" WORLD'S BEST CASHIER " REINSTATED AT TWINBROOK SAFEWAY

Howard, the Twinbrook Safeway cashier dubbed the "World's Best Cashier" by his regular customers and fans, is back on the job. Those customers rallied behind him after he was mysteriously let go by the store for no apparent reason recently. Letters, emails, a union grievance hearing and hundreds of petition signatures later, Howard Abrams is now back behind his checkout register at the grocery chain's Twinbrook location.

JBG FULLY LEASES RETAIL AT 275 N. WASHINGTON ST., ASIAN BUSINESSES TO DOMINATE NEW ROCKVILLE BUILDING (PHOTOS)

The established and still-growing Asian community in Rockville has shown its economic power strongly in the retail mix the JBG Companies are bringing to their new 275 N. Washington Street project. JBG has announced the mixed-use building's retail space is fully-leased, and that four Asian-owned businesses will be among the tenants.

Those businesses will be French-Asian cafe Lavande Patisserie, Kung Fu Tea, Quickway Japanese Hibachi Grill and Amber Door Day Spa. Rockville's Asian community has founded many businesses, and the city has increasingly become a major shopping and dining destination for the larger, regional Asian community around the DC area.

In addition to the many Asian restaurants nearby, there are several Asian markets in the vicinity - including one only steps away, and a new one in the College Plaza that replaces the venerable Magruder's grocery store. This synergy, which will be enhanced by the new businesses, is creating what JBG's Anthony Greenberg calls "an organically emerging district" of Asian-owned businesses near downtown Rockville. New additions in the adjacent Rockville Town Square include Peter Chang's Bistro, and the Asian-owned Hair Design Zone, both opening this spring.

Quickway Japanese Hibachi founder Bob Liang says the diversity of Rockville, and 275 N. Washington's town center location, were the major factors in deciding to open his 10th area location here. The restaurant will feature fast casual Japanese cuisine.

Lavande Patisserie is owned by mother and son Julie Yi and Andrew Liang of Gaithersburg, and will serve breakfast, lunch and French pastries with an Asian twist, including kumquat fruit tarts. "Buy local" will be a mantra for Lavande. "Everything is fresh and purchased within 50 miles, nothing is store bought or pre-processed,” says Liang. Meat butchering, flour milling and more will be done in-house in this farm-to-table café.

Kung Fu Tea is a New York-based chain serving tea beverages, and this will be its first DC-area location.

Amber Door Day Spa is locally owned, offering massages, facials, body treatments, makeup and other spa services.

All four businesses are moving in, and expect to open this spring. The project's anchor tenant is Bank of America, and 12,000 SF of Class A office space is still available for lease on the building's second floor. This is one of many projects Chevy Chase-based JBG is developing in Rockville.

CORRIDOR CITIES TRANSITWAY MEETING TONIGHT AT 7:00

Corridor Cities Transitway Project Manager Rick Kiegel will host a public meeting tonight in North Potomac at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be at Stone Mill Elementary School, located at 14323 Stonebridge View Road in North Potomac.

The CCT is a transit project that was recently switched from light rail to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Its travel time from Clarksburg to Shady Grove Metro station is estimated to be a sluggish 48 minutes. At that rate, a car in rush hour traffic could beat it there.

Tonight's meeting will discuss the community impacts of the CCT on the North Potomac area, but the route also extends through the City of Rockville. King Farm, in particular, will be impacted by the route.

Only a portion of the full route is being discussed right now, as developers are anxious to qualify for the density at Science City (Belward Farm, etc.) that only the CCT can permit. But with ridership potential now seriously reduced by the decision to switch from rail to bus, its effectiveness in managing the major traffic impacts of the Science City plan is in doubt to say the least.

Even on this short segment, estimated travel times are about three times slower than current automobile travel times. In fact, even the existing, humble Ride On bus beats the CCT between Belward Farm and Shady Grove by a whopping ten minutes! Embarrassing.

What is the justification for this taxpayer boondoggle, other than the financial and political benefits accrued to the developers and the politicians they help get elected to office?

ROCKVILLE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: HAIR DESIGN ZONE AT ROCKVILLE TOWN SQUARE (PHOTOS)

Hairstylist Juan Ma is bringing 10 years of experience at Abanai, one of the top salons in Osaka, Japan, to Rockville Town Square. But first she needs a salon, and that work is underway at 141-C Gibbs Street. Hair Design Zone will aim to bring the latest hair designs and styling methods from Japan and America to Rockville, offering haircare, cuts and coloring.

The salon replaces The Hair Cuttery, which closed last August.

EV & MADDY'S MENU - NOW OPEN IN ROCKVILLE (PHOTOS)

Ev & Maddy's is now open at Rockville Town Square. The bistro replaces 82 Steak Out. Here's the menu (click photos to enlarge for detail):

SIDEWALK CLOSED BY GORDON BIERSCH AT ROCKVILLE TOWN SQUARE (PHOTOS)

A sidewalk outside of Gordon Biersch was blocked with what appeared to be sewer/plumbing repair equipment last night. Heads up if you are walking around there today.

HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION DECLINES TO RECOMMEND HISTORIC DESIGNATION FOR 5 CHOKE CHERRY ROAD

The demolition reprieve the Sullivan and Associates-designed building at 5 Choke Cherry Road received from Rockville's Historic District Commission was short-lived. Last night, the commissioners voted unanimously that the structure did not merit historic designation by the city. Jack Sullivan has been recognized as one of the most significant architects in the history of Rockville.

The motion was made by Commissioner Anita Neal Powell, and seconded by Commissioner Craig Moloney.

Commissioner Jessica Reynolds urged the city to begin considering which of Sullivan's buildings in Rockville should receive such designation, to be preserved from demolition in the future. Moloney said he concurred.

The vote removes one of the last hurdles for developer JBG's planned Upper Rock retail project to proceed.