful to our District 14 Team,” said Hogan. “To have a permanent building in the center of Olney benefits our police officers, our businesses, and the entire community. Preliminary planning for the facility is already underway and having this additional funding in place will keep the project moving forward.”
Zucker said the funding “represents a significant State investment in this fantastic project” and that the District 14 Delegation is very pleased with the more than $1,175,000 that to date they have secured for the new Olney Police Satellite Station and Community Facility. “This record investment not only supports our first responders, but benefits the entire Greater Olney area,” said Zucker on behalf of the District 14 Team. “We are looking forward to the construction of this community gathering spot. We applaud the Olney Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery County Government, and the Montgomery County Police for their leadership on this project.”
The Olney Police Satellite Station is located in front of Onelife Fitness at 17821 Georgia Avenue. The Olney Chamber established the facility in 1997, and has since provided advocacy and financial commitment, upkeep, and maintenance of the station.
Background
In the early 1990’s when business and residential growth was accelerating in the greater Olney area, the Olney Chamber began advocating for a local police facility to serve the community. The existing trailer was purchased by the Olney Chamber and when it opened, it was one of only five satellite stations in the entire county. In 2019, the Olney Police Satellite Station was considered at risk due to the end of its decades-long lease and the sale of the property. The Olney Chamber of Commerce moved quickly and with the guidance and involvement of the District 14 Delegation and Senator Zucker’s leadership, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich agreed to support the agreement by entering a new long-term lease with Olney One Center, LLC, the current property owner. Today, the Olney facility is the only Montgomery County Police Satellite Station still in service.
Next Steps
The Olney Chamber expects the planning for the new Olney Police Satellite Station and Community Facility to accelerate over the next 30 days. The State of Maryland’s Department of General Services and Montgomery County Executive’s Office have given approval for the Olney Chamber to enter into an agreement with a project consultant to lead the coordination of architectural, engineering and project management services.
The University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) announced that 30-year-old Joshua Leo Black of Olney has been arrested and charged with two assaults that occurred at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Per the University of Maryland Police Department:
Per the Olney Theatre:
Olney, MD — April 4, 2022 — Olney Theatre Center announced a series of events as part of its new “Community Partners” program, planned in conjunction with its first partner, The Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery. The Community Partners program is an annual program whereby two qualified nonprofit organizations get elevated to the position of our Community Partners. The mission and work of these organizations will be amplified in multiple ways by Olney Theatre, not limited to: in-kind donations, on-site conversations, tickets, and marketing opportunities. The organizations are selected based upon a set of criteria, including the value added to the identified community and work in areas relating to themes being presented in each programming season. The Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery is the first such partner and was chosen after consultation with the theatre staff by the Community Engagement Committee.
The museum is a private non-profit organization located in historic Sandy Spring, MD in the “Freedman’s Settlement” on Brooke Road. The museum does not receive local, state, or federal funding. The museum is a labor of love run 100% by volunteers. The Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery, Inc. (SSSM) was founded in 1988 by Dr. Winston Anderson, Ph.D., Presidential Award for Excellence recipient, with the following mission:
- Focus on the heritage of Blacks from their origin through the Middle passage, the salvation the Underground Railroad provided, the struggle for civil rights, and their accomplishments in the United States and African Diaspora;
- Bridge the information gap and inform all ethnic groups about the advantages of cross-cultural communication and diversity, as expressed through history, the arts and the humanities;
- Highlight the heritage of the African American families for whom Montgomery County is home; and
- Display the rich and significant contributions that Africans and African Americans have made in the building of America.
COMMUNITY PARTNER EVENTS WITH THE SANDY SPRING SLAVE MUSEUM
Local History Hour: Stories of Women on the Underground Railroad
Sunday, April 24, 4:00pm-5:00pm
Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab Lobby
Local History Hour: Stories of Men on the Underground Railroad Stories
Saturday, May 21, 5:00pm-6:00
Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab Lobby
Local History Hour: Black Churches in the Area
Friday, June 10, 5:00pm-6:00pm
Bank of America Plaza
Visit olneytheatre.org/whats-playing for event details and registration
Humanities Truck
The American University Humanities Truck, in conjunction with the Sandy Spring Slave Museum, is visiting the Olney Theatre Center campus to collect oral histories of the area. Community members and audiences are invited to stop by the truck on the dates below to share their stories.
- Saturday, April 23
- Saturday, May 21
- Friday, June 10
- Saturday July 23
- Saturday, July 30th
VACCINATION POLICY
Masks and proof of COVID vaccination are currently required to attend for all patrons. Exceptions may be made for those who are not vaccinated, such as children under 5, people with certain medical conditions preventing vaccination, or those with closely held religious beliefs. These patrons must provide proof of a timely negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours or a professionally administered rapid antigen test taken within six hours of showtime. Please note, we do not accept home test results. These procedures are in place through at least April 30, 2022. Visit olneytheatre.org/covid for changes and updates to Covid procedures..
ABOUT OLNEY THEATRE CENTER
Mission
Olney Theatre Center for the Arts produces and curates theatrical performance for the diverse audiences in our community, and educates, learns from, supports and inspires a more inclusive generation of theater-makers.
Vision
We strive to become an arts and culture powerhouse, redefining the American regional theater movement by cultivating and sharing the creativity of our community.
History
Founded in 1938 as a summer playhouse, Olney Theatre Center (OTC) now produces world and American premieres of plays and musicals, and reimaginings of familiar titles year-round; presents the work of leading companies and artists; tours nationally and locally; teaches students of all ages; and mentors a more inclusive generation of theatremakers. For more than 8 decades, OTC has brought impactful theater performance and education to our community, helping to grow the vibrancy and vitality of our home in the Washington, DC region.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in theater and film have appeared on our stages, including Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Bob Fosse, Phillip Bosco, Eve Arden, Eva Gabor, Burl Ives, Jose Ferrer, Carol Channing, Olivia d’Havilland, Tony Randall, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Jane Seymour, Anne Revere, Frances Sternhagen, Arthur Treacher, James Broderick, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen, Marica Gay Harden, John Colicos, Uzo Aduba, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson, Robin de Jesus, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, among many, many others.
Olney Theatre is now the cultural anchor of a rapidly changing region and serves one of the most diverse, best educated, and wealthiest counties in the country. Situated on the unceded land of the Piscataway-Conoy people, the Olney area was once a rural farming community with a unique Quaker heritage. Now the area is occupied by every kind of family that makes up 21st Century America, along with major corporations, shopping districts, civic associations, non profit organizations and a diverse collection of houses of worship. Montgomery County’s 1 million residents play a dynamic role in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, and are a driving force behind the region’s creative economy.
Olney Theatre Center employs 40 full time staff, 20 part-time positions, 26 early career apprentices and players, and more than 400 professional artists annually. The Theatre intends to continue expanding to better meet the needs of our community.
For more information, please visit olneytheatre.org/history
Follow Olney Theatre Center on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @olneytheatre and on Facebook at facebook.com/olneytheatre.
Below we are recapping a few upcoming changes in Olney., including the latest updates from this month.
Moving Out:
Olney Winery
Olney Winery has been operating since 2012. The winemaker is currently located at 18127 Town Center Drive in the Fair Hill shopping center in Olney. In 2016, Olney Winery expanded and opened a tasting room in the stone house at 12810 Shank Farm Way in Hagerstown.
Olney Winery will be one of the new tenants a couple miles down the street at Ashton Market, a new development that includes shopping and retail, located at 12 Olney Sandy Spring Road in Ashton. Olney Winery will remain at its current location until the new location opens. They are currently aiming for a June opening.
Coming Soon (some opening timeframes have not been provided):
Scratch Kitchen & Bistro
The new restaurant will be taking over the location that was formerly home to CB Acai and House of Fortune at 18062 Georgia Avenue in Olney. The new restaurant has announced that it plans to hold its grand opening on Sunday, May 15th. Temporary signage has been up in the windows for about two weeks or so, announcing the restaurant’s May opening.
The restaurant is described as a family-owned bistro and cafe. It will serve breakfast and lunch classics made from locally sourced ingredients.
&Pizza
In September we were able to confirm that &Pizza, the customizable pizza spot, will be coming to the Fair Hill shopping center in Olney. We still don’t have an exact location within the shopping center, but we know it’s coming. &pizza was founded by Michael Lastoria and Steve Salis (Ted’s Bulletin, Federalist Pig, and Ensemble) in 2012 with their first location on H Street in D.C. The growing chain now has over 36 locations across the east coast including MoCo locations in Bethesda, Gaithersburg (Crown), Germantown, Pike & Rose, Silver Spring and a second Gaithersburg location coming soon.
No word yet on an expected opening date.
Pacific Dental Services Taking Over Old JoS. A. Bank Location
The 3,568 sf location that was previously home to JoS. A. Bank in the Shoppes of Olney will soon be filled by California-based Pacific Dental Services (PDS). The dental practice will be joining Quickway and Kung Fu Tea as the newest tenants in the shopping center that’s already home to CVS, Cava, Starbucks, Cafe Rio, and more.
PDS has an office in Silver Spring known as Dentists of Silver Spring. It’s the only other Maryland location for the company which currently has over 850 supported offices in 26 states. Many practices take on a name that references the city/area the practice is in, so PDS will likely have an Olney-based name when it opens.
Salt & Vine
The restaurant is working hard at gearing towards its debut in Olney, hoping to open by Labor Day, the restaurant tells us. It will be taking over the Olney House, which was previously the home of Ricciuti’s at 3308 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd.
Ricciuti’s closed permanently in February of 2020 and Salt & Vine was announced just prior to the longtime restaurant’s closure. That summer, the Salt & Vine pizza truck made its debut. Salt & Vine owner Thomas Zippelli, told us the initial plan was to have the truck parked out front of the restaurant until renovations were completed. Things didn’t move as quickly as anticipated due to Covid delays. “Due to the historical significance of the building, the permitting process was very slow” the restaurant stated on its social media.
The latest update on the restaurant’s website provides a more conservative Fall 2022 opening date, as well as a video rendering of what’s to come (scroll down to see some photo renderings).
Olney Crab House
We first reported back in November 2019 that the Olney Crab House was coming to the location that used to be home to The Olney Tavern (18200 Georgia Avenue) in the Hillcrest Center in Olney. Renovations on the building began in the summer of 2020 but since then, the building has largely remained dormant and “For Lease” signs were placed back on the building in late 2020.
A few weeks back we were informed by the property management of center that the original owners had pulled out of the location and new owners have just recently taken over the lease. The new owners are still planning to open the restaurant as a crab house.
El Catrachito
The restaurant will open its fourth MoCo location in Olney, taking over the location that was formerly home to Milk & Cheese at 18050 Georgia Avenue. El Catrachito opened its most recent location at 211. N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg just over a year ago. The menu features popular Honduran dishes such as baleadas and pollo can tajadas, as well as traditional Salvadoran and Mexican cuisine.
El Catrachito has additional locations in Wheaton (2408 University Blvd.) and Takoma Park (940 East-West Highway).
An opening date has not yet been announced.
F45 Training
F45 Training, an Australian franchisor and operator of fitness centers based in Austin, Texas, is opening its third Montgomery County location in Olney (current locations exist in Bethesda and Silver Spring, though Google lists Bethesda as temporarily closed). The fitness center will open in the 3,200 sf location that was previously home to Pet Valu in Olney’s Fair Hill Shopping Center (previously Olney Town Center) at 18100 Town Center Drive, Unit 8115.
Shear Thairapy
A salon that is owned by MoCo residents Amanda Burton and Staci Graeves, will take over the old Hallmark location next to TJ Maxx in the Olney Village Center. Burton and Graeves met at Sherwood High School and have remained friends through the years. Both are mothers to young children and started the salon in Graeves’ basement. It all started with the two moms and has now expanded to include a staff of 16.
Shear Thairapy hopes to open its doors at 18305 Olney Center Drive by summer.
Kung Fu Tea
Kung Fu Tea has signed on to take over the location that’s as recently home to Yogi Berry, next to Starbucks in the same shopping center as Cava Mezze, CVS, and Cafe Rio at 3128 Olney Sandy Spring Road. The bubble tea cafe was one of the first to distinguish itself by having a system where drinkers customize their orders by sweetness, amount of ice, toppings, and more, using Asian teas as a base rather than commercial powders.
The location will also offer TKK Fried Chicken and Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt. TKK Fried Chicken is a Taiwanese chain that specializes in fried chicken.
The Olney location hopes to open by this summer.
Quickway
Quickway Japanese Hibachi has already put “coming soon” signage up in the location that was formerly home to Fashion Cleaners in the Shoppes of Olney shopping center, between CVS and Bubbles Hair Salon. Fashion Cleaners closed this past spring after 8 years in the location. Quickway describes itself as bringing the Teppanyaki cooking technique to a quick service restaurant setting with cooked to order hibachi dishes. This will be the regional chain’s sixth MoCo location, with over 30 restaurants across the DMV.
The restaurant has now installed permanent signage and construction has progressed, but an opening timeframe has not yet been provided.
Scratch Kitchen & Bistro will be taking over the location that was formerly home to CB Acai and House of Fortune at 18062 Georgia Avenue in Olney. The new restaurant has announced on Instagram that it plans to hold its grand opening on Sunday, May 15th. Temporary signage has been up in the windows for about two weeks or so, announcing the restaurant’s May opening.
The restaurant is described as a family-owned bistro and cafe. It will serve breakfast and lunch classics made from locally sourced ingredients. CB Acai announced in November 2021 that it would be closing the Olney storefront and continue to operate its catering business and food truck. The acai bowl and smoothie spot first opened in July of 2020.
News of Scratch Kitchen & Bistro Olney was first reported by @themocosource on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CbC36isuQ4d/?utm_medium=copy_link
Daleep Singh has been one of the chief architects behind economic sanctions imposed by the Biden Administration on Russia, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in late February 2022.
Singh was born in Olney, Maryland and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. Not much else is known about his time in Maryland.
His grandfather, Dalip Singh Saund, was the first Asian-American, the first Indian-American, the first Sikh-American, and the first member of a non-Abrahamic faith to be elected to the United States Congress.
Daleep Singh holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University in economics and public policy and a master of business administration/master of public administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, with a focus on international economics.
He was appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor at the National Security Council and deputy director of the National Economic Council, where he took office in February of 2021.
