Assault at bus stop in Rockville

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a bus stop in Rockville yesterday afternoon, December 8, 2024. The assault was reported at a bus stop in the 700 block of Hungerford Drive at 2:39 PM Sunday. That is on MD 355, just north of the Rockville Town Center area, in the vicinity of the U.S. Post Office and Rockville City Centre shopping center.

Rockville police searching for suspect who sexually assaulted woman

Rockville City police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in the King Farm neighborhood on November 28, 2024. Around 2:00 PM that day, the male suspect approached a female pedestrian at the intersection of Redland Boulevard and Reserve Champion Drive. According to police, the suspect grabbed the victim in a "bear hug," and "repeatedly thrust himself in a sexual motion."

The victim began filming the suspect using her cell phone. When the suspect realized he was being recorded, he grabbed her phone and smashed it, before fleeing on foot. Police describe the suspect as a Black male, 20 to 29 years of age, and about 6' in height. He was clean-shaven with an "athletic-build." At the time of the assault, he was wearing gray sweatpants, a black hoodie, and a beanie-style knit hat with a pattern on it. If you can identify the suspect, or have any other information about this incident, call police at 240-314-8900.

Dirty Dough sets target opening date in Rockville

Dirty Dough has set a target opening date for its Rockville Town Square location at 36-B Maryland Avenue. The cookie shop is now hoping to open on December 18, 2024. If you missed my first report, Dirty Dough's selling point amongst its competitors is its stuffed cookie fillings, as well as the availability of milkshakes and ice cream that employ the cookie ingredients and toppings. Dirty Dough has an existing Maryland location in Halethorpe, with Baltimore and Laurel stores in the works.

Rockville snack thief uses hot ramen cup as weapon in escape

A resourceful snack thief employed a steaming cup of ramen noodles against those blocking his escape in Rockville on November 20, 2024. Rockville City police report that the suspect was caught allegedly stealing a bag of chips from a business in the 200 block of N. Washington Street at 7:35 PM that evening. Confronted by employees, the suspect tossed the noodle cup at his accusers, and fled.

Police describe the suspect as a Hispanic male with a red beard. He was wearing a brown jacket. If you can identify this suspect, you are asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Bowlero Rockville, Gaithersburg to rebrand as Lucky Strike

All three Bowlero locations in Montgomery County will rebrand as Lucky Strike. Bowlero Bethesda at 5353 Westbard Avenue, Bowlero Gaithersburg at 1101 Clopper Road, and Bowlero Rockville at 15720 Shady Grove Road will become Lucky Strike bowling alleys over the next two years. Bowlero, which acquired Lucky Strike last year, has decided to make the name change to reflect its intention to broaden its entertainment empire beyond bowling. 

Lucky Strike has an existing Montgomery County location at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The future of the Westbard location is unclear, however, as its lease ends in 2027, requiring a decision by property owner Regency Centers.

Bowlero told The Wall Street Journal this week that profits from its Raging Waves water park in Illinois have exceeded expectations, fueling confidence that the company can expand its horizons, while staying centered on its core business of food and beverage sales. CEO Tom Shannon told the Journal that he envisions the company one day selling passes that are accepted at all of its entertainment businesses.

Rockville Pike Arby's-to-McDonald's conversion update (Photos)

The transformation of the former Arby's at 11710 Rockville Pike into a McDonald's has been more of a demolition project than a simple conversion. Rather than merely updating the facade and interior, a substantial portion of the building was first destroyed. You may recall that the construction plans called for adding about 170 additional square feet to the restaurant. It's almost certain that the drive-thru configuration will be updated to the dual-lane system now employed at most McDonald's locations in America. And the reconstructed building will go from a very outdated Arby's design to the latest McDonald's concept.

This is ultimately a move for McDonald's rather than a new location on the Pike. The existing Golden Arches restaurant down the street at 11564 Rockville Pike will move from its Saul Centers-owned site to this Polinger Company property. But it does bring the major bonus of a drive-thru, which the current White Flint McDonald's does not have. Contrary to the Montgomery County Council's war-on-cars logic, but consistent with its total lack of knowledge of the business world, the vast majority of fast food sales come via the drive-thru window.

Regal Germantown closed while Montgomery County leaders slept at the switch (Photos)

Regal Cinemas has closed at 20000 Century Boulevard in Germantown. The closure, which was first reported by The MoCo Show, is a significant blow to the development and success of Germantown Town Center. The theater is likely to be replaced by yet another residential building. Yes, it may have retail or restaurant tenants in the ground floor (or, like others in the area, it might not), but neither outcome will produce the general activity level of a cineplex. In a relatively-high-crime area like Germantown, the last thing in the world you want is a large, dead, dark space after business hours.

The closure is also bad news for the surrounding businesses. A study last decade found that a multiplex theater draws an additional 20,000 people to a neighborhood each weekend, who shop and dine at nearby establishments before and after their movie. "Dinner and a movie" is such a generator of economic activity - not to mention one of the most popular weekend activities of many Americans - that some restaurants will even partner with theaters to offer special packages. 

It's sad that it came down to this. When this theater opened as a Hoyts Cinema around the turn of the century, it stood out for awhile in a county where most theaters were aging or had closed altogether, and the odds of finding a hole in your seat cushion at many were quite good. But in recent years as a Regal Cinemas, the failure to convert to the latest theater standards such as recliners could be seen as the writing on the wall. 

The reality is that the potential cash value of the land as a mixed-use development site exceeded whatever Regal would realistically be able to pay in rent over the coming years. And as in the demise of Regal Cinemas Bethesda 10, the Montgomery County Council was asleep at the switch, despite it being known for months that this economic engine of Germantown Town Center was in danger of being switched off, with no replacement. 

It should be noted that Topgolf, the only other significant entertainment option in the Town Center neighborhood, is in financial distress at the corporate level. Parent company Topgolf Calloway has declared its intention to spin off the Topgolf business into a separate entity. As a result, there's no ironclad guarantee that Topgolf will be around forever in Germantown. BlackRock Center for the Arts isn't enough to sustain a viable Town Center economy on its own. Where is the leadership? Somebody reach for the smelling salts.