Just Salad opening in Rockville

Just Salad is "coming soon" to Rockville, according to signage posted in the windows of its future storefront. It will be located at 12242 Rockville Pike, right next to the recently-opened Wonder food hall. The fast-casual salad restaurant is the latest dining addition at the revitalized Towne Plaza development. Reusable bowls and a large number of plant-based alternatives to meat (the real thing is also still available at Just Salad, though) are part of what the chain calls "Earth-friendly" dining. Another location is "just down the Pike" in the Residences at Mazza in Friendship Heights NW.

Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen opens in Gaithersburg

Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen opened with a ribbon-cutting yesterday at 212 Boardwalk Place at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. The dining room was packed this evening. Specialties include fresh breads, handmade mezze, Lamb Mouzat, Farrouj, and Kareem's signature hummus, which is prepared from scratch in a three-day process. 

"I'm proud to bring Kareem's to Maryland and share the food, traditions and hospitality that have been part of my family for generations," Chef Rachid Eido said in a statement. "Lebanese hospitality is about more than serving a meal. It is about opening your table, sharing generously and making people feel like they belong. That is what we want every guest to experience when they come to Kareem's."

Hong Kong Tea House opening in Rockville

Hong Kong Tea House is coming soon to Rockville. It will be located at 605 Hungerford Drive (MD 355). At Hong Kong Tea House, patrons will "indulge in Hong Kong's sweetest secrets," the local chain promises. Specialties include handcrafted milk teas, fruit teas, Vietnamese coffees, smoothies, desserts, and a wide selection of authentic Chinese street foods from a variety of regions. Hong Kong Tea House is currently hiring cooks, baristas, and assistant managers. 

Sheetz opens at Walnut Hill Shopping Center in Gaithersburg

Sheetz is now open at 793 S. Frederick Avenue (MD 355) at the Walnut Hill Shopping Center in Gaithersburg. This is the second Montgomery County location for the convenience store and mega gas station chain. The store model used in the County is smaller than the ones I've been in on the road elsewhere. Sheetz expedited development of this second Gaithersburg location after the first, at 751 Progress Way, quickly proved to be a financial success. This one is convenient to the Rockville and Derwood areas.

Pop Mart opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Pop Mart has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The blind bag and stuffed-labubu toymaker previously tested a vending machine at the mall to gauge interest. That experiment was clearly a success, as the Chinese brand is now returning with a permanent storefront. Look for Pop Mart on Level 1 of the mall, next to Bath & Body Works.

Bogotá Coffee House opening in Rockville

Bogotá Coffee House is coming to Rockville Town Center. It will be located at 115 N. Washington Street. Permanent signage has already been installed above the storefront. When you think of coffee, Colombia automatically comes to mind, so this could be a promising alternative to Starbucks in the Town Center area.

Ay! Mama Taqueria opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Ay! Mama Taqueria has officially opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. You can check out the menu in the photos below. If you are shaken up by $20 burritos, you'll be relieved that Ay! Mama's burritos are $13-14. Look for Ay! Mama in the Dining Terrace food court, next to Chick-Fil-A.

Ay! Mama Taqueria opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Ay! Mama Taqueria is heading west. It will be located inside Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The taqueria has leased a space in the Dining Terrace food court, right by Chick-fil-A. Ay! Mama started as a tenant inside the ill-fated Solaire Social food hall, which abruptly closed last fall, evicting all tenants. A true family business, Ay! Mama is best known for their rich birria recipe, as well as their fresh corn chips and breakfast menu.

Fashion Q returning to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Red alert! Fashion Q is making a triumphant return to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Los Angeles-based fashion wholesaler closed almost exactly one year ago at the mall, after less than a year in business, a victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy. Now they're giving it another go, this time in the former Forever 21 space on Level 1, across from Build-A-Bear. 

Fashion Q traces its roots back to the 1980s. It chose its "Q" logo because a one-letter sign was cheaper than using the whole brand name. The cost savings extend to its merchandise, which is purchased wholesale here and abroad.

iSmash rage room "coming soon" to Rockville

iSmash rage room is "coming soon" to Rockville, according to signage posted in the windows of its future storefront at 36-C Maryland Avenue, at The Square at Rockville. Designed to let patrons blow off steam in a controlled, safe environment, iSmash also accommodates date nights, group events, and team-building exercises. "We’re building something Rockville hasn’t seen before…and trust us, it’ll be worth the wait," iSmash Rockville posted on their Facebook page earlier this month. Stay tuned for an opening date.

Gorjana opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gorjana has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A midsummer opening is perfect timing for this Laguna Beach-inspired jewelry boutique, even if you're more likely to be sporting pieces from your Gorjana haul at O.C., rather than in The O.C. New additions for this summer include scallop earrings, the Scallop Padlock Bay Necklace, and the 18K gold plated Crab Single Stud earring, all at surprisingly reasonable prices. Look for Gorjana on Level 1 of the mall, next to Sunglass Hut in the Nordstrom wing.

SLT coming this fall to Rockville

SLT is coming this fall to Rockville. It will be located at 1643-A Rockville Pike at Congressional Plaza, between Shoe Fly and Appalachian Spring. The boutique fitness studio utilizes an advanced, custom version of the traditional Pilates reformer called the Megaformer. Following the Lagree Fitness Method, SLT's 50-minute workouts combine high-intensity strength training with cardio and low-impact Pilates. SLT stands for Strengthen • Lengthen • Tone.

Arby's coming soon to Derwood

Derwood will soon "have the meats." Arby's has leased the building formerly home to McDonald's at 7200 Muncaster Mill Road at the Red Mill Shops shopping center. The McDonald's closed here this past March. It will be an ironic transformation, as an Arby's restaurant on Rockville Pike was recently converted into a McDonald's. Now Arby's will return the favor in Derwood.