Shake Shack opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Shake Shack opened yesterday at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The burger chain continues to favor the I-270 corridor over downtown Bethesda or Rockville Town Center. A third Shake Shack is planned for the Kentlands in 2022; an existing location is open now at Cabin John Village in Potomac. Look for Shake Shack in the Dining Terrace food court near Cinnabon.

Arby's building, said to be future Shake Shack, goes back on the market for lease

Burger lovers may be shook to learn that a major obstacle has emerged to the imminent arrival of a drive-thru Shake Shack in White Flint. Back in June, the Washington Business Journal reported that the popular New York hamburger chain was going to convert the shuttered Arby's at 11710 Rockville Pike into a Shake Shack. But as of yesterday, there is a banner across the vacant storefront advertising the building as being available for lease. 

The interior of the former Arby's retains its furniture, counters and even the menu holder behind the front counter. Since Shake Shack never publicly confirmed the Journal report, it's unclear why the plans have been derailed - or if the deal was ever set in stone to begin with. Two other Shake Shack locations remain on track in Montgomery County, at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, and in the Kentlands area of Gaithersburg.

Shake Shack to take over former Arby's in North Bethesda

Incredible news from the White Flint area of North Bethesda: Shake Shack will be the new tenant in the fast food restaurant building recently vacated by Arby's at 11710 Rockville Pike. Shake Shack is also opening a location not far away at Westfield Montgomery Mall. But what makes this new location just revealed by the Washington Business Journal so exciting, is that it will have a drive-thru. The line will likely be backed up onto the Pike when the restaurant first opens.

Alas, the New York-based burger chain continues to avoid downtown Bethesda. Speculation about a Shake Shack downtown dates back almost a decade to 2012. Real estate firm Douglas Development began acquiring several restaurant spaces around town that year, after having just brought the D.C. area's first Shake Shack to the District.

Cabin John Mall construction update (Photos)

Construction of new retail buildings at Cabin John Village, a.k.a. Cabin John Center, a.k.a. Cabin John Shopping Center and Cabin John Mall, is now well underway. Future tenants will include new restaurants, the most-anticipated of which is Montgomery County's first Shake Shack location. I like how the banners around the property are emblazoned with a phrase that strikes terror in our corrupt Montgomery County elected officials: "Plenty of free parking." Now, if we could just get a drive-thru for that Shake Shack...

Restarting the Shake Shack Watch in Bethesda (Photos) #DC

I'm restarting my Shake Shack Watch in downtown Bethesda. Or maybe just doubling down on it with a second property in play. Douglas Development, which has secured a Shake Shack in the past at a property in the District, now has a restaurant space at 4731-A Elm Street available for lease.

This property is adjacent to Federal Realty's popular Bethesda Row development, and gets foot traffic from people walking to and from the Regal Bethesda 10 Theaters on nights and weekends. Neighbors Potbelly and The Barking Dog have been stable and successful for years.

4731 also has 6,592 SF of space, double the size of most Shake Shack locations. It just seems long overdue, and inevitable that Shake Shack would open a location in downtown Bethesda. What's taking so long for them to expand here is mystifying. The long wait continues...

ART DECO POP-UP SHOP CLOSES ON NORFOLK AVENUE (PHOTOS)

As Time Goes Buy, an interesting pop-up shop at 7920 Norfolk Avenue, has vacated the premises as expected after the end of holiday shopping season. The Dare to Deco collection included art pieces, furnishings and replicas of the Art Deco period. Now we can officially start prognosticating again about Douglas Development luring Shake Shack to this vacant spot.

START THE BETHESDA SHAKE SHACK RUMORS

BURGER EMPIRE'S

DC LANDLORD

TAKES COMMAND OF

RELIC NIGHTCLUB

BUILDING

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

DC powerhouse firm Douglas Development has taken charge of the 4936 Fairmont Avenue building that housed the now-defunct Relic Lounge.   The company, founded by Douglas Jemal in 1985, not only is an award-winning developer, but also landlord to many prime restaurants and retailers like LivingSocial, Carmine's and... Shake Shack.

Douglas is now leasing the building's units for office and retail space.  But with Relic having been configured as a food service operation, and Shake Shack's rapid expansion to 3 DC locations in 12 months, the scenario is bound to fuel rumors.  If any company has the inside track, and established relationship, to score the next DC area Shake Shack, it's Douglas.  So Bethesda has to move up on the list of potential locations on those merits alone.

Shake Shack will not reveal specific plans, but does not deny the company is actively expanding.

That block of Fairmont Avenue is currently underappreciated.  But JBG is about to redevelop half of it into a 17-story residential building, and The Monty is currently under construction on the Relic building's side of the street.  Now add a major player like Douglas, and the game has changed on this almost-forgotten block.

So the atmosphere on Fairmont - and level of pedestrian traffic - is bound to change over the next two years.  This could make 4936 Fairmont a prime target for Shake Shack, which undoubtedly would like to tap into the deep pockets of Bethesda diners.

Have we maxed out on burger restaurants?  Burger aficionados wouldn't say so!  With spaces opening at Bethesda Row, there will be a lot of speculation about the most-wanted restaurants and retail in the near future.

The only certainty is that, with Douglas Development in charge, 4936 Fairmont is likely to end up with at least one prominent tenant.