Lots of Progress on New Rio Playground

The new inclusive playground at Rio Lakefront has really taken shape lately as almost all of the equipment has been installed.

The playground will be along the opposite side of the boardwalk, just past the carousel. It’s expected to be ready to open this summer.

As of now, it’s still taped off and surrounded by dirt, but it looks like the only thing left to do is adding the playground flooring.

Below you’ll see a few pictures and a video of how the playground looks now.

New playground will open at @RIOLakefront this summerhttps://t.co/9ULKOD86pL pic.twitter.com/zRBA2bzwWc

— The MoCoShow (MCS) (@TheMoCoShow) June 9, 2021

F45 Training, a global fitness community that offers high-intensity group workouts and is partially owned by Mark Wahlberg, is coming to Downtown Silver Spring.

According to the @F45_training_dtsilverspring Instagram page, the fitness center will be moving into 8244 Georgia Ave., on the ground floor of Solaire 8250.

The Downtown Silver Spring location has been teased for over a year on the Instagram account, but the picture above finally revealed the location.

The Bethesda location, which was located at 4800 Auburn Ave., recently announced that it will no longer be operating from that location, but that they’re looking for investors and a new location to continue operating.

F45 also had a planned Rio location in Gaithersburg, but that fell through once the pandemic hit and will no longer be opening.

Revive DMV Holding its Grand Opening Today, 5/13/21

Revive DMV, a medical treatment and wellness center, is holding its grand opening at Rio in Gaithersburg today (26 Grand Corner Ave).

“At REVIVE Health & Wellness DMV our mission is to help you renew your health through comprehensive quality care in an efficient and cost effective manner. It’s easy to feel lost when it comes to understanding your body. We take a holistic approach to modern medicine. Our Specialists can help you identify the underlying causes and develop a success plan to help you feel better.”

Per Revive DMV:

🎉 Grand Opening Specials: 🎉

$10 / Unit Injectables
Fillers for just $499
Facials for 25% OFF with Voucher
First 20 Cryotherapy Sessions FREE
BOGO Couples Cryo for only $35
FREE HRT Consultation with our Specialist
First 50 IV Therapy sessions FREE
After first 50 IV’s, all appointments 50% OFF
IV Platinum Membership $239 / Month
IV Gold Membership $159.99 / Month
Ozone Therapy for $50 OFF
FREE InBody Scans
FREE Wellness Consultations

“*All specials are limited time offers. If you have any questions make sure to give us a call! (301)545-2148”

Both MoCo Dave & Busters Locations Reopen Gamerooms

Dave & Busters at 9811 Washingtonian Blvd. in Gaithersburg and 8661 Colesville Rd. in Silver Spring have both reopened their gamerooms after being closed for over a year.

We are told this change was made a couple weeks back.

Back in February, both locations opened the restaurant side of the operation for dine in and carryout service only.

Both location are open 7 days a week from noon until 11pm.

Washingtonian Paddle Boats Open at Rio Lakefront

The paddle boats at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg have opened for the season. Starting today, they’ll be open every weekend from noon to 6pm.

They will also be open this coming week, Spring Break week for MCPS (3/29-4-2) with the same hours– weather permitting.

Boats go for $20-$25 per half hour and hold up to 4 people, or 5 if one is a small child.

Washingtonian Paddle Boats have Covid-19 procedures in place. You can see them below:

COVID-19 PROCEDURES

*ALL CUSTOMERS MUST WEAR MASKS WHILE INTERACTING WITH STAFF, IN LINE AND ON THE DOCK.

*OCCUPANTS OF BOAT MUST BE MEMBERS OF THE SAME HOUSEHOLD.

*WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO BRING AND WEAR THEIR OWN USCG APPROVED LIFE JACKETS, DESPITE SPRAYING WITH DISINFECTANT WE CAN NOT GUARANTEE THEY ARE 100% DISINFECTED.

*CUSTOMERS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW CDC’S REQUIREMENTS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING (AT LEAST 6 FEET APART).

*IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL STAY HOME.

WE WILL BE DISINFECTING BOATS AND LIFE JACKETS AFTER EACH USE. 

It has been over a year and a half since we let you know that True Food Kitchen would be taking over the old Joe’s Crab Shack location in Rio (221 Rio Blvd Ste 0221, Gaithersburg, MD)

At the end of the summer the restaurant had made progress with the exterior, but the interior had a lot of work left to go. There hasn’t been any progress since then (as seen in the photos below).

Originally slated for a late 2020 opening, we spoke with a team member who told us the restaurant would not open until 2022.

The True Food Kitchen website lists Spring 2022 as the expected opening date.

True Food Kitchen is a health-focused restaurant chain with 23 locations in 10 U.S. states (most locations in California and Texas).

The restaurant focuses on serving healthy, seasonal, sustainable, and organic food with plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

This will be the second MoCo location, with the first being at 7100 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.

Rio Fire Lounge Opens Tomorrow, 11/25

Seating is reduced from its max capacity due to social distancing protocols and the fire lounge will be open daily from dusk until 10 pm.

We have a couple photos of the unfinished product and are running an awesome giveaway on our Instagram for your chance to win a rio package including:

• Cozy Sherpa Throw Blanket from Dick’s Sporting Goods
• $50 gift card to Corner Bakery to grab some hot cocoa and sweet treats

Please practice social distancing and wear a mask.

“Remember that guy that used to paint at Rio?” We sure do. If you ever walked through Rio between 2000-2016, you probably spotted George Petridis working on one of his beautiful paintings with a lot of his other artwork on display in the atrium of Rio just outside of the movie theater. For over 15 years, Petridis displayed his art and worked on new pieces surrounded by the bustle of the Rio crowd– often interacting with those who stopped to enjoy some of the work he had on display.

You’d be surprised to learn that Petridis didn’t actually live in MoCo, though he spent much of his time here while his art was on display at Rio. He was born and raised in Athens, Greece and didn’t pick up art until later in life while he was looking to become a cardiologist and fell in love with the daughter of a prominent artist in Belgium, who introduced him to painting. After participating in a show in Paris, he decided his passion would become his career and he joined his brother in Toronto, Canada.

After that, he spent some time back in Greece and then made his home in Slippery Rock, PA with his wife Melanie. Melanie has written a book on George’s life as an artist. The book it titled Destiny of an Artist and is available on Amazon. George unfortunately took sick in January of 2016 and passed away in July 4th of that year. His legacy will live on through his paintings and the fond memories we have of seeing him around Rio.

Starbucks in Rio to Close Permanently

We were informed this morning that Starbucks in Rio will be closing permanently.

A call to the location revealed that the store will be closing on Monday, September 21st.

As of now there is no word on what will take over the location at 213 Boardwalk Place.

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week at Guapo’s

The family-owned, local Tex-Mex chain is offering 20% off of meals for dine-in and carry-out when you show your teacher ID.

The offer runs from Wednesday, 9/9 to Wednesday 9/16 at all Guapo’s restaurants.

Work is about to get underway on the rio’s Phase II of renovations, as the fire pit lounge is now under construction.

The second phase features more enhancements along Rio’s lakefront, which will include a cozy fire pit lounge and an expansive and inclusive playground (which will require more permits before construction can begin).

The fire pit lounge will be located next to Uncle Julio’s and is expected to be ready later in the fall.