Syd's Cakes + Bakes closed at Montgomery Mall

Well, that was quick. Syd's Cakes + Bakes, a.k.a. Syd's Bakery, has officially closed in the food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. They had only opened at the end of July, after the demise of predecessor Shilla Bakery. A third bakery, Patisserie Manuel, is set to open next month in the food court, but not here. For now, a generic "Coming Soon" wall has been installed over the Syd's space.

Gumbo Ya Ya sets opening date at Rockville Town Square

Gumbo Ya Ya fans in Rockville are counting down the final days until the Cajun-Puerto Rican restaurant opens its new location at Rockville Town Square. The owners have announced they will open on November 1, 2019. Their 101 Gibbs Street location was most recently home to Lab Cafe.

Red Door Salon & Spa rebrands as Mynd Spa & Salon in Rockville, Gaithersburg

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon & Spa is in the process of rebranding nationwide as Mynd Spa & Salon. While the rebranding will occur one region at a time, their Rockville and Gaithersburg salons have now officially made the change. The revamped salons will focus on seven primary services: massage therapy, body treatments, skin care, nail care, haircut and color, makeup, and waxing. There will be a new emphasis on products from the European Union, where the company says environmental and purity standards are higher than in the United States.

Rockville's spa is at 934 Rose Avenue in the Canopy by Hilton hotel. Gaithersburg's is in the Kentlands at Kentlands Place, located at 62 Market Street.

Photo courtesy of Mynd Spa & Salon

New shopping center, daycare facility proposed for Rockville

A developer has proposed a new strip mall and daycare center be constructed at 14119 Travilah Road in Rockville, near the intersection with Piney Meetinghouse Road. An existing retail structure would be demolished, and a daycare facility would be built behind the new strip mall and associated parking lot. The project is now before the Montgomery County Development Review Committee.

The daycare is expected to serve up to 195 children at once, within a 12762 SF building. Out front facing the roadway will be the 5896 SF retail structure, with multiple storefronts. A 9468 SF playground will also be constructed. 2972 SF of the property will be dedicated to the master plan widening of Travilah Road.

Congressional Plaza construction update (Photos)

The transformation of part of Congressional Plaza is underway. It looks like Federal Realty is going to make a distinctive facade for this part of the north wing of the shopping center. This is the area where they will be adding Barnes & Noble and up to three fitness studios in 2020. They are branding the new fitness-oriented section as FITRow, and it will be right next to the new bookstore. Note that the signs for Neiman Marcus Last Call and Thomasville Furniture have been removed.

Del Frisco's Grille closes at Pike & Rose (Photos)

Del Frisco's Grille closed yesterday at Pike & Rose. According to a sign posted in the window, the charter tenant of the Federal Realty development is "permanently closed." I enjoyed many meals at this location, including the best Thanksgiving turkey I've ever had at a restaurant.

Dream Aero opens, Cookie Dough & Co. closes at Westfield Montgomery Mall (Photos)

Dream Aero, an authentic Boeing 737NG flight simulator, has opened for business at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The realism is incredible, but be prepared for sticker shock. A departure on the shortest 30 minute flight will set you back a whopping $165 through October 30. Multi-session training courses are available, as well.

There's no TSA checkpoint to worry about here. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by a man in a full airline pilot uniform. Before leaving, there is an assortment of souvenir gifts available for purchase.

Hold on to your wallet - this sim is likely
only for those whose billfolds are too large
to qualify as carry-on luggage

It quickly becomes apparent that this is not going to be an arcade game for kids after a movie at ArcLight Cinemas down the hall, but more of a professional training device. For aspiring pilots in Rockville, this could be a convenient first step to earning your wings.

While Dream Aero has successfully taken off, Cookie Dough & Co. is the latest mall tenant to crash land. Their kiosk, which opened in August 2017, has closed and been cleared out.