Regal Cinemas temporarily closed for renovations in Rockville

Regal Cinemas Rockville Center cineplex at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue is temporarily closed for renovations. The theater is scheduled to reopen on August 22, 2026. Some users of the Regal app have reported that the closure is not being shown on it. The good news is that renovations mean that the theater won't be permanently closing anytime soon.

Signage installed at Crust & Crumb Bakery Cafe in Rockville

The sign is up at Crust & Crumb Bakery Cafe at 718 Rockville Pike in Rockville. Tonight, it was already hooked up and lit. Inside, preparations continue ahead of the cafe's debut. I haven't come across any official website or social media pages for the business, so stay tuned for an opening date.

Police release description of King Farm assailant in Rockville

Rockville City police have released a description of the alleged assailant in the August 13 assault near King Farm Park. The suspect approached and assaulted the victim "between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM" in the 400 block of Deer Meadow Lane. Police describe the suspect as White male in his 50s or 60s, with gray and black hair and a beard. He was wearing a grey shirt and skinny blue jeans. If you have any information about this incident, call police at 240-314-8900.

Female pedestrian dies after being struck by driver in Rockville

A woman and child were struck by a driver while crossing a street in Rockville Monday night, August 17, 2026, and the woman tragically passed away at a local hospital later in the evening. Montgomery County police report that the child is suffering from non-life-threatening injuries, and is expected to survive. Police did not specify the precise location of the collision, saying it took place "near Chapman Avenue and Twinbrook Parkway." @TheDMVLive on Twitter cited the location as the intersection of Rockville Pike and Twinbrook Parkway.

Rockville City police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel were dispatched to the scene at 8:25 PM. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the police investigation. @TheDMVLive reported that the striking vehicle veered off the road after the collision. The white vehicle, with Florida tags, could be seen resting among grass and bushes in video he posted.

Subway to close Town Center location in Rockville

Subway will close its Rockville Town Center location by the end of this year, according to an auction announcement for the sub sandwich shop. Everything inside the restaurant, which is located at 2 N. Washington Street, will be auctioned off starting on December 31, 2026 at 9:21 AM. The Town Center Potbelly has been closed for an extended period due to water damage, meaning sub sandwiches may be increasingly hard to find in the center of town as 2027 dawns. But if you always wanted a lighted Subway sign on your wall, bidding starts at 50 cents! Subway fans will still have the store at 1402 Rockville Pike, which was recently fully renovated.

Assault near King Farm Park in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault near King Farm Park Thursday afternoon, August 13, 2026. The assault was reported in the 400 block of Deer Meadow Lane at 3:00 PM Thursday. That is a residential street that runs alongside the park.

Rockville restaurant for sale

A longtime Rockville restaurant business is being offered for sale. Mosaic Cuisine, located at 186 Halpine Road, is listed as for sale with an asking price of $300,000. A French restaurant that opened in 2001, the business is being marketed as a turnkey operation, with two weeks of training offered to the ultimate buyer. The restaurant's owner is retiring, according to the online listing.

Windsor closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Windsor is closing at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, according to a sign posted in the store's display window. The sign indicates their final day of operation will be this coming Sunday, August 16, 2026. Customers are being directed to Windsor locations at Wheaton Plaza, Tysons Corner Center, and Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. Windsor arrived at Montgomery Mall in 2019. The brand was founded 89 years ago, and has more than 200 locations. I see no evidence it is closing stores elsewhere, so this location appears to be the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy, and the anti-business policies of the County Council.

Bogotá Coffee House opening in Rockville

Bogotá Coffee House is coming to Rockville Town Center. It will be located at 115 N. Washington Street. Permanent signage has already been installed above the storefront. When you think of coffee, Colombia automatically comes to mind, so this could be a promising alternative to Starbucks in the Town Center area.

Huntington Learning Center opening soon in Rockville

Huntington Learning Center is coming soon to Rockville. It will be located at 36-F Maryland Avenue at The Square at Rockville in Rockville Town Center, right next to Kusshi. Huntington offers personalized K-12 academic tutoring, subject-specific help, and exam prep for the SAT, ACT, and other standardized tests. Operating hours will be 9:30 AM to 8:30 PM Monday through Thursday, 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturdays, and closed on Fridays and Sundays.

Ay! Mama Taqueria opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Ay! Mama Taqueria has officially opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. You can check out the menu in the photos below. If you are shaken up by $20 burritos, you'll be relieved that Ay! Mama's burritos are $13-14. Look for Ay! Mama in the Dining Terrace food court, next to Chick-Fil-A.

Fashion Q opening August 14 at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Fashion Q's triumphant return to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda now has an opening date. The women's apparel boutique will begin soft opening hours starting this Friday, August 14, 2026. Wholesale purchasing is the Los Angeles-based chain's secret to lower prices. Look for Fashion Q this Friday on Level 1 of the mall, across from Build-A-Bear.

Bartaco adding mural to exterior in Rockville

Bartaco is adding a mural to the exterior of its restaurant at 950 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose on Rockville Pike. Artists have been out working on the addition over the weekend. The new public art piece prominently features the chain's dragonfly logo. Overall, the imagery and colors reflect the brand's "coastal vibe" aesthetic, inspired by Brazil, Uruguay, and Southern California. The mural stands out on a block that has very nice looking storefront designs, but not much in the way of public art.

Sneak peek: Crust & Crumb in Rockville

Crust & Crumb looks like it is getting very close to opening in Rockville. It is located at 718 Rockville Pike, in the former Roy Rogers space. Everything appears to be in place inside, except for the baked goods. Still to come are exterior signage, and an opening date. In the meantime, enjoy this sneak peek!

Ay! Mama Taqueria opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Ay! Mama Taqueria is heading west. It will be located inside Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The taqueria has leased a space in the Dining Terrace food court, right by Chick-fil-A. Ay! Mama started as a tenant inside the ill-fated Solaire Social food hall, which abruptly closed last fall, evicting all tenants. A true family business, Ay! Mama is best known for their rich birria recipe, as well as their fresh corn chips and breakfast menu.

Rockville police release description of suspect in armed robbery of postal worker

Rockville City police have released a description of the suspect in the August 3, 2026 armed robbery of a United States Postal Service mail carrier in the King Farm neighborhood. They have also confirmed that the robber indeed allegedly was after a key that opens multiple mailboxes, the frequent target in robberies of postal employees in recent years. Police say the suspect fled the scene in the 1100 block of Elmcroft Boulevard at 3:45 PM in a blue 4-door sedan.

The suspect is described by police as a Black male with a "light complexion," and a skinny build. He is approximately 5’10" in height, and was wearing dark blue clothing. If you have any information about the identity or location of this suspect, call police at 240-314-8900.

Taiwan's MedVoyage Global chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. headquarters

Is Northern Virginia tired of winning yet? No! And fortunately for them, Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials aren't tired of losing. Thus it is that the Taiwanese firm MedVoyage Global has chosen Virginia, not Maryland, for its U.S. headquarters. The MedVoyage HQ will be at 10300 Eaton Place, at the Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) in Fairfax City. MedVoyage is a leading firm in the future of healthcare, using a low-Earth-orbit satellite network to deliver telehealth and pharmacy services to remote areas in 40 countries, to ships at sea, and to over 80 bricks-and-mortar medical centers across the globe, as well as connecting these remote customers with emergency response units.

Now MedVoyage is expanding into the North American healthcare market, and has chosen Northern Virginia as its base to scale up system and sales operations, as well as to navigate federal regulatory red tape. "Over the next two years, the company plans to scale its local workforce with systems engineers, clinical compliance specialists, and commercial sales executives," the Fairfax City Economic Development corporation said in a statement this morning. FCED added that this latest victory "further strengthens Fairfax City’s role within Northern Virginia’s innovation economy."

"Selecting Fairfax City for our U.S. headquarters is a foundational step in our global scaling strategy," MedVoyage Global CEO Nemo Teng said in a statement. "MEC Fairfax offers the ideal soft-landing environment and unparalleled access to the Northern Virginia tech ecosystem, placing us minutes away from critical federal and defense stakeholders such as the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense. This facility allows us to rapidly build strategic U.S. partnerships, access premier regional engineering talent, and deploy our emergency and maritime telehealth solutions across North America."

Anyone familiar with local geography will realize that Montgomery County is also in close proximity to these same federal and defense stakeholders. So, why does Northern Virginia keep winning, and Montgomery County keep losing?

You can look at the most obvious difference, which is the low tax environment of Virginia versus Montgomery County, which weighs down its residents and businesses with the highest total tax and fee burden in the region. But let's again go a step further, and see how once again Northern Virginia's superior infrastructure triumphs over Montgomery County's incomplete master plan highway system and poor airport access.

MedVoyage Global's new U.S. HQ will sit right beside an on-ramp to Interstate 66, and directly adjacent to U.S. Route 50. That will give MedVoyage a straight shot to Dulles International Airport via Route 50, or even faster with tolls via I-66. In contrast, Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials continue to block construction of the long-delayed new Potomac River crossing of I-370 from Gaithersburg to Dulles. 

As much as Northern Virginia enjoys winning, so do corporations that need to make something called profits. Winning is contagious. And winners like to have direct access to the only airport in the region with the frequency and variety of flights to international destinations that international businesspeople require to compete - Dulles International Airport. Thanks to our anti-business, Marxist "leadership," Montgomery County continues to lack that strategic advantage - by choice!!

In another delicious coincidence, did you know that Montgomery County's unfinished master plan highway system would have also extended I-66 access into Bethesda? The unbuilt Northwest Freeway, which would have paralleled Wisconsin Avenue through Bethesda, Friendship Heights and Tenleytown, would have crossed the Potomac on the also-unbuilt Three Sisters Bridge and (surprise!) also-unbuilt I-266 near Georgetown University. And you wonder where Montgomery County got all that land for tiny parks and big parking garages between Wisconsin Avenue and the Town of Chevy Chase!

By learning to love losing.

Postal worker robbed at gunpoint in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of an armed robbery in the King Farm neighborhood yesterday afternoon, August 3, 2026. The victim was a United States Postal Service employee delivering mail. At least one suspect wielding a firearm confronted the postal worker outside of a townhome in the 1100 block of Elmcroft Boulevard at 3:40 PM Monday. Montgomery County police say the worker was robbed of unspecified property. 

Police have not released a description of the suspect(s) as of this writing. Typically, criminals robbing postal workers are attempting to obtain the USPS arrow key they carry. These are master keys that unlock all mailboxes within a particular area. Thieves then use the key to obtain checks from mailboxes that they can wash, and cash in their name for an inflated amount. 

Squatter found inside vacant apartment in Rockville

A man arriving to what he expected would be a night of construction work at an apartment in Rockville discovered something - or someone - else. Entering the vacant apartment unit in the 100 block of Talbott Street at 6:46 PM Saturday night, he was startled to find a squatter inside. The squatter ran out of the apartment, and fled the complex, Montgomery County police say. 

Rockville City police officers, who responded to the scene, found no preliminary indication that anything had been removed from the unit. A description of the squatter was not released.

Montgomery County Council seeks to remove neighborhood veto power on "benefit performances"

The Montgomery County Council is proposing to strip residents of their existing veto power over "benefit performances" staged in their residential neighborhoods. Currently, entities and organizations - with a few exceptions, such as fire departments and religious institutions - who propose to hold a live music event, carnival, festival, or other performance to raise charitable funds must obtain consent from 75% of residents whose homes are within 600 feet of the performance site. Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-11: Temporary Uses - Benefit Performances would entirely eliminate this veto authority from neighbors. If passed, the ZTA would merely require that those residents be notified that they are going to be treated to a benefit performance, whether they like it or not. The performances could last as long as 15 days(!!).

I would venture to say that few Montgomery County residents are even aware that they currently possess this veto authority, much less that the Council is conniving to relieve them of it. The move continues a trend for the Council - when they're not banning stuff or raising taxes, they're systematically removing residents' ability to express objection or input on controversial matters they want to ram through, from development and road diets to bike lanes, bus depots, landfills and jails. A public hearing on the ZTA is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

Rockville Taco Bell closes for remodeling

Taco Bell has temporarily closed at 1100 Rockville Pike for a complete remodeling of the restaurant. The demolition and construction are expected to take four to six months, according to a restaurant employee. This is, hands down, the best Taco Bell in Montgomery County, so it will be a long four to six months! Based on newer store models being rolled out elsewhere in the country, you can probably expect to find a dual lane drive-thru, more Fight For $15 ordering kiosks, and a design that favors speedy fulfillment of delivery and mobile orders. 

Potbelly closes at Gaithersburg Square

Potbelly has closed at 544 N. Frederick Avenue at Gaithersburg Square. Signage has been ripped off the storefront, and the interior appears to have been cleared out. The sandwich chain is actually in an expansion mode of significant growth, only closing low performing stores. Once again, the anti-business policies of the Montgomery County Council - and the resulting moribund economy - claim another victim.

Fashion Q returning to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Red alert! Fashion Q is making a triumphant return to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Los Angeles-based fashion wholesaler closed almost exactly one year ago at the mall, after less than a year in business, a victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy. Now they're giving it another go, this time in the former Forever 21 space on Level 1, across from Build-A-Bear. 

Fashion Q traces its roots back to the 1980s. It chose its "Q" logo because a one-letter sign was cheaper than using the whole brand name. The cost savings extend to its merchandise, which is purchased wholesale here and abroad.

Fugitive alleged thieves found at Motel 6 in Gaithersburg

Two men accused of multiple thefts from vehicles in Bethesda were located at one of my favorite hotels in Montgomery County, the Motel 6 at 497 Quince Orchard Road in Gaithersburg. Say what you will, but these two fellas have got great taste when it comes to lodging. Craig Pendergrass, 30, of Silver Spring and Antonio Gordon, 38, of Frederick may have been expecting Tom Bodett when they heard a knock on their door, but it turned out to be Montgomery's Finest. 

Police claim numerous stolen items, including electronics and other property linked to the Bethesda thefts, were found in their hotel room. Two firearms previously reported stolen in a separate Montgomery County case were also recovered. Pendergrass and Gordon were arrested and charged with multiple counts of theft: $1,500 to under $25,000, rogue and vagabond and related charges. They are being held without bond. 

Photo courtesy Montgomery County Police Department 

iSmash rage room "coming soon" to Rockville

iSmash rage room is "coming soon" to Rockville, according to signage posted in the windows of its future storefront at 36-C Maryland Avenue, at The Square at Rockville. Designed to let patrons blow off steam in a controlled, safe environment, iSmash also accommodates date nights, group events, and team-building exercises. "We’re building something Rockville hasn’t seen before…and trust us, it’ll be worth the wait," iSmash Rockville posted on their Facebook page earlier this month. Stay tuned for an opening date.

Armed carjacking in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of an armed carjacking Monday night, July 27, 2026. It took place in the 500 block of Hungerford Drive (MD 355) at 10:00 PM. A suspect displayed a handgun to a driver, and ordered the driver out of the vehicle. The suspect then drove away in the stolen vehicle. Police have not released a description of the suspect or of the stolen vehicle as of this writing.

Watkins Mill Town Center: Promises made, promises broken

Montgomery County taxpayers, and early homebuyers, were sold a vision of the Watkins Mill Town Center shortly after the Montgomery County cartel seized a majority of the seats on the County Council in 2002. Over twenty years later - like the similarly promoted Clarksburg Town Center - the Watkins Mill Town Center remains an empty field. Nowhere to be found are the promised shops, restaurants, and movie theater with a special liquor license that predated the lobby bars that would pop up in County cinemas a decade later. And no Corridor Cities Transitway light rail connects Watkins Mill to the Shady Grove Metro station - or anything else for that matter.

Like Clarksburg, all of the highly-profitable residential housing was built at Watkins Mill. But the less profitable commercial construction and amenities? You're on your own, baby, the Council and City of Gaithersburg told residents. Hey, you got a mega gas station and Starbucks on the other side of the highway, so shut up and quit your complaining.

Taxpayers who picked up the tab for new services and classrooms will well remember that the developers involved helped get favored County and City officials elected. Their campaign signs were even erected on the property. They got elected, and prospered. The developers prospered. You, the taxpayer? Not so much. 

It follows the Montgomery County cartel model we've seen everywhere from Westbard to downtown Bethesda and White Oak. Developers and their planning and legislative puppets promise the world. They get their approvals. Then they take the money and run - for the hills, or for re-election. Amenities are deleted. Master plans ignored. Commercial land gets rezoned for more and more housing. 

Watkins Mill Town Center. Promises made. Promises broken.

Vandals damage apartments in Rockville

Rockville City police report that two suspects allegedly caused damage to multiple apartments in the Rockville Town Center area on July 22, 2026. Between 5:00 and 6:00 PM that evening, police say, the suspects vandalized a water valve at a commercial property in the 100 block of Gibbs Street. As a result of the damage to the valve, multiple apartments in the building suffered water damage. The incident was reported to police the following day.

"Foreign intelligence officials" extort multiple victims in Rockville

Scammers posing as foreign intelligence officials extorted funds from multiple victims in Rockville over the last two months. According to Rockville City police, the fake spies convinced several people to transfer Bitcoin into unknown accounts between June 18 and July 13, 2026. A King Farm resident who realized they'd been duped reported it to police on July 14. If you believe you were victimized as well, contact police at 240-314-8900.

Marijuana sign lights up on Rockville Pike

A "CANNABIS DISPENSARY" sign has been activated at 1470 Rockville Pike in Rockville. This is a quite brilliant workaround of increasingly-restrictive sign regulations by Stash Cannabis Co., which will open in the former bank building there next month. The sign in question was previously erected by a previous bank tenant, and its use by Stash is therefore grandfathered in. Occasionally, you'll see a new tenant or a developer knock down a sign like this, apparently unaware of the value being lost in doing so. Too many businesses along the Pike are losing customers who can't see that they are there when driving past.