Pelicana Chicken opening this fall in Rockville

Bonchon is about to get some major competition in the Rockville Town Center area. Pelicana Chicken, a full-service Korean chicken restaurant, will open this fall at 4 N. Washington Street at Courthouse Center. The Pelicana chain was founded in 1982 in Daejeon, South Korea, and today boasts of over 3000 locations worldwide. It opened its first U.S. location in 2014 in Flushing, Queens, New York.

Despite a tagline of "old is gold," Pelicana promises its chicken is fried in "fresh, new oil daily." The motto is inspired more by Pelicana's claim to be "the longest-standing Korean chicken brand." Some of their stores even have secret menus. Pelicana's Rockville location will be open from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. An October opening is currently anticipated.

Photos courtesy Pelicana

Assault at Rockville liquor store

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a liquor store in the Rockville Town Center area late Wednesday morning, August 14, 2024. The assault was reported at a store in the 300 block of N. Washington Street at 11:25 AM. It was identified as the Montgomery County-operated liquor store.

KaFean Koffee opening soon at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

KaFean Koffee is opening soon at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Signage has been installed at the kiosk, and virtually all of the equipment seems to be in place. KaFean Koffee will serve coffee from the Austrian coffee roaster Julius Meinl. The kiosk also has a Rancilio Silvia espresso machine. When it starts percolating, look for KaFean Koffee on Level 1 of the mall, near the Lego store and Kiehl's.

JD Sports opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

JD Sports is now open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The sporting goods chain has flipped a number of Finish Line stores, which it also owned, to the JD Sports brand. What is the "worldwide connection" touted on the posters in the store's windows? JD Sports carries exclusive items from brands around the world that aren't available at other American retailers. Look for JD Sports on Level 1 of the mall, near The Cheesecake Factory.

Tory Burch opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Tory Burch is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Signage has just been posted across the future storefront. Founded by Tory Burch in 2004 in New York City, the preppy-bohemian women's fashion brand soon got high-profile boosts from Oprah Winfrey and the TV series Gossip Girl over the ensuing few years. The product line today includes apparel, shoes, handbags, home decor, watches, and accessories. 

Tory Burch currently has a store at Tysons Galleria. The Montgomery Mall store is scheduled to open this fall, in plenty of time for peak holiday season shopping. When it opens, look for Tory Burch on Level 2 of the mall, next to Lovesac.

Rockville Planning Commission to discuss building heights, housing targets for Town Center tonight

The Rockville Planning Commission will hold a work session on the draft 2024 Rockville Town Master Plan tonight, August 14, 2024, at 7:00 PM, at Rockville City Hall. Key points of discussion will be the maximum building heights to be allowed in the "core" and "edge" areas of the Town Center, the target number of housing units to be developed over the life of the plan, and the parking policies and standards for the Town Center area.

Area covered by the Town Center
Master Plan is outlined in black

The current draft of the plan allows buildings up to 200' tall in the core zone of the Town Center, and up to 75' in the edge zone, where the latter transitions from the urban Town Center to the single-family homes of the West End. It projects a housing goal of 2000 new units within the Town Center by 2040. During the public feedback process for the plan, several people suggested setting a housing unit target higher than 2000 units. There are currently only 608 housing units in the development pipeline for Town Center, which has led City planning staff to believe that it would not be realistic to propose a target higher than 2300 to 2500 units.

The number of units has been a hot topic of debate, as many have suggested that there are not enough people living in the Town Center to support the businesses there. Likewise, parking has been highly controversial, as many residents and business owners alike have cited parking issues as a deterrent to business in the Town Center.

Following tonight's discussion, commissioners will instruct staff to implement or report back on potential revisions to the draft plan. The commission will then review the updated draft at its September 11, 2024 meeting. If commissioners are satisfied with the draft at that time, they will have the option to vote to approve the plan, and transmit it to the Mayor and Council for their review, revision, and approval.

Pickpocket strikes at Rockville grocery store

Watch your wallet! Rockville City police were called after a victim's pocket was picked at the Safeway at 403 Redland Boulevard in the King Farm Village Center Sunday night, August 11, 2024. The theft was reported at the supermarket at 7:00 PM Sunday. Next, the thief apparently attempted to make purchases with the victim's credit card at a convenience store.