Rockville gas station destroyed by fire demolished

The Sunoco gas station at 790 Hungerford Drive in Rockville has been demolished. It was heavily damaged in a November 2019 fire. Klotz Construction is the demolition contractor, leveling the service station to its concrete slab. Sunoco itself provides some unintentional humor, as its website lists the demolished station as open and ready to serve you this morning.

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Spice X-ing X-iting at Rockville Town Square?

Update - 8:44 PM: Spice X-ing was closed during dinner hours again tonight

There are signs that Spice X-ing at 100-B Gibbs Street at Rockville Town Square may be making an X-it from the development. There was a realtor-style lockbox on the front door of the restaurant last evening. Today, I called Spice X-ing twice during lunch hours, and each time an electronic message stated the phone number has been disconnected. Finally, while Spice X-ing remains on the public-facing Town Square tenant map, it has been replaced on the leasing map by a restaurant called "Kumbia."

El Mercat Bar de Tapas "coming soon" at Rockville Town Square

 

El Mercat Bar de Tapas has posted "coming soon" signage at its future Gibbs Street space at Rockville Town Square. It has also applied for its liquor license from Montgomery County. A hearing on its application has been scheduled for October 21 at 10:30 AM. El Mercat is now hiring for all positions.

Orangetheory Fitness opening today at Congressional Plaza

The first of the new fitness tenants at Congressional Plaza's FITRow destination will open today at 1601 Rockville Pike, Suite #210-A. Orangetheory Fitness will welcome its first members today, Wednesday, September 22, 2021, to experience its metabolism-supercharging workouts led by certified coaches.

Orangetheory Rockville South will be open seven days a week offering classes throughout the day from early morning to evening. CorePower Yoga will be the next studio to debut at FITRow. It is on-target to open later this fall. Cool down after today's workout with a beverage from Mr. Wish, also opening for the first time today at Congressional Plaza.

Mr. Wish opening September 22 in Rockville

Rockville's Mr. Wish is coming true tomorrow. The specialty beverage shop is opening Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at Congressional Plaza at 1615 Rockville Pike. It will be located between Custom Ink and European Wax Center.

The Grand Opening celebration will continue on September 25 and 26 only, when you can buy one Mr. Wish Special Fruit Tea, and not only get another one free, but also a bubble tea keychain. And on September 27 and 28 only, a drink purchase will allow you to get a second of the same drink free. 

Regular hours for the shop will be Monday - Thursday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM, and Friday - Sunday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM. Mr. Wish specialties will include fruit teas, bubble tea and smoothies. Check out their menu online for a sneak preview.

Photos: Robert Dyer (top, center) and Mr. Wish (bottom)

Call Your Mother opens in Rockville

Call Your Mother, which calls itself "a 'Jew-ish' Deli," opened today at 11807 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose. The store will be open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM seven days a week. Call Your Mother earned national attention when President Joe Biden's motorcade made its first restaurant stop since he took office at the Georgetown location.

Rockville bus crash severely injures 3 (Video+Photos)

A Metrobus traveling on Rockville Pike suddenly veered onto Congressional Lane around 12:20 PM yesterday, stuck several vehicles, and came to rest on top of the front of a minivan at a building wall of a retail center. Six patients were evaluated by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services, MCFRS Battalion Chief Steve Mann said. Three of those individuals suffered traumatic injuries, and a total of four were transported to local hospitals, MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer said later Sunday afternoon.

As evening approached, WMATA personnel and truck towing specialists were brought in to supervise the complicated task of extracting the minivan safely from under the Metrobus. The large tow truck assisted in a crane operation to hold the bus upright while a second towing crew pulled the minivan out. Night was falling as the Metrobus finally had all four wheels back on the pavement to be towed away. No official explanation for why the bus operator lost control has been released so far. 

Tow truck arrives to lift Metrobus

Extracting minivan from beneath bus

Metrobus lowered to pavement