When Party City left 124 Main St in Kentlands, the space didn't get a new big-box tenant. It was split into three storefronts. Wonder opened in one of them in August. VEG ER for Pets has put up its permanent sign in another. STRONG Pilates signed for the third. A few blocks away, the old Buca di Beppo at 112 Kentlands Blvd is being shared by a French bakery and a mattress store.
Kentlands is pairing smaller spaces with businesses you'd visit every week, not a few times a year. Party City was a store you stopped at before a birthday. A pilates studio, a delivery kitchen, a bakery, and an emergency vet open around the clock all bring people back more often. The pattern repeats in the smaller storefronts on Market Street, in the new buildings planned at Kentlands Square, and at Rio Lakefront across the city.
One Party City, Three Businesses
MoCo Show reported that the former Party City space was divided into three separate storefronts after the retailer closed. Wonder came first, opening on Thursday, August 13. It doesn't work like a food court. MoCo Show describes it as a "delivery-first, mealtime platform": one team in one kitchen cooks the whole menu, much of the prep happens at a central hub in New Jersey, and dishes are finished on site in high-speed ovens. You can put a steak inspired by Bobby Flay, tacos associated with José Andrés, and pizza from Brooklyn's Di Fara in one order with one delivery fee.
The second storefront will be Montgomery County's first VEG ER for Pets, part of the Veterinary Emergency Group network. These hospitals handle emergencies only and are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no appointment needed. They treat dogs and cats as well as birds, reptiles, rabbits, and ferrets. No opening date has been announced. On October 5, MoCo Show noted the permanent signage and said that, based on progress, it could open by the end of the year.
STRONG Pilates was confirmed in July as the third and final tenant. It hasn't announced an opening timeframe.
The Buca di Beppo Space, Split Two Ways
Buca di Beppo closed its Kentlands Market Square restaurant in June 2024, before the chain filed for bankruptcy. That space is being divided too. Mattress Warehouse will take one part. Maman, the French-inspired café and bakery, is planned for the other at 112 Kentlands Blvd. Tatte Bakery & Cafe had been announced for the spot before those plans changed earlier this year.
Maman started in New York with a grab-and-go café in SoHo. Its first location outside New York opened in June 2022 at 7140 Bethesda Ln in Bethesda. The menu covers croissants, kouign maman, loaf cakes, scones, beignets, and espresso drinks, plus the nutty chocolate chip cookie that made Oprah's Favorite Things list in 2017. MoCo Show's August report gave no opening date, and none has been announced since.
A family-style Italian restaurant mostly drew people for occasions. A bakery-café draws them for coffee and a pastry. That shift shows up again on Market Street.
The Smaller Storefronts Are Turning Over Too
The big boxes are the most visible change, but Kentlands' smaller shops are changing hands at the same time. Most of the incoming tenants are specialists with a focused menu or one service.
| Address | Previous tenant | Incoming tenant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 109A Market Street | Potomac Cookie Co. | Arepa King | Aiming to open before the end of 2026 |
| 375 Main St. | Baby Bar, then Colour Couture Salon signage | Catlands | Targeting the end of 2026 |
| 72 Market Street | Caspian House of Kabob | Compari Trattoria | Coming soon, no date |
| 640 Center Point Way | Cinco de Mayo | Gina's Cucina Siciliana | Aiming to open in 2026 |
| 107 Market St W | Poke Bros | SWTHZ | Under construction, no date |
Arepa King makes Venezuelan food fresh every day, and its corn arepas are naturally gluten-free. The bestseller is the King Arepa, a traditional Arepa de Pabellón filled with shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantains, and cheese. Gina's Cucina Siciliana grew out of a family's effort to keep the recipes of Gina, a Sicilian mother and grandmother, alive. The menu draws on the Agrigento and Messina regions, with arancini, spiedini, pasta puttanesca, and Sicilian pizza. Compari Trattoria has said only that it will offer "modern Italian dining."
Catlands bills itself as Montgomery County's first adoptable-cat lounge. Its tagline is "play, lounge, adopt," and visitors can spend time with cats available for adoption. SWTHZ offers contrast therapy, which alternates heat and cold. Its first Maryland location opened in North Bethesda in March 2025. MoCo Show reported in September that an $800K permit had been issued and construction had started at the Kentlands location.
Together with STRONG Pilates around the corner, that makes two fitness and wellness businesses coming to the same few blocks.
Kentlands Square Is Being Built Small From the Start
The clearest sign of where Kentlands is headed is the one project that isn't a reuse. Saul Centers is marketing three new buildings at Kentlands Square, on the land between Chipotle/Lowe's and the At Home store. The building closest to Chipotle is planned as four tenant spaces, the middle building also has four, and the one near Lowe's would be a standalone drive-thru restaurant.
No tenants have been announced, and the businesses pictured in the marketing renderings are not confirmed. There's also no construction timeline yet. Even so, the layout shows the plan. The new buildings are designed as eight small storefronts and a drive-thru, with no single large anchor.
Rio Lakefront Is Making the Same Shift on a Smaller Scale
Across Gaithersburg at Rio Lakefront, recent changes follow the same pattern. MoCo Show's October roundup lists Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen as open at 212 Boardwalk Place, in the former Bach to Rock space. Chef Rachid, whose cooking roots are in Beirut, serves mezze, shawarma, falafel, and grilled entrées, along with Lebanese wines and zero-proof drinks. Orange Pocket is open at 30 Grand Corner Ave. It sells Japanese- and Korean-inspired goods and has gashapon and claw machines, blind boxes, snacks, and stationery. Sip, a family-owned stand selling dirty sodas and mocktails, opened next to Bear's Shaved Ice near the carousel and playground.
Miss Toya's Southern Kitchen at 229 Boardwalk Pl closed in September, leaving open the 2,741-square-foot space it had taken over from BGR in June 2023. The closing notice points customers to Miss Toya's Creole House at 923 Ellsworth Dr in downtown Silver Spring, which is still open. J.Crew Factory is moving into the former Finewine.com space at 20 Grand Corner Ave., Suite A. It will be the brand's third Montgomery County store, after Congressional Plaza in Rockville and Clarksburg Premium Outlets.
Where the Calendar Puts You Through December
Many of this season's events take place on the same blocks where these changes are happening. December 5 is the busiest date, with Kentlands Market Square, the KCA Clubhouse, Kentlands Mansion, and Rio all hosting events on the same Saturday.
- October 23, 6 to 8 p.m. The KCA Halloween Happy Hour at Kentlands Manor, 217 Booth St., is on the Kentlands calendar.
- October 25, 3 to 6 p.m. BooBash on Lakelands Lawn, listed on the Lakelands events page.
- October 29, 6 to 7 p.m. Sugar Skulls for Día de los Muertos at Kentlands Mansion.
- November 3 through January 17. Artists on Market's "Treasures of the Season" show at 305 Main Street, with a free reception on November 15 from 5 to 8 p.m., according to the Kentlands Community Foundation.
- November 7. Lakelands Comedy Night runs 7 to 9:30 p.m., and Rio Lakefront's Locally Crafted Fall Holiday Market opens its first date, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The market returns December 5 and 6 and December 12 and 13.
- November 20, 6 to 9 p.m. S'more Lights at Seneca Creek State Park.
- November 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Holiday Mini Photo Sessions at Kentlands Mansion.
- December 4, 6 to 9 p.m. The City's Jingle Jubilee tree lighting takes place at the Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne, not Kentlands.
- December 5. The Kentlands Holiday Tree & Menorah Lighting is planned to return to Kentlands Market Square, according to the Kentlands Community Foundation's annual report. The KCA Children's Santa Event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Clubhouse. Santa's Enchanted Visit at Kentlands Mansion is already sold out.
The Kentlands Main Street Farmers Market at 301 Main Street runs year-round from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so it doesn't shut down for the season.
The biggest event this season requires planning now. The City's Winter Lights Festival returns for its 31st season at Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road. It's a 3.5-mile drive with more than 450 illuminated displays, open nightly from November 27 through December 31 except December 25. You have to buy tickets in advance. They went on sale October 15, they're valid only for the date you choose, and daily quantities are limited. Prices are per vehicle: $15 Monday through Thursday, $25 Friday through Sunday, and $35 for vehicles with 15 or more passengers. A weeknight ticket costs $10 less than a weekend one. Weekday tickets can be exchanged only for another weekday, while weekend tickets can be moved to any day, subject to availability.
At Charisse Callender Scott, we keep track of which Kentlands storefronts are filling up and with what, from the old Party City space at 124 Main St to the pad sites planned at Kentlands Square. If you'd like to talk about what they mean for your corner of Gaithersburg, Contact Us. We're always glad to compare notes.
