Peter Chang opens in Gaithersburg

One of the D.C. area's top chefs chose an auspicious day to open the latest addition to his growing restaurant empire. Peter Chang's new Gaithersburg location at 637 N. Frederick Avenue celebrated its grand opening last night, following a rare solar eclipse. This is Chang's first tapas-style small plates concept. The restaurant also offers a Dim Sum menu. 

During the final countdown to Monday's opening, an artist worked to complete a colorful mural on the exterior of the building. The Gaithersburg venture joins Chang's other successful Montgomery County restaurants in downtown Bethesda, and at Rockville Town Square.

Walnut Hill Shopping Center seeks Sheetz-related parking waivers from Gaithersburg

Walnut Hill Shopping Center is seeking approval of changes to its parking lot, and waivers for smaller drive aisles in several spots around the lot, from the City of Gaithersburg. The retail property was recently annexed into the City, and is making many improvements and alterations to successfully bring add an Aldi grocery store and Sheetz convenience store to its tenant roster. Because the future Sheetz will take up a portion of the existing surface parking lot, a reconfiguration of the rest of the parking spaces on the lot is necessary. Walnut Hill is arguing that maintaining a sufficient number of spaces will require waivers to allow several drive aisles to be narrower than allowed under City code.

The drive aisles proposed in several locations around the parking lot would be 20 to 24 feet in width. City of Gaithersburg code requires drive aisles with two-way traffic to be 26' in width. The Gaithersburg Planning Commission will take up the waiver request at its meeting tonight, April 3, 2024, at 7:30 PM. City staff are recommending approval of the waiver request, and have advised that the other proposed changes - which involve adding green space to the parking lot (shown in green on the map below) - be addressed when the site plan for the Sheetz is submitted for approval at a later date.

Gaithersburg, upper Montgomery County residents may see a police drone tonight

Gaithersburg and upper Montgomery County residents may see a police drone flying and hovering over the area tonight. The Montgomery County Police Department announced this morning that it plans an Unmanned Aerial System drone draining session tonight, March 20, 2024 in that area of the county. "[T]here is no reason for alarm," the department said in a statement posted on social media regarding the planned drone maneuvers. MCPD utilizes a DJI Matrice 300 RTK, which operates at altitudes between 200 and 400 feet.

Naz's Halal Food opening in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Square is swapping halal for halal in the same spot. Naz's Halal Food will be opening at the shopping center at 522 N. Frederick Avenue, according to a banner posted on the storefront. That's the same space just vacated by The Halal Guys. So, if you were sad about The Halal Guys inexplicably failing at this location, you can now dry your tears. Great halal food is returning soon to Gaithersburg Square.

Naz's Halal has been around for fewer years than The Halal Guys, but has menu items the Guys don't, like burgers, fish, and Philly cheesesteaks. Of course, you can also order the kind of platters familiar to Halal Guys customers, which make up the heart of the menu here. Montgomery County residents already have familiarity with the chain, as Naz's has locations in Germantown, Rockville, Burtonsville, White Oak and Takoma Park.

Montgomery County's first Wawa opens in Gaithersburg (Photos)

The first Wawa convenience store and mega gas station celebrated its Grand Opening yesterday, March 7, 2024 at 405 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Many of the price promotions for the opening remain in effect through Sunday, as you will see in some of the photos below. The gleaming interior holds, if not every snack you can imagine, every snack you need. 

Located directly across MD 355 from Gaithersburg High School, Wawa has posted a prohibition on having more than two minors inside the store at any time. Backpacks are also prohibited beyond the vestibule of the store. It will be interesting to compare gas prices at this Wawa with competitors Sheetz and Royal Farms up the road in the coming months.

IKEA sets opening date for first Montgomery County store

IKEA has set an opening date for its first Montgomery County store, a small-format Plan & Order Point store at 101 Boardwalk Place at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. The store will open on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 11:00 AM. A grand opening celebration will be held from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. There will be giveaways, free food (Swedish meatballs?), and free drinks. Attendees will also be able to compete for prizes in the Spin to Win game. See my sneak peek at the Plan & Order Point interior for an idea of what is in store at Montgomery County's first IKEA store.

"We are thrilled to bring the best of IKEA to our DMV neighbors," IKEA U.S. CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer Javier Quiñones said in a statement. "We’ve seen that customers are still eager for in-person experiences, and we hope that this new Plan and order point with Pick-up provides a new and convenient way to shop."

Gaithersburg to rule on updated signage for Walnut Hill Shopping Center

The venerable Walnut Hill Shopping Center sign is a landmark in itself for drivers traveling through Gaithersburg on MD 355. But like other design features at the center, it is now considered past its prime as the property's owners are amidst a major renovation to update it. There is one other problem - as Walnut Hill was annexed into the City of Gaithersburg to facilitate the addition of a Sheetz convenience store, it is now subject to that city's zoning codes. And those codes say that Walnut Hill's existing signage is not compliant.

Proposed locations of new
monument signs (in red) and
freestanding tenant signage (green)

The Gaithersburg Planning Commission will attempt to resolve all of these issues by reviewing, and potentially voting to approve a comprehensive sign package submitted by Walnut Hill at its March 6, 2024 meeting. Walnut Hill's proposed signage is still not in compliance with city code, but Planning staff are still recommending approval of the package. They note that the new signs will be in the same locations, will assist in safer wayfinding for drivers and pedestrians, and will not be visually obstructive. 

One condition placed on the release of final sign permits from the City is the removal of two Montgomery County stormwater easements at the property. Some of the current and new signs are located within those easements. The City says it is currently working with Montgomery County to have those easements terminated.

Corner monument sign - note the
Sheetz gas station canopy visible in 
the background

Wawa sets opening date for Gaithersburg store

The first Wawa to open in Montgomery County finally has an opening date, after nearly five years of anticipation, planning, government approvals and construction. Wawa will open at 405 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg with a Grand Opening event on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 7:45 AM. Festivities will begin with a countdown at 7:45 AM, until the doors officially open at 8:00 AM. The first 100 customers through the door will receive a commemorative "In My Wawa Era 60th Anniversary" t-shirt, which recalls the opening of the first Wawa store in Folsom, Pennsylvania in 1964. All customers will receive a free hot coffee in the size of their choice.

A ceremonial toast will be held at 8:30 AM, followed by a Hoagies for Heroes competition in which the Gaithersburg Police Department and Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Station 8 personnel will build Wawa sandwiches. Wawa mascot Wally Goose will then lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Wawa is proud to open its doors to provide trusted quality products, convenience, new jobs, support, and to Fulfill Lives in the community," the company said in a statement. "The event will celebrate new associates and customers and simple gestures, like holding the door for one another, that together make a big difference in making Wawa’s family-like store atmosphere possible. The grand opening celebration will gather the community to welcome everyone on day one and celebrate the impact the new store will have on its neighbors and community."

Aldi construction begins at Walnut Hill Shopping Center in Gaithersburg

Excitement is in the air at the venerable Walnut Hill Shopping Center at 16529 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Contractor HBW Construction of Rockville has begun work converting the former Weis Markets space for new anchor tenant Aldi. Renovations to update the shopping center's appearance are also underway at the property, as you can see below. 

Continue to patronize your favorite businesses at the center, as despite the tarps and scaffolding, all tenants remain open during the renovations. A second Gaithersburg location of Sheetz will add to the buzz at the shopping center in the future. The City of Gaithersburg recently approved the annexation of Walnut Hill into the city, in large part to secure the agreement with Sheetz. That Sheetz deal became a critical linchpin in Walnut Hill's plan to revitalize the property. Walnut Hill's ownership said the revenue from the Sheetz would finance the renovations to the center, property upgrades that Aldi had required as a condition of its lease. Sheetz opened its first Gaithersburg store last year, and shortly thereafter declared it was "highly-impressed with the performance" of the location.

Menu screens activated inside Wawa opening soon in Gaithersburg

The opening of the first Wawa in Montgomery County is that much closer today, with the activation of the animated flatscreen menu boards inside the convenience store at 405 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Through the windows, the screens could be seen cycling through menu items and promotional messages. 

Outside the building, fresh asphalt has been laid down on part of the parking lot area, and striping has been painted for parking spaces and crosswalks. Gas pumps have been in place since last November, and remain taped off for now. Wawa continues to show no dates for this, or any other new Wawa store, on the "Store Grand Openings" page on its website as of this writing.