Muse Alley renovations advance at Pike & Rose in Rockville

Extensive renovations on Muse Alley at Pike & Rose continue to advance at the Federal Realty development along Rockville Pike. The public space's primary function, aside from providing pedestrian access to several buildings and the Trade Street garage, is outdoor dining. It was essentially demolished, and now you can see the new overhead structure and lighting fixtures. Kusshi, Owen's Tavern and Garden, and Caruso's Grocery all remain open for business during the construction work.

McDonald's reopens at Cabin John Mall (Photos)

A dapper Ronald McDonald is greeting customers at the remodeled McDonald's at 11301 Seven Locks Road inside Cabin John Mall in Potomac. The renovated restaurant has reopened for business with a new look, and a new interior configuration. Everything is geared toward the new normal of takeout and delivery orders being the main driver of business after the pandemic. But the updated interior design is also a welcome reward for loyal customers who fought to keep this location open when it was in danger of closing a few years ago.

McDonald's gutted in surprise renovation at Cabin John Mall (Photos)

The venerable McDonald's at 11301 Seven Locks Road inside the Cabin John Mall in Potomac has been gutted inside. According to signage posted at the restaurant, it is temporarily closed for renovations. No reopening date has been posted, but one of the signs says that the remodeling will take a few weeks to complete. A second, more optimistic sign says "a few days," but that's a bit too optimistic from what you can see here. But overall, the renovation sends a very positive message to customers that the ownership wants to provide a brand new dining room experience for them.

This McDonald's almost closed a couple of years ago, but agreed to stay at the mall after outcry from its many loyal customers. It looks like they are now updating the store for the long haul, with a sneak peek at the new interior visible in the photo above. Customers are being directed to the Montgomery Mall McDonald's while the renovations take place. Yes, Cabin John Village has Shake Shack - but Shake Shack doesn't have the Big Mac! Or America's favorite fries.

Walnut Hill Shopping Center remodeling going full steam, including Gaithersburg-themed mural

The massive makeover of the venerable Walnut Hill Shopping Center at 16529 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg is going full tilt. We can now see the distinctive storefront facade of the future Aldi grocery store emerging outside the former Weis Markets. All tenants are getting remodeled fronts and new signage. 

What stands out the most at the moment is a new piece of public art. Unlike some of the abstract murals that have popped up around Montgomery County in recent years, this one is 100% Gaithersburg-themed. The Baltimore & Ohio - now CSX - railroad tracks lead off into infinity, if not Chicago. On the right side is the Bowman Bros. Mill, known today as the Granary Row shopping center. There's the clock that stood diagonally across from Diamond Drugs.

Dunkin' Donuts reopens at Wintergreen Plaza in Rockville

Dunkin' Donuts has reopened at 865 Rockville Pike at Wintergreen Plaza. The store just completed a major remodeling of its interior. A new Rockville-specific branding sign has been installed on the far right wall inside. The store is open from 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM seven days a week. Time to make the donuts!

Dunkin' Donuts temporarily closed at Wintergreen Plaza in Rockville (Photos)

The Dunkin' Donuts store at 865 Rockville Pike at Wintergreen Plaza is temporarily closed. An extensive renovation project is now underway inside the space. A reopening date has not been announced yet. Customers are being directed to the Dunkin' Donuts locations nearby at 11530 Rockville Pike, and 2006 Veirs Mill Road. However, I'm going to add the store at 15180 Frederick Road at College Plaza to that list, which seems like it might be closer to Wintergreen Plaza than White Flint.

Pandora opens temporary store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Pandora has opened a temporary store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, while its current location is remodeled. The jeweler is now down on Level 1, between T-Mobile and Windsor, in the Old Navy wing of the mall. Renovations of its permanent spot on Level 2 next to Banana Republic are expected to be completed before the end of spring. Pandora is also currently hiring additional staff.

AMC Montgomery 16 theater to add recliners at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

AMC's acquisition of the former ArcLight Cinemas at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda came with great hopes that the cineplex chain would upgrade some of the outdated elements of the theater, now known as AMC Montgomery 16. That's finally about to happen. AMC says it is moving forward with a plan to replace the fixed, cloth seats in the 16 auditoriums of the complex with its current recliner model. 

The company says it will spend nearly $3 million on the seats, and some other minor updates to the cineplex, which are expected to begin early next year. AMC notes that the addition of recliners will reduce the total number of seats in each auditorium. The renovation plan tells us that AMC is committed to keeping this theater open for a long time to come.

Rockville Wendy's reopens after renovations (Photos)

The Wendy's restaurant at 808 Rockville Pike has reopened for business after an extensive remodeling. While the building's distinctive curved glass roofline was permanently retired, the pleasant surprise is that the redesign is a newer one than the Derwood location received nearly a year ago. The logos are the latest iteration being used by the Ohio-based chain, and there are extra pictures of Wendy on the building itself, rather than the plain black strip running around the top of the Derwood restaurant. Inside, the dining room seems brighter and more-welcoming than it was previously. It's time to celebrate with a Baconator and Frosty - but don't tell the County Council!

Rockville Wendy's renovations update (Photos)

Here's a look at the progress on the renovations at the Wendy's at 808 Rockville Pike, which is temporarily closed for this major project. The sad news is that the distinctive curved glass on the front roofline is gone, and won't be coming back. That, along with the curved facade at the front, was one of the unique architectural features that made this Wendy's building unique. 

What's replacing it is that new black-and-red scheme we recently saw installed at the Derwood location, which is a more standard Wendy's building. Keep in mind that a lot of the work is also inside the restaurant, as more environmentally-friendly kitchen equipment and a pick-up/delivery driver area are installed. Given that the Derwood renovations took about 90 days, and this Rockville project started in mid-August, a November reopening may be in the cards here.

Rockville Wendy's renovation update (Photos)

The Rockville Wendy's at 808 Rockville Pike has had a distinctive look for so long, it's surprising it's getting a makeover now. Gone are the yellow-and-red "awning," and unique curved glass atop the roofline above the rounded portion of the facade at the front end of the restaurant. The dining room entrance door is gone, too, replaced by a wood board. Customers are being directed to the Derwood Wendy's during the "refresh," which does not have an estimated completion date.