In 2025 and 2026, Rockville's new restaurants have opened in two different patterns, a few blocks apart. On Rockville Pike, a string of regional and national food brands have opened their first Maryland locations. On North Washington Street and around The Square, national chains are closing, and small independent cafes and kitchens are opening in their place. Almost every opening this fall fits one of those two patterns.
The Pike Has Become Maryland's Test Kitchen
Start with Towne Plaza. According to The MoCo Show, Tatte Bakery & Café opened Maryland's third location there in January 2025. California Fish Grill followed in November 2025 with its first Maryland location. In June 2026, Wonder opened the first of four planned Montgomery County locations. Wonder's model is a single order mixing dishes from several restaurant brands, for dine-in, takeout, or delivery.
Next door at 12242 Rockville Pike, coming-soon signs are up for Maryland's first Just Salad. The MoCo Show reported in August that a $495,000 building permit for the space had been approved. No opening date has been announced. The chain has more than 100 locations across seven states, and the Rockville store is part of its push into the DMV.
Farther down the Pike, the same pattern shows up in bubble tea. Wushiland opened at Federal Plaza in late July. Store Reporter describes it as the U.S. name for the Taiwanese chain 50 Lan, which has served bubble tea since 1994, and says this is its first Maryland shop. It took over the space Tiger Sugar left in February after a five-year run. The same report calls the Pike's bubble tea scene "overflowing." It points to HeyTea, which opened at Wintergreen Plaza last year, as the competition Wushiland's fruit teas and cheese foam toppings are aimed at.
Then came Teas'n You at 838 Rockville Pike, Unit C. The Banner reports it is the brand's second location and its first in Maryland. The original opened in Northern Virginia in 2017. Brothers Di and Hac Dang co-founded the Happy Endings Hospitality group behind it. The shop took over the space Cuppa Tea left when it closed on June 14. Its grand opening was pushed from September 12 to September 26.
Here is the run of firsts in one place:
| Business | Location | Opened | Why it's on this list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tatte Bakery & Café | 12232 Rockville Pike, Towne Plaza | January 2025 | Third Maryland location |
| California Fish Grill | Towne Plaza | November 2025 | First Maryland location |
| Wonder | Towne Plaza | June 2026 | First of four planned Montgomery County locations |
| Wushiland | Federal Plaza | Late July 2026 | First Maryland shop |
| Teas'n You | 838 Rockville Pike, Unit C | September 26, 2026 | First Maryland location |
| Just Salad | 12242 Rockville Pike, Towne Plaza | Not yet announced | Maryland's first |
Congressional Plaza adds a related case. Mango Mango House of Desserts, a New York-based chain, opened there in late September. Its menu centers on mango in ice cream, crepes, waffles, sticky rice, "snowcloud" bowls, fruit teas, and bubble teas. Store Reporter notes this is the brand's second try in Montgomery County. A location under different ownership had a short run at Downtown Crown during the pandemic.
One Teas'n You Detail Contradicts the Pitch
Teas'n You built its name on late nights. The MoCo Show's grand-opening announcement noted that the Vienna location stays open until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and until 2 a.m. other nights, and quoted the company's line "No curfew." The Rockville shop does not keep those hours yet. According to The Banner, it is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with plans to extend to late-night later. The brand's own Rockville ordering page lists the same 11-to-9 schedule.
For now, it is an afternoon and early-evening stop. The Banner points to the fall menu for a reason to go anyway: an ube tres leches cake, a Vietnamese coffee tiramisu brownie, black sesame Portuguese egg tarts, and a pumpkin spice chai milk tea.
Downtown Went the Other Direction
While the Pike collects first Maryland locations, downtown Rockville has been losing chains. Subway closed in the first week of October after more than 20 years on North Washington Street. Store Reporter counts it as the third national chain to leave downtown in 12 months, after Buffalo Wild Wings last winter and Panera this spring.
The same report notes that most recent downtown openings have been small independent eateries:
- Big Papi's Tacos
- Mandala Kitchen
- Feng Hotpot
- La Baguette Antojitos, in the former Lavande Patisserie space
- Bogotá Coffee House
Bogotá Coffee House shows the downtown pattern most clearly. It opened September 24 at 115 North Washington Street, across from The Square. Store Reporter identifies the owners as the husband-and-wife team Marcela Serpa and Carlos Eduardo Isaza. The menu runs from croissants and waffles to pastel de pollo, palitos de queso, and pandebono, plus bonbon coffee, which is hot espresso over sweetened condensed milk. Store Reporter says the shop is built for lingering, with plenty of places to plug in a laptop. The MoCo Show lists daily hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and smoothies in mango, lulo, and guanabana.
Two Afghan Kitchens, One on Each Side of the Split
This fall's most distinctive openings are two halal Afghan restaurants, and each one fits its side of the city.
ZiZa Kabob follows the Pike's expansion pattern. It opened at 1675 Chapman Ave. in Twinbrook Quarter as the brand's first Montgomery County location. The original restaurant is in Jessup, and the business is associated with Baltimore's Maiwand Grill. Co-owner Fahim Rafiq told The MoCo Show that Rockville is ZiZa's first move into full-service dining. The plan is counter ordering at lunch and full service starting at 4 p.m. The menu is built on homemade Afghan family recipes, including flame-grilled kabobs, stews, and rice dishes, and the restaurant is 100% halal. All the artwork inside was hand-painted for this location. ZiZa offers two hours of free garage parking, seven days a week.
Aria opened in the Rockville City Centre strip mall at 587-621 Hungerford Drive, around the corner from the Giant. Store Reporter describes halal Afghan and Persian food there. Beyond kabobs and stews, the menu includes mantu, which are steamed dumplings filled with ground beef and onion, and aushuk, which are dumplings filled with leeks. Dessert includes shiryakh, an ice cream flavored with cardamom and rose water. Store Reporter calls it the second Afghan restaurant to open in Rockville this fall, after ZiZa.
Hong Kong Tea House opened in the same strip mall at the same time, with a menu that goes from Chinese chicken wings and potstickers to crêpes, bubble tea, and Vietnamese coffee. Owner Youssef Takhssaiti, who runs a similar spot in Centreville, Virginia, told Store Reporter, "It's meant to be a taste tour with something for everyone."
Twinbrook Quarter Fills In Around Festival Street
ZiZa's block is turning into its own cluster. Molly Tea opened at 860 Festival St. in April. Genki Wagyu Shabu House began serving in June at 870 Festival St. Bethesda Magazine reported it opened as a dinner-only soft opening, with Japanese hot pot, sushi, and Wagyu. Genki's website now lists noon openings on Saturday and Sunday. Weekday service runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and to 11 p.m. on Friday.
What's Still Coming, and What's Leaving
- Saturday, October 17, 1 p.m.: ZiZa Kabob's grand opening celebration at 1675 Chapman Ave., with food samples, a DJ, and a celebration of Afghan culture and food.
- Date to be announced: Just Salad at 12242 Rockville Pike. Signs and a building permit are in place, but no opening date has been announced.
- December 31: Mykonos Grill's expected last day. It has been just off the Pike since 1998. Store Reporter reports the owners are moving their focus, their chef, and roughly 80% of the menu to Mykonos Restaurant at Cabin John Village in Potomac, with prices staying the same.
Those openings and closings are also lease decisions. Each one shows what a landlord on Rockville Pike or North Washington Street will accept, and what a tenant was willing to commit to. Dick Stoner represents tenants and owners in Rockville retail and commercial leasing. If you're weighing a storefront on either side of this divide, request a free consultation and we'll go through the comparable deals with you.
