Urban Outfitters opens new concept store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Urban Outfitters has opened its long-promised new concept store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. This is only the third location in America to get this store design, after Houston and Glendale. The new store concept features more floor space dedicated to the best-selling UO brands, including BDG denim, OFU (Out from Under) and Standard Cloth. New modular and responsive fixtures and displays allow the store to more quickly and easily respond to trends and seasons. The new concept was developed after extensive research into what store design elements, layout, and aesthetics would appeal to Gen Z shoppers, the brand's current target audience.

Xi’an Famous Foods to open first Maryland location in Rockville

Xi’an Famous Foods will open its first restaurant in Maryland at 12031 Rockville Pike at Montrose Crossing. The 1,718 square-foot western Chinese restaurant will be located next to RASA and Five Guys Burger and Fries. Xi’an Famous Foods was founded in 2005 as a 200 square foot basement stall in the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, N.Y. It claimed to have been the first restaurant to bring the little-known cuisine of Xi’an to the United States. Over the last twenty years, it has grown into 20 locations across the Big Apple, and was a favorite of the late Anthony Bourdain.

Signature dishes at Xi'an include:

Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles: This is the dish the company says made Anthony Bourdain a fan. Thinly-sliced lamb, spiced with cumin and chili powder, mixed with chewy hand-pulled biang-biang noodles and topped with soy-vinegar noodle sauce. Like many menu items, this is an original recipe from the founder's family.

Stewed Pork Burger: A house-made crispy flatbread, stuffed with diced stewed pork belly, simmered with soy sauce and signature spices until tender.

Liang Pi "Cold-Skin Noodles”: House-made steamed wheat flour noodles are chilled, then served with bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro, and spongy cubes of seitan (wheat gluten).

Spicy & Sour Lamb Dumplings: Ground lamb wrapped in homemade dumpling dough and infused with spices for even more flavor. Served with their signature spicy and sour sauces. 

“In 2026, as a 20-year-old, still-family-owned business, supported by sales (with no investors or franchisees), we are excited to open our first company-owned Maryland location in Rockville,” Xi'an Famous Foods CEO Jason Wang said in a statement yesterday. “We hope to be open by mid-2026 to share our food based on beloved family recipes.” Accomplishing all of this without outside investors certainly raises expectations ahead of the opening here on Rockville Pike. We often see well-funded chains with big investors that end up shuttering quickly, because it was all hype generated by expensive social media campaigns, rather than word-of-mouth based on the quality and flavor of the food.

Photos by Jenny Huang

Char'd opening in Rockville

Char'd is expanding to Montgomery County with a new location planned for 11881 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose. It has a lot in common with the previous tenant of that space, BurgerFi. Char'd is a fast-casual burger chain, albeit one that is local in origin as a food truck, and orders are placed at electronic kiosks. The Char'd burgers are grass-fed halal beef, smashburger in style, and their fries are fried in duck fat. Prices are fairly nutty though, with the Original Char'd ringing in at $16.49 for the burger alone, a modest serving of fries at $8.99, and a milkshake for $10.49 (!!). 

It will be interesting to see if Char'd can thrive where BurgerFi failed. With no drive-thru, and parking at Pike & Rose being a nightmare, nobody but the shrillest New Urbanist YIMBY can say that lukewarm burgers and fries are appealing after the long struggle to get out and get home. That leaves dine-in and residents of the buildings at Pike & Rose to get the real Char'd dining experience, particularly at those high prices. And with demographic trends in the County heading steadily downward income-wise, can fast-casual at this price point draw a large enough crowd? 

First look: Bartaco in Rockville (Photos)

 Bartaco at 950 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose in Rockville appears ready to open any day now. The taqueria chain's first Maryland location had a sign in the window last evening reading, "Closed for staff training." Only a couple of workers were visible inside, but every table was set for dining, and all furnishings, light fixtures, and equipment was in place. Here's a sneak peek of what Bartaco refers to as its "Southern California and Latin America-inspired" decor:

Beyond Yoga to open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Beyond Yoga is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The "female-founded and led" (it's actually now owned by Levi Strauss & Co.) athleisurewear brand will immediately face intense competition from existing mall tenants like Lululemon and Fabletics. Like those labels, Beyond Yoga has celebrity endorsers, including Jennifer Lawrence and Olivia Wilde. 

The Los Angeles-based company's calling cards include a "body-positive" product line, a Thred-Up apparel exchange program, and its proprietary soft Spacedye fabric. It recently expanded into men's apparel. Beyond Yoga is expected to be open by summer.

School of Rock opening new Rockville location

School of Rock, which offers music lessons and live performance opportunities for adults and children, is opening a new Rockville location early next year. It will be located at 1081 Rockville Pike at the Talbott Center, on Level 2. They are currently enrolling an inaugural class of students. But if you think you see Jack Black near the facility, it's more likely going to be an actual homeless guy.

Maman Joon Real Persian Kabob opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Maman Joon Real Persian Kabob has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It is located right by the parking deck entrance on Level 2 of the mall, the same garage level that California Pizza Kitchen fronts onto. That spot has seen some turnover since Tara Thai departed, so keep your skewers crossed that Maman Joon can make it work.

"We take pride in creating authentic Persian food that reflects our heritage," Maman Joon says on its website. "Our ingredients are always fresh, most of our spices come from Iran, and our menu is lovingly prepared using our treasured family recipes."

Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen opening in Gaithersburg

Here's a positive "Florida Man" news report: Chef Rachid Eido is expanding his Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen franchise to Maryland. It will be at the Rio Lakefront development in Gaithersburg, at 212 Boardwalk Place. That's next to IT'SUGAR. Eido is actually a native of Beirut, where he learned the art of authentic Lebanese cooking, with the flavors, aromatic spices, and warm hospitality it is known for.

Dave's Hot Chicken opening today in Rockville (Photos)

 

Dave's Hot Chicken will open today, December 18, 2025, at 11564 Rockville Pike, according to a sign posted at the restaurant, which was conducting training for employees last night. After a languid construction process, an inspired burst of energy over the last week got all the equipment and menus into place. Speaking of menus, I was not familiar with Dave's, and am delighted to see milkshakes and Hi-C Orange and Fruit Punch "Slushers" among the beverage choices. Operating hours are 10:30 AM to midnight, seven days a week.

Native Arts opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Native Arts is now open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. If you are searching for unique holiday gifts, this may be the place to start. The store carries Native American-inspired art, clothing, and accessories. Shop here to find baja sweaters, ponchos, t-shirts, blankets, backpacks, and more. Look for Native Arts on Level 2 of the mall, between Laderach and LensCrafters.

Go Fresh 365 supermarket opens in Rockville (Photos)

There's a new grocery store in Rockville. Go Fresh 365 has opened at 1800 Rockville Pike, at the Galvan at Twinbrook development. Last night, there were more helpful employees than customers in the store, which will have to fight the same nutty Montgomery County sign regulations that former tenant Safeway did - most safe drivers will pass the Galvan without seeing any of the businesses there because there is no monument or pole signage at the roadside, and the development is set back far from the road. 

The Long Island City, New York-based grocery chain boasts that it is the "No.1 Asian/Chinese Supermarket Chain" on the East Coast of the United States. Founded in 1995, the company has grown by leaps and bounds through a focus on freshness, and exclusive partnerships with businesses in the fields of fresh produce, livestock breeding, marine fishing, catering services, and commercial real estate.Its mission, it says, is to "create greater values for overseas Chinese and the American people." 

Andy's Pizza opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Andy's Pizza is now open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. One reason this is exciting news is that they serve award-winning, authentic New York-style pizza. The second is, you can buy it by-the-slice if you prefer. As much as I revere Sbarro as a classic denizen of American mall food courts, this is a much higher quality product. Look for Andy's Pizza on Level 2 of the mall, in the Dining Terrace food court by CAVA and Chipotle.

Gorjana confirmed to be opening boutique at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gorjana is now confirmed to be a future tenant at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Laguna Beach-based jewelry retailer has been pursuing an aggressive expansion plan this decade. However, its growth is strategically targeted to areas where it has identified an existing customer base for its products, and the company previously cited Bethesda as one of those. Gorjana continues a retail trend, particularly among fashion brands, of opening stores at Bethesda Row and Montgomery Mall to operate simultaneously.

JOOLA opening today in Rockville, Ben Johns to appear at pickleball flagship Saturday

The world of pickleball is about to get a lot bigger in Montgomery County. JOOLA, the world's leading pickleball paddle manufacturer, is celebrating a major milestone with the grand opening of its signature retail store at 917 Meeting Street at Pike & Rose in Rockville. The doors officially open today, Black Friday, November 28, 2025, solidifying the connection of the global brand with its local roots and the burgeoning pickleball community.

JOOLA's presence in Montgomery County runs deep. The flagship opening follows the brand's relocation of its U.S. headquarters from Gaithersburg to Pike & Rose in March 2025, bringing its innovation, design, and community engagement under one roof. Now it will have a retail storefront at the same property along the busy Rockville Pike commercial corridor.

"Montgomery County has always been part of the JOOLA story, and opening our signature store here is a reflection of our deep roots and our future ambitions," JOOLA CEO and owner Richard Lee said in a statement. "This space is a celebration of how far pickleball has come, and a commitment to supporting the players and communities driving its growth worldwide."

The excitement of opening weekend is getting an extra surge of star power. World No. 1 pickleball player Ben Johns will be in attendance for a special autograph signing and meet-and-greet on Saturday, November 29, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. As a local, Johns says he understands the impact of this new hub on the pickleball community. "As a kid growing up in Montgomery County, I began with table tennis and eventually found my passion for pickleball. Back then, having a JOOLA store locally would have made a huge difference. Now, with JOOLA opening this first location, it’s exciting to know the next generation will have that exact opportunity right here at home."

Shoppers throughout the opening weekend will receive a complimentary gift with eligible in-store purchases, while supplies last.

Designed to be an immersive experience, the new retail space is a destination for players of all levels. Shoppers can get hands-on with the latest JOOLA paddles, apparel, and accessories, supported by a knowledgeable team of JOOLA experts. The JOOLA store is set to be an integral part of the local pickleball movement, which the company has championed, including helping Montgomery County become the first school district in the United States to introduce pickleball as a varsity sport in the fall of 2024.

The immersive pickleball hub features:

✨ Exclusive in-store-only product drops and limited-edition collections.

👕 Local Maryland, D.C., and Virginia-themed gear celebrating regional pride.

✍️ Pro-player appearances and autograph events.

🏓 A paddle demo program allowing players to “try before they buy.”

🤝 Interactive community events connecting pickleball fans of all levels.

Gold Bunny Donut opening Black Friday at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gold Bunny Donut has set an opening date for its Westfield Montgomery Mall location in Bethesda. With impeccable timing, it will open tomorrow, Black Friday, November 28, 2025. Gold Bunny features fresh-baked donuts with rich fillings, providing plenty of carbohydrates to sustain your holiday shopping spree. Look for it in the former Donutchew space at the end of the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2 of the mall.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe opening new Rockville location

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is "coming soon" to 835-F Rockville Pike at Wintergreen Plaza, according to signage posted in the window of its future storefront. It is moving into the former Capital Cryo space at the busy shopping center. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has two existing Rockville locations, in White Flint and near Shady Grove Hospital. This more central location aims to serve populaces such as Richard Montgomery High School students, and the Town Center area and surrounding neighborhoods.