Rockville Pike Arby's conversion to McDonald's moving forward

The conversion of the vacant Arby's restaurant at 11710 Rockville Pike into a McDonald's has stalled out since the lease of the building by the Golden Arches came to light this past February. Construction work is now expected to begin by early fall. The nearby McDonald's at 11564 Rockville Pike will move to this location when the work is completed, with the major benefit of now offering drive-thru service, which is great news for McDonald's fans in the White Flint area. I've learned that the planned addition to the Arby's building will expand its size by about 170-square-feet.

Arby's closed here in May of 2021. Shake Shack was said to have interest in leasing the building a month later, but ultimately decided to settle for locations at Cabin John Village Center and Westfield Montgomery Mall, and pulled out by September of 2021. Despite its prime location and drive-thru configuration, the Polinger Company-owned building then sat vacant until McDonald's came aboard this year. Saul Centers owns the existing McDonald's property at 11564 Rockville Pike.

Montgomery County Council cuts Elrich out of picture on life science center launch

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich joined WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke and elected officials at the North Bethesda Metro station yesterday to formally launch the search for a developer to build a Life Science Center at the transit stop. But you wouldn't know this from watching the Montgomery County Council's video on the press conference. Elrich's speech was completely omitted from the Council report, which included excerpts from comments by Clarke, Council President Andrew Friedson, and even U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. The snub was particularly notable, as Elrich has been the main driver of the Life Science Center from its inception.

If it were up to the Council alone, the site adjacent to the Metro station would have been yet another residential housing development. Elrich was the rare County elected official to acknowledge that MoCo needs more high-wage jobs as much as it does new housing, when he proposed the biotech use for this site several years ago. Yet the Council attempted to take all the credit for itself in its Monday video, similar to Congresspeople who vote against infrastructure projects in their districts, only to later claim credit for them once they come to fruition.

The attempt to cut Elrich out of the launch announcement was only the latest cheap shot by the Council at the Executive. Some on the Council resorted to subterfuge and outright deception in their successful effort to deep-six Elrich's proposal to restore funding for the Office of the People's Counsel. Councilmembers are still pondering whether to create a competing ballot question for the one that will give voters the option to oust Elrich with a two-term limit in the November election. Perhaps they are weighing the possibility of opening the executive seat to one of the ambitious Councilmembers, versus reducing their own future executive terms by one. 

No Regrets Pizza opens in White Flint

No Regrets Pizza Co. has opened at 5454 Nicholson Lane, Suite 180, in the ground floor of the Harwood Flats apartments in White Flint. In addition to handcrafted artisan pizzas in New York and Roman styles, the pizzeria turns into a dinner and cocktail bar destination. Early patrons appear to have no regrets, as No Regrets currently has a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Google Reviews, and a 4.5 average on Yelp. Operating hours are 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM seven days a week.

Bong truck travels the streets in White Flint & Rockville (Photos)

Have you spotted the bong truck on the streets of White Flint (a.k.a. "North Bethesda") and Rockville? It's a mobile advertisement for Pure Virtue Glass, which has just relocated to 12005 Nebel Street, by Liberty Cannabis. It even lights up, if you spot it at night. Pure Virtue Glass sells premium glass blown products and smoke accessories.

Jinlan Dumplings opening in Rockville

Jinlan Dumplings is coming soon to White Flint Station at 11620-A Rockville Pike. Chef and cooking instructor Jinlan Wenhua is a fixture at many farmer's markets across the region, where she has been selling her authentic Chinese dumplings made with fresh ingredients from local farmers. Now, like many chefs who have gained popularity with food trucks or farm market sales, she is opening an actual restaurant.

The 1,325-square-foot space will seat about 20 diners. It will be open seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. A mid-June opening is anticipated, but stay tuned for an official opening date.

Photo courtesy Jinlan Wenhua

Suspect arrested in Rockville Pike apartment tower burglary

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at the North Bethesda Market apartment tower at 11418 Rockville Pike, in the early morning hours of March 28, 2024. The responding officer found no evidence of forced entry, but property was allegedly stolen from the building. Malik Gillispie, 28, of no fixed address, was observed and arrested at the scene. He has been charged with 2nd-degree burglary, failure to identify himself, and using a false identity to avoid prosecution.

Rockville Pike Arby's to become McDonald's

The former Arby's restaurant at 11710 Rockville Pike, which has sat vacant since it closed in May of 2021, has finally gained a new tenant. McDonald's has leased the building, which will now be remodeled into the newest location of the Golden Arches in Montgomery County, and slightly enlarged. With an existing McDonald's only a block away at 11564 Rockville Pike, it appears that this may be more of a relocation than an addition. It's shocking that rapidly-expanding chains like Jack-in-the-Box, Cookout, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Shake Shack and Raising Cane's passed on this prime location in a densely-populated area, but count on McDonald's to realize the value of prime real estate, and of an amenity their current White Flint McDonald's lacks - a drive-thru.

Moby Dick House of Kabob opens new Rockville Pike location

There's a delicious new dining option on Rockville Pike. Moby Dick House of Kabob has opened its latest area location at 11431-A Rockville Pike. This was previously a Verizon store, located next to 7-Eleven in the shopping center that is also home to Matreshka Russian Gourmet. The local Persian chain got its start in downtown Bethesda in 1989, and has an existing Rockville location at the Fallsgrove Village Center, and 21 others in the Washington, D.C. region.

No Regrets Pizza aiming for March 2024 opening in White Flint

No Regrets Pizza Co. is on-track for the "early 2024" opening promised by its coming-soon window signage at 5454 Nicholson Lane in White Flint. Located in the ground floor of the Harwood Flats apartment building, the pizzeria is currently anticipating a March 2024 grand opening. Operating hours for the 35-seat restaurant will be 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week. There will also be a full bar. Pizza lovers who leased apartments upstairs at Harwood Flats are clearly having no regrets!

Contents of Rockville restaurant to be auctioned off next month

The contents of a Pakistani restaurant in the White Flint area will be auctioned off next month. While the restaurant is not named in the online auction listing, the interior photos look like TooSso Pakistani Kitchen, which closed earlier this fall at 5290 Randolph Road at Loehmann's Plaza. Among the items up for grabs to the highest bidder are TooSso's menu board, a decorative antique door, a tandoori oven, and even the restaurant's broom and dustpan. To register and place a bid, see the online auction listing. The auction begins closing December 15, 2023 at 10:07 AM.

Moby Dick signage installed on Rockville Pike (Photos)

The sign is up at Moby Dick House of Kabob at 11431-A Rockville Pike in White Flint. Interior fit-out of the restaurant continues inside the former Verizon store space, as you can see by the work trucks and vans parked out front. The sign looks pretty sharp, especially if it will light up at night. Serving authentic Persian cuisine, the popular local chain that started in Bethesda in 1989 has 26 locations across the Washington, D.C. area, including an existing Rockville location in the Fallsgrove Village Center.

Fire at the Grand apartments in White Flint

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded to a report of a fire at the Grand apartments at 5801 Nicholson Lane in the White Flint area last night just after 7:00 PM. The fire was located in a dumpster in the basement trash room of the 15-story high-rise. MCFRS Pete Piringer reported that the fire was extinguished without spreading any further. 

Smoke from the fire did rise to some of the floors above, and some residents required assistance from firefighters. But there were no injuries, Piringer said, and no residents have been displaced. However, a lingering odor of smoke shortly after midnight this morning led a resident to call 911. MCFRS personnel responded, but found no evidence of fire.

Rockville Chuck E. Cheese moving to White Flint Plaza (Photos)

Chuck E. Cheese is relocating in White Flint. It will be moving from Loehmann's Plaza over to White Flint Plaza at 5238 Nicholson Lane. A new address and new logo won't be the only changes, however.

The pizza chain and birthday party headquarters is updating all of its locations to add an "interactive dance floor," where live concerts with Chuck and and other characters will take place every half hour. Other updates include Pass & Play bands instead of the iconic tokens, E-tickets replacing paper tickets, touchless payment options like Google Play and Apple Pay, self-service kiosks and mobile table ordering.

Signage has been installed at the new location. Chuck E. Cheese has also been added to the White Flint Plaza tenant sign out front. Here's a look at the construction inside the future location, and a last look at the current Chuck E. Cheese at Loehmann's Plaza:

No Regrets Pizza posts "coming soon" signage in White Flint (Photos)

No Regrets Pizza is finally moving toward a start on construction at 5454 Nicholson Lane, in the ground floor of the Harwood Flats apartments in White Flint. "Coming soon" window screens have been installed, but the pizzeria won't actually be coming that soon. The signage touts an early 2024 opening. 

We still don't know if the pizza parlor is named for the "no regrets" pizza-loving cryptocurrency guy, as the No Regrets Pizza Co. still has no website and - despite the fancy Facebook and Instagram logos on the signage - no social media presence as of this morning. Pizza lovers who move into Harwood Flats will have no regrets, but Sam Bankman-Fried cannot say the same!

White Flint Mall redevelopment still frozen on Rockville Pike (Photos)

The redevelopment of White Flint Mall is still just a Gordon Gekko-esque dream on Rockville Pike. Property owner Lerner Enterprises has fenced off the site, on which only the Lord & Taylor portion of the mall remains standing, surrounded by its former parking lots. That hasn't stopped vandals from trespassing, as the graffiti and boarded-up windows testify. The vast majority of the mall site remains an overgrown patch of weeds and grass, as nature reclaims what was once Montgomery County's ultimate shopping destination.

There's no news on the Lerner website. White Flint Mall's legacy is such an afterthought for the company, that it has placed a photo of it where one of Landover Mall is meant to be on the site. Quelle horreur! Another summer where the property could have been converted into a drive-in theater has nearly passed into history without a single screening of Star Wars or The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.

An idol has arisen

White Flint Mall still speaks to those who watch and listen for the signs. A god, an idol, has arisen among the former parking stalls of Lord & Taylor. Its head a golden sphere, its arms outstretched in a martyr's T-pose. Yet the arms are uplifted, reassuring us that in some other dimension all is well at White Flint Mall. The Singapore Firecracker Chicken and Mongolian Beef at P.F. Chang's are still better than whatever you're eating tonight in Montgomery County, the glass elevators still go all the way up to The Loft, Carrie is screening four months after its release on the March 7, 1977 grand opening night of The Movies, the mallwalking Soviet ambassador still has all the right toppings on his foot-long hot dog, and it still takes a good hour to thoroughly peruse the magazine racks at Borders.

But back in this dimension, redevelopment plans remain as moribund as Montgomery County itself. The Late Stage Capitalism Express is arriving at the White Flint, er, "North Bethesda" station. "All aboarrrrrrrrd! Next stop: The Dark Side of White Flint."

"This is a very special part of America. The highest part." - H.V. Waldrove of the Netherlands, after touring White Flint Mall in 1978

Loehmann's Plaza redevelopment proposed in Rockville

The owner of Loehmann's Plaza at 5926 Randolph Road is proposing a long-term redevelopment of the shopping center property. Rosenfeld Investments, LLC has proposed a first phase of redevelopment that will add 84 townhomes to the property, very similar to what was completed recently at Cabin John Village in Potomac. A future stage would see the entire property redeveloped with nearly 600 more housing units in the form of apartments, as well as 50,000-square-feet of retail and a pedestrian woonerf street designed to be shared by pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists.

Existing shopping center

Proposed Phase 1 redevelopment with
townhomes at left and right

No Regrets Pizza opening in White Flint

No Regrets Pizza is coming soon to the White Flint area of Montgomery County. The pizzeria will be in the ground floor of the Harwood Flats apartment building at 5454 Nicholson Lane in North Bethesda. No Regrets is a new, locally-owned business, not a chain. It's unclear if the name was inspired by the famous "bitcoin pizza guy" who claimed he had "no regrets" over frivolously spending his cryptocurrency haul that would later have been worth $365 million. But we can be sure the name doesn't refer to the owners of the adjacent White Flint Mall property!

White Flint Aldi store opens today (Photos)

Montgomery County's newest Aldi grocery store opens today, February 24, 2022 at 5110 Nicholson Lane in the White Flint Plaza shopping center. It replaces Shoppers Food Warehouse there, and is not far from the existing Rockville Aldi store at Congressional Plaza. Yesterday, workers were making final preparations for today's grand opening: