Sports & Social sets opening date for Rockville location

UPDATE - August 25, 2021: Added information regarding FanDuel sportsbook

Sports & Social has set an opening date for its newest location at Pike & Rose. The upscale sports bar and entertainment center will open its doors on September 9, 2021. 

Guests will have massive screens to watch top sporting events, arcade games, ski-ball, shuffleboard, a golf simulator, Beirut, a dog-friendly outdoor patio with flatscreen TVs, and a Crush Bar serving specialty crush drinks. Sports & Social has announced that the local beers offered from the bar will include Flying Dog, Denizens, Silver Branch and 7 Locks.

Betting on sports had been expected to be legal long ago, but is currently wrapped up in regulatory red tape in Annapolis, infuriating those who had expected it to be allowed in time for the NFL season. FanDuel is sponsoring the new Sports & Social Bethesda location as part of its online plans in the state of Maryland pending regulatory approval. They are going to be the location's official sports book partner when legal sports betting comes to Maryland.

“Sports & Social is a one-of-a-kind dining venue and social experience that is unmatched anywhere in the country,” Sports & Social Bethesda's General Manager Andrew Izrael said in a statement today. “It’s the perfect combination of incredible food, great entertainment and state-of-the-art sports viewing all in an upscale setting. We can’t wait to open at Pike & Rose on September 9th.” 

Rockville construction update: Melina Greek restaurant (Photos)

The interior of Melina, the new Greek restaurant in the ground floor of the 909 Rose office building on Rockville Pike at Pike & Rose, is beginning to resemble an actual dining room. White finishes with brown accents currently dominate the space, and light fixtures have been installed. Melina is the latest venture from the creators of the local CAVA restaurant empire, and is expected to debut this fall.

Roaming Rooster expanding to Rockville

Roaming Rooster, a fast casual restaurant chain known for its fried chicken sandwiches, is expanding to Montgomery County this fall. It will open an 1843 square foot location at Federal Realty's Pike & Rose development in Rockville. Among the chain's other locations are Tenleytown and Woodridge in the District. 

Started as a food truck in 2015, Roaming Rooster has become one of the most-successful family and minority-owned hospitality businesses in the region since. In addition to its famous free-range, grain-fed, antibiotic-free and Halal fried chicken sandwiches, the chain also offers an all-week breakfast menu, salads, side dishes, chicken wings, chicken tenders and hand-cut fries. The sandwiches are available in your choice of heat level: mild, medium or hot.

Roaming Rooster breakfast
biscuit sandwich

“We chose Pike & Rose in Montgomery County because we want to be part of a neighborhood that features premier retailers, restaurants and services,” Roaming Rooster co-owner Michael Habtemariam said in a press release. “As a supporter of the DMV’s local businesses, Federal [Realty] is eager to bring this popular regional favorite to its first location in Maryland and Montgomery County,” Federal Realty Director of Leasing Emily Gagliardi added.

Construction begins at Sports & Social in Rockville (Photos)

Sports & Social is now under-construction at 11800 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose. Massive windows screens promote the upscale sports bar in the former Del Frisco's Grille space. One touts the giant video wall that will be a centerpiece on game days. I spy scrapple and "boozy cereal" on the brunch menu.

Sports & Social construction begins in Rockville

The construction process to build the new Sports & Social at 11800 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose is now underway. Destruction is the first step, however, and it's sad to see the elaborate interior of former tenant Del Frisco's Grill being demolished. It was almost 7 years ago that Del Frisco's opened with a memorable VIP party, which showed off the upscale decor.

Signs of activity at iPic, Regal theaters even as MoCo ban on food, drink sales remains in place

There's no indication Montgomery County's ban on concessions sales at movie theaters will be lifted anytime soon, but a couple of theater chains are showing signs of preparing for reopening. Regal Cinemas already announced a tentative reopening date for its Montgomery County cineplexes next month, in an apparent gamble that the ban on the sale of food and drink will be lifted by then. Workers began sprucing up the exterior of the Regal Cinemas Majestic & IMAX theater in downtown Silver Spring on Monday. And iPic at Pike & Rose is now hiring servers for its in-movie food and drink service, a clear indication that the luxury theater chain believes the ban will be revoked in the coming weeks.

Tarps on the sidewalk outside the Regal Cinemas
Majestic & IMAX theater in Silver Spring, where
workers are touching up the exterior

However, a list of potential steps in loosening restrictions at County businesses released by the County Council does not specifically mention movie theaters or performance venues - nor the ban on food and drink - among the relaxed rules. Only at Phase 3, which will be reached when 50% of the county population is fully vaccinated, could theaters sell food and drink because the County will belatedly adopt the current state guidelines at that point. Under the current ban, which eliminates the most profitable revenue source for theaters, only AMC has reopened its theaters in the county.

Gong Cha opening new Rockville location today

Gong Cha already has a flagship store at 1800 Rockville Pike. Now the Taiwanese tea shop is expanding south to Pike & Rose. They will open their new location at The Block today at 967 Rose Avenue. Doors will open at 12:00 PM today, April 15, 2021. 

The first 50 people in line will receive a free Gong Cha keychain. Don' forget to try their specialty, Milk Foam tea, in several varieties. 

Melina posts "coming soon" signage in Rockville

The CAVA restaurant group has given us more signs of the arrival of its newest dining concept at Pike & Rose along Rockville Pike. "Coming soon" signage for Melina is now screening off the windows at its future space at 909 Rose Avenue in the Federal Realty headquarters building. It includes the Instagram account for the Greek restaurant.

Rockville construction update: Bark Social (Photos)

The expected February 26, 2021 opening date of Bark Social is rapidly approaching at Pike & Rose. Construction of the dog park and craft beer and wine bar has advanced accordingly. More of the shipping container structures have been completed, and the lights are on inside. Branded logos have been applied to the sides of the containers, including a dog drinking from a glass of beer.

More Montgomery County news:

Bethesda Row proposed development would require demolition of Uncle Julio's

Sign installed at RanKen Noodle House in Gaithersburg

Glenmont Lidl sets opening date

Melina Greek restaurant coming to Rockville from the CAVA group

Melina, a Greek restaurant, is coming to Pike & Rose. The latest dining concept from the team behind the CAVA empire, Melina will take up a prime location in the ground floor of Federal Realty's new office building at 909 Rose Avenue. That gives the restaurant high visibility from Rockville Pike. 

Melina has a liquor license hearing scheduled for March 4, 2021. If you want a sneak peek at what may be on the menu, check out the tantalizing photos on its Instagram account. Here's a look at the interior so far, and as you can see, there's quite a ways to go before opening day.

Rockville construction update: Bark Social at Pike & Rose (Photos)

Bark Social is scheduled to open on February 26, 2021 at 935 Prose Street at Pike & Rose in Rockville. Here's a look at the progress on the construction of the dog park with craft beer & wine bar since my last report.