Strong-arm robbery at Germantown apartment complex

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery at an apartment complex in Germantown Wednesday night. The robbery was reported in the 12900 block of Churchill Ridge Circle around 8:14 PM, according to crime data.  

Assault in Germantown

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a second-degree assault in Germantown early Tuesday morning. The assault was reported at a residential parking lot in the 13000 Well House Court around 2:30 AM, according to crime data. 

Fantasticks at Rio Lakefront update (Photos)

The bricks-and-mortar location of Fantasticks at Rio Lakefront looks just about ready to open. A sign in the window said it's not open yet, but until then, you can look for Fantasticks' mobile cart on the boardwalk at Rio.

Signs of activity at iPic, Regal theaters even as MoCo ban on food, drink sales remains in place

There's no indication Montgomery County's ban on concessions sales at movie theaters will be lifted anytime soon, but a couple of theater chains are showing signs of preparing for reopening. Regal Cinemas already announced a tentative reopening date for its Montgomery County cineplexes next month, in an apparent gamble that the ban on the sale of food and drink will be lifted by then. Workers began sprucing up the exterior of the Regal Cinemas Majestic & IMAX theater in downtown Silver Spring on Monday. And iPic at Pike & Rose is now hiring servers for its in-movie food and drink service, a clear indication that the luxury theater chain believes the ban will be revoked in the coming weeks.

Tarps on the sidewalk outside the Regal Cinemas
Majestic & IMAX theater in Silver Spring, where
workers are touching up the exterior

However, a list of potential steps in loosening restrictions at County businesses released by the County Council does not specifically mention movie theaters or performance venues - nor the ban on food and drink - among the relaxed rules. Only at Phase 3, which will be reached when 50% of the county population is fully vaccinated, could theaters sell food and drink because the County will belatedly adopt the current state guidelines at that point. Under the current ban, which eliminates the most profitable revenue source for theaters, only AMC has reopened its theaters in the county.

Armed robbery in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg police responded to a report of an armed robbery Saturday. The robbery was reported in the 400 block of Allied Place around noon, according to crime data. Which weapon was used in the robbery was not identified.

Cafe Sophie coming to Montgomery County Airpark

Norwegian Meatballs at Cafe Sophie

There will soon be yet another reason to go to the Montgomery County Airpark. Cafe Sophie, a European-style restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, will open in the former Airport Cafe space in July 2021. According to DC Metro Aviation Services at the Airpark, the cafe space will have a new look. The cafe is named for the owners' dog, Sophie, and several dishes will be Norwegian, as one of the owners is from Bergen, Norway.

I'm particularly excited to see Norwegian Meatballs on the menu. While not exactly the same, Swedish Meatballs has always been a favorite dish of mine, but today is virtually non-existent on American restaurant menus outside of IKEA. But as you see in the photo above, these Norwegian meatballs are served with some type of berry garnish, as Swedish meatballs properly would be. Other dishes previewed on the Cafe Sophie Facebook page include Scandinavian Wieners, and several varieties of homemade soup.

Photo courtesy Cafe Sophie

Regal Cinemas Germantown sets reopening date

Montgomery County movie theaters have remained almost entirely dark since the County lifted the ban on movies, primarily due to the County banning the sale of food and drink at cineplexes to ensure patrons do not remove their masks indoors. AMC has been the only chain willing to reopen its two Montgomery County locations so far, somehow affording to do so while forgoing the concessions sales where theaters make most of their profits. Now, Regal Cinemas is either going to accept that scary revenue picture, or the chain is gambling that the ban might be lifted a month from now.

Regal Cinemas Germantown is now scheduled to reopen on May 14, 2021, the company has announced. A week later on May 21, Regal Cinemas Rockville Center in Rockville Town Center and Silver Spring Majestic & IMAX in downtown Silver Spring will reopen.

The announcement notes, however, that these dates could change depending on "unique circumstances" at each location. We will find out soon enough if a ban on food and drink concessions is a "unique circumstance," or if the chain has simply agreed to accept a low-or-no profit operating mode.

Resurfacing at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg (Photos)

A resurfacing project is underway at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. Watch for temporary lane and road closures. Here you can see the fresh new road, and painting and striping, of Boardwalk Place. But also of note, they have added clearly-marked curbside pickup spaces in some spots.

Kogi 2.0 Asian Grill coming to Gaithersburg

Kogi 2.0 Asian Grill is coming to Gaithersburg. The Korean BBQ bowl restaurant will be located at Gaithersburg Square at 524 N. Frederick Avenue.

Goshen Crossing Liquor & Wine store closes after employee tests positive for Covid-19

Montgomery County has closed its government-owned Goshen Crossing Liquor & Wine store at 20004 Goshen Road after an employee tested positive for Covid-19. The employee last worked in the store on Saturday and exhibited no symptoms at that time, County officials said this morning. 

Due to other employees now having to quarantine until test results come back, the store does not have sufficient staff to operate, and must close temporarily. If any of those tests are positive, officials said, the store will be deep cleaned by a "specialized team" that will use chemical fogging and manual wipe-down of all products and surfaces.

Royal Farms construction underway in Gaithersburg (Photos)

I can almost taste the fried chicken now. Construction of the future Royal Farms convenience store and mega gas station at Watkins Mill Road and Spectrum Boulevard in Gaithersburg. 

Right now, workers are grading the site. You can get a sense of how massive the property is without all of the future structures on it yet. 

Back in 2019, the speculation was over who would open first - Royal Farms, or the Wawa on MD 355 in Gaithersburg. While the Wawa project just won a victory in court allowing it to move forward, Royal Farms is clearly in the lead to make its debut first at this moment.

Demand for movies appears strong at one of only two Montgomery County movie theaters to reopen

Continuing my coverage of movie theaters struggling to reopen in Montgomery County, I stopped by the AMC Wheaton 9 cineplex at Wheaton Plaza, one of only two theaters currently open in the county (the other being AMC's theater at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg). Are people ready to return to theaters? Apparently so. 

The 7:45 PM showing of the blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong tonight was already sold out last evening. Regal Cinemas, Landmark, iPic, Cinepolis and other chain theaters remain dark across the county, due to the County ban on sales of food and drink at movie theaters.

Construction of Starbucks at Spectrum in Gaithersburg begins

Gaithersburg's newest Starbucks is now officially under construction at the Spectrum development on Watkins Mill Road, and Sam Eig is on-site to bring it to you. The new store will include a drive-thru. Yes! Gaithersburg may hold the record for most drive-thru Starbucks (in Maryland?) when this location opens later this year.

Montgomery County ban on movie concessions keeping Cinepolis Kentlands theater dark, spokesperson confirms

Montgomery County lifted its order shuttering movie theaters several weeks ago, allowing audiences at limited capacities, but almost all cineplexes remain dark across the county. What's going on? The major sticking point is that the County Council forbid the sales of food and drink at all movie theaters, requiring patrons to remain masked throughout the screening with no refreshments. Theaters make the majority of their profits from these lobby concessions sales, not from the movie tickets themselves.

The announcement that ArcLight Cinemas is closing permanently at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda brought fresh attention to the state of cinema countywide yesterday. Marquees and screens are still dark, with the notable exception of AMC's theaters at Rio Lakefront and Wheaton Plaza. Major chain theaters like Regal Cinemas, iPic and Landmark are not joining them. 

A spokesperson for Cinépolis USA, which opened a theater in the Kentlands area of Gaithersburg only a month before the pandemic hit America, confirmed Tuesday that the County order remains the barrier to reopening. When the ban on food and drink sales is lifted, the Kentlands theater will reopen immediately, the spokesperson said.

It's a dark time, indeed, for movies in Montgomery County. Bethesda is in the worst situation of all. Thanks to the County Council's decision nearly a decade ago to approve demolition of the Regal Cinemas Bethesda 10 without requiring a replacement cineplex, the closures of Regal, ArcLight and AMC Mazza Gallerie give Bethesda the rare distinction of being a large American town without a mainstream cineplex (Landmark Bethesda Row - which also remains closed - does not screen mainstream blockbusters). Some say the age of a night at the movies is over, but Godzilla vs. Kong box office numbers showed interest in movie theaters remains strong nationally, and worldwide.

Aggravated assault with gun at Gaithersburg apartment complex

Montgomery County police investigated a report of an aggravated assault involving a firearm at a Gaithersburg apartment complex Sunday night. The assault was reported in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 9900 block of Shelburne Terrace near Rio Lakefront around 11:00 PM, according to crime data.

Shady Grove Road Burger King update (Photos)

Rendering of new Burger King restaurant
design the chain revealed in 2020

This near-total reconstruction of the Burger King on Shady Grove Road is taking quite a while to complete. While the frame rising from the top of the front of the restaurant matches up with Burger King's new architecture expected to begin popping up across the country this year, the new raised roofline on the rear of the building does not. 

The primary focus of the redesign is to facilitate better access to pickup and drive-thru options. A covered patio is another design option many franchisees are expected to add, yet another pandemic-era concession to the new abnormal. For those energetic folks who want to order via the BK app, but don't want their food brought out to their car in a pickup space, there will be pickup lockers.