Naz's Halal Food opening in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Square is swapping halal for halal in the same spot. Naz's Halal Food will be opening at the shopping center at 522 N. Frederick Avenue, according to a banner posted on the storefront. That's the same space just vacated by The Halal Guys. So, if you were sad about The Halal Guys inexplicably failing at this location, you can now dry your tears. Great halal food is returning soon to Gaithersburg Square.

Naz's Halal has been around for fewer years than The Halal Guys, but has menu items the Guys don't, like burgers, fish, and Philly cheesesteaks. Of course, you can also order the kind of platters familiar to Halal Guys customers, which make up the heart of the menu here. Montgomery County residents already have familiarity with the chain, as Naz's has locations in Germantown, Rockville, Burtonsville, White Oak and Takoma Park.

Clarksburg's Forterra partners with Kalmar on autonomous terminal tractor development

Clarksburg-based firm Forterra, the leading supplier of autonomous vehicles to the U.S. military, has entered a partnership with Kalmar to develop autonomous terminal tractor systems. Kalmar is a major cargo-handling firm at ports and container terminals around the world. The new partnership will combine Forterra's pioneering AutoDrive system with Kalmar's terminal tractor technology and experience, including a successful pilot of its Robotractor system in Norway. AutoDrive is one of the world's top driverless systems at busy ports and logistics centers with complicated layouts.

"This agreement brings together our vast experience in developing world-class autonomous systems and Kalmar's extensive experience in port and terminal automation with their market-leading terminal tractor product," Forterra CEO Josh Araujo said in a statement this morning. "We believe AutoDrive® is the best platform to create a compelling new offering for the container and trailer-handling market."

Photos courtesy Forterra

Locally Crafted moving at Rio Lakefront

Locally Crafted is relocating at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. It will be moving from its original spot at 201 Boardwalk Place to the space next to Le Macaron at 9 Grand Corner Avenue. Locally Crafted is a retail store carrying artisan and hand-crafted goods from over 60 makers in the D.C. metropolitan area. It opened at Rio in October 2021, but temporarily closed while awaiting Francesca's Collections to vacate their new storefront recently.

Do you recognize this Montgomery Village burglary suspect?

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in a burglary rampage across commercial properties in Derwood and Montgomery Village earlier this month. The suspect is accused of attempting to burglarize an ATM at the Bank of America in the 17500 block of Redland Road by smashing it with a rock at 10:58 PM on Sunday, March 3, 2024; forcing his way into and stealing cash from Spice Lanka on the same block moments later; and then trying and failing to force entry into Derwood Beer & Wine in the 17600 block of Redland Road. 

On Wednesday, March 6, police say the same suspect tried his luck in Montgomery Village, breaking into Vida Hair Salon at 19122 Montgomery Village Avenue at 11:02 PM. He allegedly took cash from the cash register and fled. A few hours later, at 3:21 AM on March 7, the suspect allegedly broke into Dollar Tree, Moe's Southwest Grill, Ledo Pizza and The Joint - all at the Montgomery Village Center. He is accused of stealing money from Moe's. The suspect then broke into the Metro by T-Mobile store at 9989 Stedwick Road in Montgomery Village.

Detectives are working with all of the business owners who were affected to determine if any other property or cash was stolen from their spaces. Police describe the suspect as an adult Black male, approximately 5-feet, 10-inches in height, with a slim build. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Detectives have released a photo of the suspect, shown above.

Anyone with information regarding this suspect or these crimes is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org, and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page, or call 1-866-411-8477.  Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Wawa opens in Gaithersburg (Photos)

The first Wawa convenience store and mega gas station celebrated its Grand Opening yesterday, March 7, 2024 at 405 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Many of the price promotions for the opening remain in effect through Sunday, as you will see in some of the photos below. The gleaming interior holds, if not every snack you can imagine, every snack you need. 

Located directly across MD 355 from Gaithersburg High School, Wawa has posted a prohibition on having more than two minors inside the store at any time. Backpacks are also prohibited beyond the vestibule of the store. It will be interesting to compare gas prices at this Wawa with competitors Sheetz and Royal Farms up the road in the coming months.

IKEA sets opening date for Gaithersburg store

IKEA has set an opening date for its first Montgomery County store, a small-format Plan & Order Point store at 101 Boardwalk Place at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. The store will open on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 11:00 AM. A grand opening celebration will be held from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. There will be giveaways, free food (Swedish meatballs?), and free drinks. Attendees will also be able to compete for prizes in the Spin to Win game. See my sneak peek at the Plan & Order Point interior for an idea of what is in store at Montgomery County's first IKEA store.

"We are thrilled to bring the best of IKEA to our DMV neighbors," IKEA U.S. CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer Javier Quiñones said in a statement. "We’ve seen that customers are still eager for in-person experiences, and we hope that this new Plan and order point with Pick-up provides a new and convenient way to shop."

Update on IKEA Plan & Order Point in Gaithersburg (Photos)

Hej! Here's a look at the progress inside the future IKEA Plan & Order Point store at 101 Boardwalk Place at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. Wayfinding signage is posted around the store. There are even sample "rooms" that have been constructed to show available furniture, and how you might place those pieces in your living space. 

Construction of the showroom is several months behind-schedule, but as you can see, major progress has been made toward the grand opening. One other new piece of information: the store will be open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, seven days a week. Hej, var är de svenska köttbullarna?