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.

Update on Cold Stone Creamery, opening soon in Rockville

The sign is up at Cold Stone Creamery, opening soon at 891-H Rockville Pike at Wintergreen Plaza in Rockville. Window coverings remain in place, so we still can't see the state of progress on the interior fit-out of the chilled slab ice cream parlor. But this location does now appear on the Cold Stone website.

Ice cream lovers have previously had to patronize the Cold Stone kiosk at Montgomery Mall, but now we're going to get the full ice cream parlor experience. Austin 3:16 says Rockville Pike will get a replacement for the cruel closure of Baskin Robbins several years ago, and that's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold said so. 

Model homes open at Watkins Mill Station in Gaithersburg

Model homes are now open to tour at Pulte Homes' Watkins Mill Station development at 506 Parkview Avenue in Gaithersburg. The development features stacked 2-level townhome-style condos, which start at $584,990. When completed, the property will offer a Clubhouse with a fitness room, an outdoor swimming pool, a pavilion, a tot lot, and two pocket parks. What's most interesting is how close it is to the actual train station that inspired its name. You are literally steps away from the platform at the Metropolitan Grove MARC commuter rail station. This could be a real boon for the person who works in downtown Silver Spring, or near Union Station in Washington, D.C., or for train buffs who want a front row seat to the Amtrak, CSX, and MARC Brunswick Line trains passing through this station.

Gorjana opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gorjana has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A midsummer opening is perfect timing for this Laguna Beach-inspired jewelry boutique, even if you're more likely to be sporting pieces from your Gorjana haul at O.C., rather than in The O.C. New additions for this summer include scallop earrings, the Scallop Padlock Bay Necklace, and the 18K gold plated Crab Single Stud earring, all at surprisingly reasonable prices. Look for Gorjana on Level 1 of the mall, next to Sunglass Hut in the Nordstrom wing.

SLT coming this fall to Rockville

SLT is coming this fall to Rockville. It will be located at 1643-A Rockville Pike at Congressional Plaza, between Shoe Fly and Appalachian Spring. The boutique fitness studio utilizes an advanced, custom version of the traditional Pilates reformer called the Megaformer. Following the Lagree Fitness Method, SLT's 50-minute workouts combine high-intensity strength training with cardio and low-impact Pilates. SLT stands for Strengthen • Lengthen • Tone.

Arby's coming soon to Derwood

Derwood will soon "have the meats." Arby's has leased the building formerly home to McDonald's at 7200 Muncaster Mill Road at the Red Mill Shops shopping center. The McDonald's closed here this past March. It will be an ironic transformation, as an Arby's restaurant on Rockville Pike was recently converted into a McDonald's. Now Arby's will return the favor in Derwood.

Little Miner Taco closes in Rockville

Little Miner Taco has closed at 39-A Maryland Avenue at The Square at Rockville in Rockville Town Center. The birria taco restaurant opened there two years ago. A sign in the window says the restaurant is closed for maintenance. However, the Rockville location has been removed from the Little Miner Taco website, which still lists their Brentwood and Northeast Washington D.C. spots.