Brio's Chicken has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Peruvian charcoal chicken restaurant is located in the former Tara Thai space, on the upper level of the parking deck outside the Nordstrom wing. Tara Thai closed there just over a year ago.
It seemed like an ideal spot for a new chain restaurant like Olive Garden or Texas Roadhouse, or any of the other brands ubiquitous nationwide, but bizarrely missing from Montgomery County. Much like Walmart (with the exception of the Germantown store that was built before the chain was banned by the County Council) and Cracker Barrel, you can drive in any direction out of Montgomery County and find these chains in the surrounding counties, and every few miles as far as you keep driving across the nation - - but not here. Truly nutty, and utterly embarrassing for our elected officials, even if the local press won't call them on the carpet for it. Surely there's a Maura Judkis article to be written, albeit filled with snarky, elitist swipes at those who derive enjoyment from unlimited bread sticks.
Westfield has chosen to go local again in this space with Brio's, an admirable trend we've seen at the mall in recent years, although many of those tenants have been short-lived. In contrast, The Cheesecake Factory has been a huge success. A pretty solid market for Latin American chicken has been established in Montgomery County, however, with the growth of chains like Don Pollo and Pollo Campero, so there is promise here as Brio's opens.
There's no functioning website for Brio's as of this writing, and their Facebook page is spartan in information. Their Google listing states, "At Brio's Chicken, we pride ourselves on being an authentic Peruvian eatery, renowned for our specialty: succulent charcoal-grilled chicken. [C]ulinary passion brings the vibrant flavors of Peru to your plate, inviting you on a tantalizing journey through traditional Peruvian cuisine." Initial operating hours for Brio's at the mall are 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Saturdays, and 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Sundays, according to the schedule on the door.
"The Cheesecake Factory has been a huge success." Why, because it's a national chain. Try comparing apples with apples, i.e. locals to locals. This whole article is a hackneyed, jumble of information.
ReplyDeleteLots of info to unpack for you 6:47?
DeleteIt may be good I don't know but they are going to get crushed. That space is a dead zone and every, single previous tenant, obviously, has failed. And you mention Pollo which has yet to open and the food court holds at 6 vacancies if not maybe a couple more. I don't understand why someone local or otherwise doesn't open a full-service, sit-down restaurant like the old Hamburger Hamlet which we all miss. The mall is barely holding on while Tyson's, though much larger, is packed often and has Coastal Flats, which is great, among others. It's a shame but this place will not make it. Sorry. I wish them well but they aren't what that clientele wants and aren't good enough.
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