La Baguette Antojitos opening in Rockville

La Baguette Antojitos is "coming soon" to Rockville, according to signage posted in the windows of their future storefront. The bakery will replace another bakery - Lavande Patisserie - at 275-B N. Washington Street in Rockville Town Center. Images displayed include baked goods, coffee and tacos. This appears to be an independent, small business, as this appears to be the first and only location for this enterprise. There are no social media accounts for La Baguette Antojitos as of this writing, either.

TRON: Ares commands the marquee at Regal Cinemas Rockville Center

TRON: Ares has replaced Taylor Swift in the prime center spot on the marquee at the Regal Cinemas Rockville Center cineplex at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville. And that's quite an upgrade, to be frank. Whoever puts the letters up knows their TRON, having placed a quote from previous sequel TRON: Legacy on the marquee, rather than merely the title of the latest installment. The new movie took in $14.3 million at the box office nationwide yesterday.

Ice rink under construction at The Square at Rockville (Photos)

It's almost that time again at The Square at Rockville in Rockville Town Center. Time to strap on a pair of ice skates and glide into the holiday season. The ice rink is under construction in the Town Square. While the plunge in temperatures has been well-timed for the debut of the rink, property owner Morguard reports that the official opening date of the rink for 2025 will be Sunday, October 19. 

Marble Slab Creamery closes in Rockville (Photos)

Marble Slab Creamery has closed at 100 Gibbs Street at The Square in Rockville. The closure is permanent, according to a sign posted at the ice cream parlor. Marble Slab opened here in 2011, so they had quite a successful run, especially for the Town Center area. Another vacant storefront.

The Spot food hall is on the way out in Rockville

ZAP! BOOM! POW! The crash out of the food hall fad in Montgomery County is snowballing. Caught up in the downhill momentum is The Spot at 255 N. Washington Street in Rockville. Its 6033-square-foot space just hit the market for lease Friday. The listing is being handled by H&R Retail brokers Bradley Buslik and Austin Hersh. Although The Spot remains open for business, the online listing states that their space is "available now."

A series of food halls, primarily targeted at the large Asian demographic in Rockville, opened in 2018 and 2019. The Spot's biggest rival - The Block - has already exited. Down in struggling Friendship Heights, the food hall called The Heights recently shuttered, having experienced perhaps the briefest run of any such enterprise in the County. Still chugging along in Rockville is Pike Kitchen.

The departure of The Spot will be a major blow to what's left of nightlife in Rockville Town Center. Spaces occupied by bars like American Tap Room and Gordon Biersch remain vacant years after both closed their doors. Raucous rooftop nightlife events at The Square in Rockville fell victim years ago to complaints of noise by apartment dwellers at the development. Food halls survived the pandemic, but seem to have ultimately lost their novelty shortly thereafter, leaving huge spaces behind.

Jaws 50th Anniversary screening at Regal Rockville Center this Saturday

Jaws, the summer blockbuster that created the summer blockbuster, turned 50 this year. To celebrate, many theaters around the country are bringing the Steven Spielberg classic back to the big screen. Regal Cinemas Rockville Center at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue will be screening the film this Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 1:00 PM. Tickets are limited, and available online. I'm not sure I understand why many of these screenings have been scheduled for the fall, though; Jaws was and is very much a summer movie.

Rockville goes purple again for opioid addiction awareness (Photos)

Rockville is getting ready to go purple again. A City of Rockville crew was spotted installing purple lights around The Square at Rockville in Rockville Town Center. It is part of the annual Rockville Goes Purple campaign, to draw attention to the opioid addiction epidemic inflicted upon America. Throughout the month, these purple lights will illuminate City Hall, Rockville City Police Department headquarters, Taft Center and other city facilities.  

A Mayor and Council proclamation states that “The Rockville Goes Purple initiative is increasing awareness of the dangers of opioids and other substances, and strives to reduce the number of lives lost to drug addiction in our community.” From July 2024 to June 2025, Maryland had 1,360 overdose deaths, of which 1,097 were opioid related. Montgomery County had 67 overdose deaths, 39 related to opioids. 

Tron: Ares poster at Regal Cinemas Rockville

A poster for Tron: Ares on display at Regal Cinemas Rockville Center at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue. The third film in the Tron franchise opens October 10, 2025. 

Police officers assaulted at public library in Rockville

Rockville City police were called to the Rockville Memorial Library at 21 Maryland Avenue on August 19, 2025. A case of indecent exposure was reported at the library at 2:07 PM. That is located at The Square at Rockville in Rockville Town Center. Officers apparently engaged in a struggle with the suspect after arriving at the library.

A 26-year-old man was arrested and charged with two felony counts of 2nd-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, a felony count of disarming a law enforcement officer, and indecent exposure. He posted a $5000 unsecured bond, an amount set by Montgomery County District Court Judge John C. Moffett. Maryland court records do not yet indicate that he is free on bail, however.

Dolan Uyghur Restaurant opens in Rockville

Dolan Uyghur Restaurant has opened at 20-A Maryland Avenue at The Square in Rockville.  The restaurant serves authentic Uyghur cuisine, including hand-pulled noodles, Big Plate Chicken, pilaf, kebabs, Piter Manta, Kawa Manta, and traditional desserts that include the new addition of Kazadibi, a Turkish milk pudding. They will also have outdoor patio dining (see the seating below) and live music. This is Dolan Uyghur's fourth location in the Washington, D.C. region, and another great addition to The Square in Rockville.

Rockville library assault ends in arrest

Rockville City police were called to a public library on July 25, 2025, after someone was reported to have been the victim of a 2nd-degree assault there. The assault was reported at the Rockville Memorial Library at 21 Maryland Avenue at 4:38 PM. That is located at The Square at Rockville. Police arrested an unidentified male, 30, at the library. He has been charged with assault and theft.

Tequila Modern Mexican restaurant space available for lease in Rockville

A 3,841-square-foot restaurant space at 11 N. Washington Street in Rockville Town Center is now being marketed for lease by Paraclete Realty. Paraclete's online listing notes that dedicated parking is available for the restaurant, but does not indicate the amount of the monthly rent sought. The space was vacated by Tequila Modern Mexican earlier this year, after just a few months in operation. According to documents filed in Montgomery County District Court and posted at the premises, the restaurant owed the landlord $11,962 in rent as of May 2, 2025. 

Dolan Uyghur Restaurant opening in Rockville

Dolan Uyghur Restaurant will hold a "soft opening soon" at 20-A Maryland Avenue at The Square in Rockville. According to Google, the Central Asian restaurant will open this Sunday, July 27, 2025. Owner Hamid Kerim, originally from East Turkistan is working to preserve "the food and flavor of Uyghur culture." To that end, he has three existing locations, in Washington, D.C., Chantilly, and Falls Church. Dolan will replace the very-short-lived Kung Fu Kitchen, which replaced the high profile Peter Chang.

KPUB Irish-Korean fusion bar "coming soon" to Rockville

Here's something you don't see every day: an Irish-Korean fusion bar and restaurant are "coming soon" to Rockville Town Center, according to signage posted at its future space in the ground floor of the BLVD Ansel apartments at 33 Monroe Street. According to property owner Comstock, KPUB "is a dynamic full-service restaurant and bar that offers a bold menu of Korean-inspired cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, and an energetic nightlife atmosphere. KPUB will feature private karaoke rooms, a lively bar scene, and a sleek ambiance that is set to bring an elevated dining and entertainment experience to the Rockville Town Center neighborhood."

"With KPUB, I set out to create a groundbreaking Irish-Korean fusion bar that blends high-energy social dining with cutting-edge technology,"KPUB founder Derek Liu said in a statement. "This isn’t just another pub—it’s an immersive experience where guests can send drinks to other tables, enjoy elevated Korean-Irish cuisine, and transition into a late-night speakeasy with private karaoke rooms. KPUB is redefining nightlife in Rockville and beyond with innovation and excitement the industry hasn’t seen before."

"We are excited to welcome KPUB to BLVD Ansel," said Tim Steffan, Chief Operating Officer of Comstock COO Tim Steffan said. "Their concept will bring a fresh, engaging dining and entertainment experience to Rockville Town Center, creating yet another unique destination that our residents and the surrounding local community will enjoy."

Armed robbery at Montgomery County Liquor & Wine in Rockville

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in the Rockville Town Center area on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. It was reported at Montgomery County Liquor & Wine at 300 N. Washington Street at 7:53 PM. The store is owned and operated by the Montgomery County government liquor monopoly. No suspect descriptions have been released as of this writing.

Squatters strike again in Rockville

The squatting phenomenon continues to build momentum in Maryland, and most recently in the City of Rockville. Two men somehow gained access to an apartment building in the unit block of Monroe Place in Rockville Town Center on an unspecified date, Rockville City police report. They "took up residency" in a vacant unit in the building. A staff member of the property eventually discovered the squatters after unlocking that apartment's door at 12:15 PM on June 29, 2025, and told them they had to leave. Police determined the two squatters were homeless.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore and legislators had promised to take swift action on squatting, but have appeared impotent to stop it this summer. State Delegate Mike Griffith (R) said yesterday that he will be introducing legislation in the state legislature next year to close loopholes that currently blur the line between a legal tenant and a squatter. He told WBFF Fox 45 that a business client of his currently has squatters living in five of his Maryland properties. "It’s 100% a multimillion-dollar issue here in the state that we need to address," Griffith said.

Rockville City Hall looking into AC outage at Gold's Gym

Patrons of Gold's Gym at 26 Maryland Avenue at The Square at Rockville report extended air conditioning outages at the facility this summer. It turns out that similar outages were also being reported by members last summer, as well. This summer, as with last year, Gold's Gym has sometimes brought in large fans to provide whatever cool air they could generate. But members say that solution was far from sufficient, and the latest AC outage has had some of them breaking their regular workout routines because it is simply too hot in the gym to comfortably or safely exercise, even though they are still being charged membership and equipment maintenance fees all the while. 

Multiple members say the current outage has lasted for about four weeks. The outages this summer have not only been stifling temperature-wise, but the fact that Gold's Gym closed its other Rockville location at Wintergreen Plaza has meant a significant increase in the number of people working out at the Square location. 

At least one member has contacted Rockville Mayor Monique Ashton, and the City Council, about the AC problems. Ashton said that she has now contacted the property owner, Morguard, regarding the matter. She has also made City Manager Jeff Mihelich aware of the situation, and he is part of the communication loop with Morguard. Ashton said both she and Mihelich will be following up with the company about the Gold's Gym problems.

Shooting in Rockville Town Center

UPDATE - 9:59 AM - June 14, 2025: Rockville City police have identified the two suspects who were arrested following the shooting:  Caleb Jiron, 18, of Frederick, and Freddy Gonzalez-Soto, 18, of Montgomery Village. Both men were allegedly armed with "ghost guns," police said. They have been charged with   Attempted First Degree Murder, First Degree Assault, Second Degree Assault, Reckless Endangerment, and multiple firearms violations. Police report that the victim remains hospitalized in stable condition.

UPDATE - 9:39 PM: Rockville City police have confirmed there is one victim in the shooting. The adult male victim was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds when he was encountered by officers in the 200 block of N. Washington Street shortly after 6:00 PM tonight, June 12, 2025. He was transported to a local hospital, where he is now in stable condition. Officers identified two suspects in the area, and arrested them.

However, the investigation is ongoing.  The 200 block of N. Washington St. will be closed for an extended period for that purpose. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at

Detectives@RockvilleMD.Gov or 240-314-8900. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Rockville City police are on the scene of a shooting in the Town Center area, the department announced minutes ago. Police say the shooting took place in the 200 block of N. Washington Street. "This is an active and evolving investigation," the department said in a statement. "Expect an increased police presence in the area."

Rockville Trader Joe's construction update (Photos)

Permanent signage has been installed on the facade of Trader Joe's, opening soon at 225 N. Washington Street at Rockville Town Square. Inside, cash registers and shopping carts are now in place, the screens of the former already active. Trader Joe's replaces departed grocer Dawson's Market as the retail anchor of the struggling development in Rockville Town Center. No official opening date has been made public as of this writing.