Torchy's Tacos opening in Rockville

Torchy's Tacos has leased the former Chuy's space at Federal Plaza on Rockville Pike, according to signage posted in the windows. Chuy's closed at 12266 Rockville Pike in 2020. 

Like Chuy's, Torchy's has an apostrophe "S," was founded in Austin, Texas, and owns all of its locations rather than license franchises. Unlike Chuy's, Torchy's leans more toward the fast casual model, and less toward a decor that looks like a freight train carrying a shipment of hubcaps crashed into a Texas flea market. 

Torchy's does have a full-service bar, unlike most fast-casual restaurants, however, and relies on a very simple marketing gimmick of serving "damn good" tacos. Which sets the bar very high, as Torchy's will live or die on the Pike based on the first few bites taken by customers, who are a short drive from Taco Bamba, Nada, and El Mariachi in Rockville, not to mention Tacos Don Perez in Glenmont.

The Good Feet store opens, Lane Bryant closes at Federal Plaza in Rockville

Out with the old and in with the new at one of the many busy shopping destinations in Montgomery County. The Good Feet Store is now open at 12274-D Rockville Pike. Exiting the shopping scene at Federal Plaza is Lane Bryant, which has closed permanently. The plus-size apparel chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, inititally closing 157 stores. This one survived, but is now getting the axe.

Mimi's Handmade Ice Cream now open at Federal Plaza in Rockville

Mimi's Handmade Ice Cream has opened at 12274-E Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza. The shop offers handmade ice cream, sorbet and sherbet. Asian, German and Italian-inspired flavors are found on the menu, alongside standard favorites. Operating hours are 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Good Feet Store opening at Federal Plaza in Rockville

The Good Feet Store is opening a new Rockville location at 12274-D Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza. "Coming soon" signage has been installed in the storefront windows. The Good Feet Store specializes in customized arch supports designed to relieve foot, hip, knee and back pain. It has an existing Rockville location at Wintergreen Plaza.

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar to open in Rockville

Federal Realty is making news again this week by signing a second restaurant to a lease at its Federal Plaza shopping center in Rockville. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will open a 3,325-square-foot restaurant at the property next summer. It will be the chain's first Maryland location, and second in the Washington, D.C. region. As the name suggests, sushi plates circulate throughout the dining room on conveyor belts, offering patrons choices of sushi, udon, ramen, hot and cold sides, and desserts. Upping the entertainment value for diners are the prizes dispensed by KuraBot robots for every 15 plates or beverages they serve. 

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar joins Torchy's Tacos in announcing their leases at Federal Plaza this week.  “We welcome Torchy’s Tacos and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar as they expand into Maryland,” Ralph Ours, Director of Leasing, Mid-Atlantic Region at Federal Realty said in a statement. “These two new, innovative dining additions further cement Federal Plaza as a popular shopping and dining destination for the Rockville and greater Montgomery County community.”

KuraBot

Photos by Lisa Czech (top), Emily J. Davis (middle), Kura Sushi (bottom)

Torchy's Tacos opening in Rockville

Those who made Federal Plaza a stop for Tex-Mex food during Chuy's short run there will have another Mexican chain from Texas to check out there soon. Torchy's Tacos has signed a lease at the shopping center, property owner Federal Realty announced Monday. Its 3,961-square-foot Rockville location will be the chain's first in the Washington, D.C. area. Torchy's, founded in Austin in 2006, is promising to serve "the most unique tacos, coveted queso and refreshing margaritas in the game, and the rotating Taco of the Month."

DMV Iron Gym "coming soon" to Rockville

DMV Iron Gym has posted "coming soon" signage at its future space at Federal Plaza in Rockville. Located next to Micro Center, the gym was expected to open next month, but the signage gives a more generous "Fall 2023" opening target. The 16,000-square-foot gym will be filled with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, and represent the local chain's first venture into Maryland. 

Chuy's signage finally removed in Rockville

It took more than two years, but the signage has finally been removed from the abandoned Chuy's restaurant at 12266 Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza. No more will out-of-state drivers pull in to the shopping center for an Elvis Presley Memorial Combo, only to find themselves rattling a locked door. The Tex-Mex restaurant opened in October 2016, and remained untouched like a post-apocalyptic time capsule years after its pandemic-era closure. Why the chain gave up on Rockville when it is still packing customers in at other area locations remains a mystery. An Olive Garden would be the perfect tenant for this space!

DMV Iron Gym to open in Rockville

DMV Iron Gym is expanding into Montgomery County. It will open a new facility at Federal Plaza in Rockville this fall, property owner Federal Realty announced Monday. DMV Iron Gym centers its training philosophy around three "pillars:" mindset, movement, and function. Classes and goals range from fitness and weight loss to athletic assessments and rehabilitation.

“For years, we’ve been hearing from our members that they would love to see us expand into Maryland," DMV Iron Gym owner Leo Williams said yesterday. "We were excited by the central location of Federal Plaza in Rockville, and look forward to bringing a state-of-the-art gym and training facility to Montgomery County.” 

The 16,000 square foot gym will open in September 2023. It will be located next to Micro Center.

This vacant Rockville Chuy's restaurant is frozen in time (Photos)

Chuy's has been closed at Federal Plaza in Rockville for more than two years now. Other than the removal of the flatscreen televisions in the bar, it still looks the same as it did during the four years it was open. Signage remains on the outside of the Tex-Mex restaurant.

Why Chuy's closed and never reopened after the pandemic lockdown of 2020 remains a mystery. The food was very good. Other Chuy's locations in the region remained open and are still packing in diners today. They never even collected their furniture and extensive interior decor. 

Car crashes into Tiger Sugar in Rockville

A driver crashed their vehicle into Tiger Sugar at 12266-E Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza last night. According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer, no injuries were reported, but he said the County will inspect the structure to determine the extent of the damage. However, a witness told The MoCo Show, when it first reported the crash last night, that the driver was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries. 

A large board has been placed over the damaged area today. If you look closely, you'll notice a column at the curb in front of the shop was destroyed by the vehicle, as well. Tiger Sugar is temporarily closed due to the incident.

Crumbl Cookies sets opening date at Federal Plaza in Rockville

Crumbl Cookies is finally ready to open its first D.C.-area location at Federal Plaza at 12266 Rockville Pike. The store and delivery business will open this Friday, October 2, 2020. Cookie lovers will love the hours, as the store will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 AM to midnight. Additionally, cookies can be delivered from 8:00 AM until 10:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. On the weekend, deliveries will be available from 8:00 AM to midnight. 

Crumbl will offer four limited-time cookie varieties each week, along with their two standard cookies: warm chocolate chip and chilled sugar cookie. Limited-time flavors will include Muddy Buddy, Biscoff Lava, Funfetti, Snickerdoodle, Coconut Lime, Chocolate Caramel, Cranberry Vanilla, Nutella Sea Salt, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Rocky Road, S’Mores, Orange Creamsicle, and more. 

Customers in the store - who will have to wear masks and observe capacity limits due to covid-19 protocols - can watch the cookies being made in the open bakery. “Having our customers see every cookie being made is one of the best experiences of our stores,” Federal Plaza Crumbl location owner Robert Davis said this morning. “Each ingredient is carefully chosen to provide customers with the highest quality cookie on the market.” 

Spirit Halloween to return to Rockville for 2020 in new location

Spirit Halloween, the king of seasonal Halloween retailers, is returning to Rockville for the 2020 Halloween season. Last year, they used REI's old space on Rockville Pike. This year, they're relocating a few blocks south of there. The props and costumes store will pop up in the old Five Below space at Federal Plaza this time.

Subway closes at Federal Plaza

No more $5 Footlongs at Federal Plaza. Subway has closed, their signage is gone, and their space has been totally cleared out. Usually we can blame the moribund Montgomery County economy or - more recently - the coronavirus, but the struggling sub chain has been closing an average of three locations a day according to Restaurant Business Online.

Outdoor seating at Silver Diner in Rockville

The outdoor seating at Silver Diner at 12276 Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza is among the most upscale in Montgomery County. Compared to scattered tables - sometimes with umbrellas - plunked down in parking spaces at other shopping centers, Silver Diner's is more like a garden party. A full-size tent covers the outdoor seating, and it even includes plants for decoration.

Crumbl Cookies opening in Rockville

A cookie shop? This brings back memories of an age when Mrs. Field's was a ubiquitous mall tenant like Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon. Let's pretend to return to a golden age of warm cookies when Crumbl Cookies opens later this year at Federal Plaza.

This will be the first northeast location of Crumbl Cookies, which also sells ice cream. They've chosen a good location on busy Rockville Pike, and which is also walking distance from Pike & Rose, another Federal Realty property.

They've started construction inside. But the signs are already up outside. I'm a little bit triggered by the name of the Utah-based company, though - fresh, soft cookies shouldn't crumble!