Sneak peek: Koala Kreme in Rockville

Koala Kreme is moving quickly to turn around the former Marble Slab space at 100-I Gibbs Street at The Square at Rockville. As you can see below, the frozen yogurt shop's interior fit-out has progressed significantly. Yesterday, Koala Kreme promised on Instagram to open in only two weeks, so expect them to maintain or even increase the pace of work. My only question is, are the milkshakes made with frozen yogurt or ice cream?

Sneak peek: Montgomery County's first Hobby Lobby opening June 1 (Photos)

The sign is up at Montgomery County's first Hobby Lobby store at 15750 Shady Grove Road at the 270 Center, on the border of Gaithersburg with Rockville. And the window coverings are down, and you know what that means: It's sneak peek time, for our first look at the interior of the County's first Hobby Lobby. All of the shelving and display stands appear to be in place, as well as wayfaring signage. I can see signs at the back wall of the store denoting the adult long sleeve shirts section.

Cash registers are in place and plugged in at the checkouts. They are currently set to Training Mode, as the newly-hired employees prepare for the June 1, 2026 opening date. The big sign above the storefront has only increased the excitement level about Hobby Lobby's imminent arrival. Readers of this blog have known about it since I first broke the story way back last August. But now the many people who don't follow any local news websites are seeing this sign as they drive past. They're pulling into the 270 Center parking lot just to take a closer look. Even the other tenants here are pumped up, as you can imagine the increase in foot traffic Hobby Lobby is going to bring to the 270 Center.

Update on Montgomery County's first Hobby Lobby, opening June 1

The Tyvek is off the facade at what will soon be Montgomery County's first Hobby Lobby store at 15750 Shady Grove Road on the border of Gaithersburg with Rockville. In its place are red brick and concrete facade treatments. Glass has also been installed, but the new vestibule lobby makes it difficult to see the interior at the moment. The store is scheduled to open on June 1, ten months after I broke the news that MoCo was finally going to get a Hobby Lobby. Let's hope Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Cracker Barrel, and Waffle House can break through the truly-weird Montgomery County Council's obstacles next!

Sign installed at Gap Factory in Rockville

The main sign is up at Gap Factory, opening soon at 1667 Rockville Pike at Congressional Plaza. It has the widely recognizable Gap logo, but is otherwise understated in size and color. They could go bigger and louder, in my opinion, especially when you have to make what little signage you're allowed these days count. The windows are still papered over, so we can't see just how close opening day is. The sign installation - and especially the removal of the construction wall, suggests it is not far off.

Update on Gap Factory in Rockville

The construction wall across the storefront has been removed from the future Gap Factory at 1667 Rockville Pike at Congressional Plaza. Alas, the windows are still papered over, blocking view of the progress on the interior fit-out of the store. A sign has been installed over the sidewalk out front, but the main sign above the storefront is still to come. Gap Factory sells apparel exclusive to Gap Factory stores, designed with less-expensive materials at lower prices by "real" Gap designers. So, if you want to look like you shop at Gap, but pay less, Gap Factory will be for you.

Sheetz construction advancing at Walnut Hill Shopping Center (Photos)

The convenience store building at the future Sheetz at 733 S. Frederick Avenue at the Walnut Hill Shopping Center in Gaithersburg is looking a lot closer to a finished product since my last update - at least on the outside. Brick and stone facade treatments are in place where Tyvek was previously. Gaping squares and rectangles are now filled with window glass and doors, the latter already sporting Sheetz logos. And construction is now underway on the canopy that will protect the gas pumps and those pumping them from the elements.

Gorjana "coming soon" to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

It was last fall that I first heard about Gorjana's plans to open a second Bethesda location at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Last December, I broke the news that the Southern California-inspired jewelry boutique was confirmed to have leased a space at the mall. And now there is official "coming soon" signage that also confirms where Gorjana will be located on Level 1. The signage promises a summer 2026 opening, which is very appropriate timing for a Laguna Beach retailer.

Update on Wonder food hall under construction in Rockville (Photos)

Construction is moving quickly on the Wonder food hall, opening this month at 12240 Rockville Pike at Towne Plaza in Rockville. The sign is up over the storefront. Inside, you can see a pick-up window and touchscreen devices. I "wonder" if it would be more accurate to call this a ghost kitchen than a food hall, however. Much like the short-lived Ensemble in Bethesda, the concept is more about pick-up and delivery meals mixed and matched from multiple well-known restaurant brands, as opposed to wandering through a large space and stopping at individual stalls. 

Montgomery County's first Hobby Lobby construction update (Photos)

Here's a look at the construction progress on the first Hobby Lobby store in Montgomery County at 15750 Shady Grove Road in the 270 Center, on the border of Gaithersburg and Rockville. The interior fit-out is still blocked from view, but we can see the exterior alterations being made to the former Best Buy facade. A look at the Hobby Lobby website shows the large inventory of Easter products, as an example of the chain's seasonal merchandise. Stay tuned for an opening date.

Update on Molly Tea in Rockville (Photos)

Signage is being installed on the future storefront of Molly Tea, opening soon at 860 Festival Street at Twinbrook Quarter in Rockville. See a sneak peek at the interior below, as well. Molly Tea specializes in jasmine tea. 

"Inspired by the Four White Flowers of the East, we select the best mountain tea leaves and scent them with fresh flowers, with focus on Jasmine aromas and Chinese tea," the company's US franchise website states. "Molly Tea aspires to explore all things Jasmine, allowing everyone to see the beauty of Chinese tea culture in their daily lives." Their specialties are Fresh Milk Tea, Snowy Whipped tea beverages topped with jasmine-infused whipped cream, and Fresh Oat Milk Tea.

Update on Sheetz construction at Walnut Hill Shopping Center (Photos)

Construction on the second Sheetz convenience store and mega gas station in the MD 355 corridor is advancing quickly at the Walnut Hill Shopping Center at 733 S. Frederick Avenue. The familiar building design and roofline are now visible. There's an interesting Sheetz Site Safety sign I have included a picture of below. It looks like the store could be open by summer at this point.

More signage installed at Char'd burger restaurant in Rockville

The windows are still covered at the future Char'd at 11881 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose. But there's another "sign" of progress outside the highly-anticipated burger restaurant. A new pedestrian-facing blade sign has been installed under the storefront canopy. It joins that tiny logo sign above the storefront. The burgers may literally be bigger than the signs at Char'd!