Business and development spring eternal in the downtown area.
Now open in downtown Silver Spring:
- Pacers (8535 Fenton St). Score some new kicks for the school year.
- Fuddruckers (on Ellsworth Drive near Fenton Street, above). The Penguin newsroom is still undecided as to whether this burger joint is worth a review. At least the walls aren’t decked out like a bad garage sale.
- The Washington Post newspaper box, now taking credit cards at the Silver Spring Metro station. Of course, you can always score the Express or Examiner for free, or read The Penguin online.
Opening at some point:
- Golf Etc (on Fenton Street near Wayne Avenue, above). Because nothing says “urban renewal” like … golf?
- Nicaro (on Georgia Avenue near Thayer Avenue). This new restaurant will do Latin-inspired dishes at the former home of Rodeo. It’s part bar, part restaurant, but no stage for a band or room for dancing.
- Olazzo (on Georgia Avenue near Thayer Avenue). Hungry right now? Score some eats at this Italian restaurant’s Bethesda digs.
Open to the elements:
- A new extended-stay hotel at 8728 Colesville Rd, formerly the Jemal building. The building’s interior has been gutted completely, leaving bright orange streamers to alert construction workers of that treacherous first step (above).
Photos by Ronald Pace for The Silver Spring Penguin.
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any word on the timing for Nicaro and Olazzo? I’ve been looking around, but can’t seem to find any info.
Thanks for your question, R.
Nicaro was scheduled to open at the end of this month. Things looked like they were coming together last week, so it could open just after Labor Day.
Olazzo is another story. Whenever I ask about its opening, workers on the site say, “Two weeks from now.” Of course, that was more than two weeks ago.
Olazzo told me same thing last weekend — 2-3 weeks. Originally they’d said July.
I hear from just about every business trying to open that county red tape is the big problem — delays getting permits, etc. What the hell is wrong? Pretty soon, nobody will invest his money knowing that instead of three months to build out a space it might take six — meaning you pay rent and tie up your capital with no return for twice as long. Surely this could be fixed….
I spoke to one of the owners of Olazzo yesterday. He was very frustrated with the whole process of opening this location. As of yesterday they received final inspections from there mechanical and electrical inspectors….still waiting on WSSC. After that comes the fire marshall and health. They have completely redone the place inside. From looking in the front room it is very impressive.
The owners are brothers that are both born and raised in Silver Spring. With luck they think it could be ready in three weeks…but that would be dependent on approvals of inspections. The brother I spoke with told me that he probably will not look to open another place in montgomery county anytime soon because of the red tape that they have had to go through to get this opened….way to go county officials!
Is this the same Golf place that is/was up Georgia Ave across from the York Castle Tropical ice cream? Another store I personally do not need and will most likely never enter – but, hey, it is better than yet another manicure, braid, pawn, check cash, coffee, or beer/wine place! When are we getting BB&B or an LNT?
BTW I watched the Fuddrucker’s team training on Saturday morning – they seem full of spirit and flair ;-) Seriously, I’m not a red meat fan, but may stop in to see what side items and such they have on their menu.
Credit cards for WashPost purchase?! Next thing you know the panhandlers will start accepting them too! Is not having correct loose change really the reason people are not buying the daily paper from the metro boxes?
It would appear to me that this type of system would be prone to fraud and illegal activity. I can imagine a scenario where some dishonest person could replace the WaPo credit card reader with their own reader and steal one’s credit card information. I saw a news report approximately one month ago where this exact situation happened to a local bank’s outdoor atm. Better off to carry some change with you than use your credit card for a 35 cent purchase.
In the downtown Silver Spring website, it also lists another store opening soon called “Metamorphosis”–some apparel/shoe store.
While I would rather have a Five Guys instead of another national chain, Fuddruckers, I have to admit they make a very good hamburger. I want to not like them, to curse them for their corporate branding and all that goes with it, but every time I have eaten there, the burgers have been delicous. What can I say–the way to a man’s wallet is through his stomach.
Who knows, Silver Spring seems to have an insatiable appetite so why not a Five Guys in DTSS also?
Bed, Bath and Beyond would be great in the area, but how about a simple CVS somewhere around Fenton and Wayne?
I live in the neighborhood between Fenton and Dale just behind downtown SS. Come on, development team. Throw us a bone.
It would be awesome to get a Target in the JC Penny building so I didn’t have to drive to Wheaton plaza everytime I wanted to buy a pack of paper towels at a decent price.
I’ve never understood how the best DTSS can do for household shopping is the CVS in the Blairs Shops. With the 6 billion condos/apartments/homes in the area, you’d think there would be more demand for a shop like that within walking distance.
Bed Bath and Beyond is another business that would be a great addition and would make sense given all the new condos in the area.
Alas, the vocal majority are so obsessed with keeping DTSS from being “another Bethesda” that we’re more concerned with getting niche things that cator to a small audience and that 90% of the public won’t patronize so that we can perserve DTSS “character.” Who cares if its a chain? I’d much rather have a store I can actually USE within walking distance.
I believe the vocal majority you speak of is really a small minority.
If they were a significant force, then the overwhelming success of DTSS’s renewal would not have happened or would not be sustained. Like you said, most people want stores they can use.
“It would be awesome to get a Target in the JC Penny building so I didn’t have to drive to Wheaton plaza everytime I wanted to buy a pack of paper towels at a decent price. ”
I completely agree. Or a Costco. Man, a Costco would be awesome. I know that some residents hate big box stores with a passion (why, because they’ll drive crappy small retailers out of business?), but something like that (with maybe a drive-through zone for pick-up) would drive down the cost of living tremendously.
I would be happy with just a new Best Buy in DTSS. I hate having to hike up to the Best Buy in Wheaton or Tenleytown for some simple electronic stuff.
“I would be happy with just a new Best Buy in DTSS. I hate having to hike up to the Best Buy in Wheaton or Tenleytown for some simple electronic stuff.”
I dare not whisper my secret, inner wish for the location: Fry’s (aka, outpost.com).
Oops, I just did!
Once again, people pining for chains. Don’t you all know that they’re “evil?” Anathema to “true Silver Spring/Takoma Park people/” :-) And fact is — having a 2nd shop makes Olazzo a chain; Five Guys may have started here but now it’s a chain — would we like to see people in Atlanta or Chicago tell the Five Guys, “Hey, get out of here with your Washington-based idea of food!” Would the Five Guys rather just be running one small store? As long as the process is as complicated as Olazzo has encountered, NOBODY will spend much time thinking of opening here.
I’m all for a mix of chains and GOOD locals (and we’ve had, and still have, some TERRIBLE mom and pop operations). But I’ve been told, over and over, that my wishes “don’t reflect our communities values.” Has “the community” suddenly changed?
Is Olazzo really having a harder time here than they would anywhere else? It’s tough to get a new restaurant open, period. Restaurants almost never open on schedule, and getting permits/inspections is usually the delay.
I noticed a running store opened on Fenton on the same block as the chik fil a. Now you can get delicious waffle fries (or the underappreciated breakfast platter) and the equipment required to jog off those calories!
DMZ, there’s a costco in College Park. It’s not THAT far, and is certainly worth the trip for gallons and gallons of condiments.
Save the old JC Penney site for a music venue and change Burlington Crap Factory into a Target.
Would love to see Mark’s Kitchen of TP open a cafe here.
I believe Olazzo is planning to open this week. It is gorgeous what they’ve done with the place!
I hope so…each week I walk by there but you can’t even get a little sneak peek behind the paper in the windows. I can’t wait…we need another good Italian place and definitely some more life on the GA Ave section of SS (my favorite part, although it has yet to live up to its potential)
Great news. SS needs a good Italian restaurant. Vincenzo’s, or whatever the hell that place on Sligo Avenue (?) is called, is a dump, no matter what George Pelecanos says.
If we can get a decent Italian restaurant, a jazz club, a bowling alley, and a really good Indian restaurant, Silver Spring will have arrived.