Rockville construction update: Five Guys at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

Five Guys is not new to either Rockville or Bethesda, but this new one at Montrose Crossing on Rockville Pike will split the difference. The familiar checkered tile, counters and even the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine are in place. No furniture yet, though.

Slapfish Rockville opening mid-July

I have a couple of updates on fast-casual seafood shack Slapfish. Their grand opening at the Montrose Crossing shopping center on Rockville Pike is now scheduled for mid-July.

Slapfish offers at least one region-exclusive item at its locations, and they have announced the menu here will feature a Clobster Cake, made with half Maryland crab and half New England lobster. That will be in addition to the standard menu, with popular favorites like Clobster Grilled Cheese, the Ultimate Fish Taco, and Chowder Fries.

The rapidly-growing chain expects to open ten locations over the next six months. It currently operates 13 restaurants.

Slapfish aiming for June opening in Rockville

Fast-casual seafood restaurant Slapfish is working towards a tentative early June opening at the Montrose Crossing shopping center at 12033 Rockville Pike. The 2250 SF restaurant will feature 68 seats inside, and 16 more on an outdoor patio space.

Slapfish will be open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM, and Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 AM to 11:00 PM. They will serve craft beer and wine among the beverage choices.

Can they succeed like Luke's Lobster, or will they fail like LobsterME? Their prices appear to be lower than LobsterME in California. Will this location offer the Lobster Ramen Burrito? Stay tuned!

Slapfish to open at Montrose Crossing

Slapfish will be in the space at right

Fast-casual seafood chain Slapfish will open a restaurant this year at the Montrose Crossing shopping center. It will be located in the new retail structure facing Rockville Pike, in the space next to Honeygrow, which is now open. While Slapfish has primarily been a western U.S. chain, it is making inroads here in the Mid-Atlantic now, with another location planned for One Loudoun.

Fish tacos, shrimp burritos, fish sandwiches, chowder fries and a variety of lobster dishes are just some of the items on the menu. Slapfish will also work seafood from our region into the choices. Whether they can make work what Lobster ME couldn't, will be interesting to watch.

Rockville construction update: CAVA at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

CAVA will be opening early this year at Montrose Crossing, at 12037 Rockville Pike. There's still a ways to go here, as you can see. Neighbor Honeygrow in this new building at the property is now open.

Golf Galaxy closes in Rockville (Photos)

Golf Galaxy has closed in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. The golf "superstore" sold golf equipment, offered repairs and accessories, and had on-site instructional programs and driving range/putting green facilities with a PGA professional.

The last few years have been a mixed bag for the chain, which is owned by Dick's Sporting Goods. On the one hand, up to two-thirds of Golf Galaxy's locations were expected to close four years ago, locations the company termed "low-performing." Yet just last year, Golf Galaxy opened 36 new stores across 16 states.

Their Montrose Crossing space is now available for lease, according to a sign in the window.

AT&T Mobility to open at Montrose Crossing

AT&T Mobility will open in the
storefront at far right at
Montrose Crossing

AT&T Mobility is the latest tenant to sign on at the new addition to Montrose Crossing. The store will join CAVA Grill, Pieology, Five Guys, Honeygrow, and Allure in the building that replaced Timpano Italian Chophouse. Montrose Crossing is at the interchange of Montrose Parkway and Rockville Pike.

Rockville construction update: Montrose Crossing addition (Photos)

The new retail-restaurant structure that is replacing Timpano Italian Chophouse at Montrose Crossing is nearing completion. Each individual restaurant and store still has to complete fit-out of their respective interiors. You can see the design, complete with stringed lights, pavers and decorative street lamps, is a nod to the contemporary "town center" more than to the old-fashioned strip mall.

Honeygrow is on track to be the
first business to open in the new
building at Montrose Crossing

Honeygrow is closest to opening, with their permanent sign already installed on the facade. CAVA Grill has Coming Soon signage in place. Expect this to be one of the buildings that continues to operate when Montrose Crossing is redeveloped as a mixed-use property in future years.

More Honeygrow signage

Honeygrow's doors are already
stenciled

Honeygrow interior

Rockville construction update: New retail building at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

The frame structure of the new retail building at Montrose Crossing is now taking shape at the shopping center. With 8 in-line spaces, Pieology, Cava Grill, Honeygrow, Five Guys and Allure are already confirmed tenants.

The new building replaces Timpano Italian Chophouse. You can expect this to serve a role similar to the modernized one-story structures out front at neighboring Pike & Rose. When Montrose Crossing is redeveloped as mixed-use at some point in the future, these businesses will remain open and generate revenue for Federal Realty, even as other structures are demolished.

Honey Pig Korean BBQ to open in Rockville

The latest addition to Montrose Crossing is the rapidly-expanding local chain Honey Pig Korean BBQ. It will occupy a 6200 SF space at the shopping center, located at 12015 Rockville Pike.

This is not to be confused with another future Montrose Crossing tenant, Honeygrow. Both are Asian eateries, but Honeygrow is a Chipotle-style stir-fry bowl concept.

Honey Pig Korean BBQ says the Montrose Crossing location will open in Spring 2018.

Honeygrow, Pieology to open in Rockville

Pieology, which just opened at Bethesda Row, is already planning another nearby location at Montrose Crossing on Rockville Pike. The pizzeria will be neighbors with the already-announced Five Guys and Allure in a new retail building at the shopping center, now under construction where Timpano Italian Chophouse once stood in the parking lot.

Just since my report on Five Guys yesterday morning, Pieology and two other tenants were made official by property owner Federal Realty: Cava Grill, and Honeygrow.

Cava Grill is the increasingly-ubiquitous, locally-owned Mediterranean alternative to Chipotle. Honeygrow is a Philadelphia-based fast casual chain serving stir-fry, salads, "honeybars," and cold-pressed juice.

In total, the new retail structure sounds like it will join parking lot neighbor Chick-fil-A as a lunch hub for nearby residents and office workers.

Has Rockville reached peak Five Guys? Burger giant to be first tenant at new Montrose Crossing addition

Federal Realty has its first tenant for the new, 18000 SF retail structure it is building in the front parking lot of the Montrose Crossing shopping center at 12055 Rockville Pike. And it's a familiar one.

Five Guys has leased one of the units; the burgeoning burgers-and-fries chain already has a location across the street from Montrose Crossing, suggesting that could change in the future. Federal Realty has Five Guys in their Rockville Town Square and Bethesda Row developments, as well.

Rendering of the new retail building
under construction on the former site
of Timpano Italian Chophouse

Timpano demolished at Montrose Crossing (Photos)

Timpano Italian Chophouse has been utterly obliterated at the Montrose Crossing shopping center in south Rockville. All that remains of the restaurant is a pile of rubble, and a graded dirt area. Property owner Federal Realty plans to build a new retail structure in its place, which will hold multiple retail and restaurant tenants. That structure will likely serve the same purpose at the front of the property as the holdover, low-rise retail did at Federal Realty's neighboring Pike & Rose, when Montrose Crossing is redeveloped in the future.