January felt like two months! I cant wait to get thru the cold, wet season as quickly as possible. Bring on the sun! Cava finally opened in the Waldorf area which was highly sought after by our community. Keep sending your requests to these places you want. They need to hear from the consumers. Remember some of these stores have to have a franchiser that wants to put a store in the area. Not everything is corporate owned.
Brandywine has got a lot going on recently. New retail is popping up in front of the Chaddsford neighborhood at the Brandywine Village project.
Fresh Green is a new franchise company started in 2018 with three locations in Maryland currently and four more including Brandywine on the way. They have a selection of signature salads plus ones you can customize yourself.
And guess what? Across the street at Brandywine Crossing we have another contender in the salad war. 
Saladworks has been in the business for a while longer. They began in 1986 and have over 110 locations in 15 states. Besides a large array of salads they also carry sandwiches and paninis. This will be their third location in Maryland. They will be located over by the Green Turtle and UPS
The Brass Tap craft beer bar is officially signed at the St. Mary's Marketplace in California, MD. It will take over the former Café Rio space. The space will have indoor and outdoor seating. This is the forth Brass Tap in Maryland. They are a franchise with over 40 locations in the United States.
Baynet confirmed that Shoppers is returning to Leonardtown and Charlotte Hall. That's a lot of stores coming back online. EDIT: And no they will not be run by McKays.
Fiesta TexMex will have its Grand opening February 13th at the Waldorf Marketplace. They are located next to Grille 13 on an endcap space. Fiesta TexMex is locally owned and operated and specializes in made from scratch foods. 3010 Waldorf Market Pl. in Waldorf.
Aldi had its grand opening in La Plata at 155 Rosewick Corner Place. They are located across the street from Rosewick Crossing Shopping Center.
Panda Express is now open in La Plata at the corner of Route 301 South and Route 6.
Thanks Chris. This blog really is the most exciting news in SoMD. Heard Chicl Fil A and Aldi are potentials for Charlotte Hall. I can’t wait to see that area develop.
ReplyDeleteYes they are potential tenants. We will see how approvals go.
ReplyDeleteIve never been to a Public Zoning Hearing, but will certainly try to get to the one next Monday for the Aldi and Chick-Fli-A and here the folks he-haw about this new development thats is coming to Charlotte Hall. Im excited about what might come, but things move very very slow in St. Mary's and it probably wont be for another year before anything starts moving. Look how long its been with the Royal Farms, took what 3 hearings to finally get approved. Wish they would at least cleanup the old Wentworth site.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the public hearing?
ReplyDeleteAny guess as to if or when California Tortilla will be opening in the mall?
ReplyDeleteIs Crumbl cookies still coming to Waldorf?
ReplyDeleteAnything on raisin cane opening date for Waldorf
ReplyDeleteThe Shoppers returning to St. Charles will not be ran by McKays again will it??!!! That was a horrible idea!!!!
ReplyDeleteNope. McKays are out of it.
DeleteHey Chris, any updates on the Manokeek Village Center in accokeek Maryland and the open commercial that’s for lease within it and the surrounding area? I know there was recently an American best wings that open and I’m curious if anything else is to come. Please help
ReplyDeleteHopefully one day Whole Foods will arrive 😭
ReplyDeleteNot until the powers that be for these companies get less racist.
DeletePretty uneducated response calling it racist especially without anything to back that up ... But keep crying about it, maybe someone will give you a sticker or something
DeleteYou racist too obviously. Area mostly minority so they stay away... But go over to Alexandria and they got all these stores.
DeleteSouthern Maryland does not have the population numbers these major chains look at. If you followed Chris's blog you would know that. Go back and look at the past months blogs.
DeleteYou sayin they can't read? Can't stuff too many more people in dis area.
DeleteGo over to Woodmore town center and tell me what grocery store over is over there, actually I'll tell you since you're probably uneducated, it's Wegmans. In PG county. So keep waiting for that sticker sunshine....
DeleteNo new news on manokeek village.
ReplyDeleteCorrect the Mckays are no longer part of the grocery stores.
Crumbl is having supply issues and is unsure of an opening date.
Raising caines still to far away from an opening date.
The names/locations of all the various shopping plazas is confusing. Can you provide a map of just the shopping center NAMES and locations for reference?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the response to this.
DeleteYou ever heard of Google Maps?
DeleteStop making everything about race. Maybe it's the class factor many companies are looking at and why they're not investing in our area. Southern Maryland is sorely lacking with upscale amenities and mindset.
ReplyDeleteThere's a Whole Foods in Hyattsville and S.E. DC and a Wegmans in Largo.....It's not about racism, it's about population and the amount of people down here that leave the county to go to work.
ReplyDeleteAs a Black woman, everything isn’t about race regarding where companies will locate. Trust me, they want our money, but it’s a certain criteria that has to be met.
ReplyDeleteYou have to consider the land space. If Whole Foods come out here, where will it be placed? There really isn’t no space. They need a certain amount of square footage for the building and parking. The lunchtime crowd is not high here. Our population is extremely low compared to PG County. PG County has close to 1 million in population, while Charles County doesn’t even have 200k in population. We’re rural and small. Whole Foods like to be in dense areas that are walkable, near public transportation, near a major highway, and near a college campus. We don’t fit that description.
Yes, there is a time to acknowledge when things are racist — we all know what America is built on; and our white counterparts know it. However, Whole Foods not coming to Waldorf is not racist lol. Come on now. Charles County is now considered the wealthiest county for Black Americans, taking the crown from PG County. Potomac doesn’t even have a Wegmans or Whole Foods and they’re a wealthy small city. Their Whole Foods is in Rockville. I challenge everyone to research the criteria for all of these companies and make an educated conclusion on why we don’t fit their criteria.
At the end, businesses invest millions in construction, staffing, and merchandising. They have to make that money back and profit. They do research on areas to pursue before that large investment.
If you want Whole Foods, drive there. It’s about 40 mins away in Riverdale — PG County, the county with one of the highest and wealthiest Black populations.
An apple from Whole Foods and Lidl is the same. It’s just that the price is different. Again, educate yourselves on facts and not emotion.
Thank you for educating the rest of us. Thank you for reminding me why I moved to a county that’s affordable. If we had Whole Foods in our backyard, then it would not be an affordable county to live in. I am content with Aldi and Lidl nearby and if I feel like splurging on myself, I’ll make a trip to Whole Foods in Alexandria usually about once or twice a year.
DeleteCompanies do listen when people contact them and ask them to build in certain areas so if you really want a certain store or restaurant, get everyone you know to contact them and tell them you want a store in Waldorf. It might not work on Whole Foods but it's worth a try. I want a Trader Joe's more than a Whole Foods in our area but I think there's plenty of space for Whole Foods in Brandywine.
ReplyDeleteAgain, it is not on a major highway nor is it visible from a major highway. Brandywine is not walkable, it’s not near a college campus, nor is near public transportation. Their criteria is literally on their website. You can contact them, but the area is not dense enough.
DeleteWhole Foods just doesn’t fit the structure for Brandywine right now, and that is okay. I don’t understand why so many people complain about the grocery prices, but want a Whole Foods. It doesn’t make sense.
I'm aware of all of that. I never even said I wanted a Whole Foods, just that there would be space for one in Brandywine. With all the homes they're building there, it will be walkable one day though.
DeleteChris, I noticed that John Deere Dealer in Waldorf has closed it's doors. Did they relocate or did they have to move because the land is being developed?
ReplyDeleteThey were purchased by Atlantic Tractor. https://www.atlantictractor.net/check-out-all-our--locations?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxsXF4Iif_QIV3IxoCR0bMApGEAAYASADEgJjPfD_BwE
DeleteI believe the John deere dealer joined with another company under a different name.
ReplyDeleteChris, what are the odds we can get a legit grocery store and gas station in Nanjemoy? Why are we pushed aside like 3rd world afterthoughts down here?
ReplyDeleteAny update on Panda Express in La Plata? They look about ready to open.
ReplyDeleteThey are open.
DeleteWith all due respect, the lengthy diatribe from a previous commentor said much of nothing. Once again race has nothing to do with it. I am originally from the Midwest, and I have to tell you that Southern Maryland as a whole (and Charles County in particular) is one of the most poorly planned regions in the U.S. Please tell us why there are 4 Chick-fil-A's within a 15-mile radius? Ditto for Aldi, Dollar Tree, Panda Express, Dollar General, Wawa, beauty and liquor stores and nail salons. I can go on and on. This has been mentioned in other blog posts before. This, in addition to the other facts you stated, are probably why we have yet to attract a marquee retailer such as Wegmans or Trader Joe's here in Southern Maryland. The retailers we want down here don't like how things are shaping up, regardless with the large amount of houses, or wealthiest black community status or whatever other metric we could consider. Not to mention how completely frustrating the permitting process is here in our region. I don't like having to go outside of the county for upscale and more shopping variety, but I do. Woodmore Town Center in Largo is one of my go-to's actually. It is amazing there. Hope it changes here in Southern Maryland, but I'm not holding my breath.
ReplyDeleteI can’t wait to see what stores, etc., we get when the Pinefield area gets developed - well the area where Embassy Dairy used to be. At least its on hold until Western Parkway gets finished.
DeleteThank you for your thoughtful diatribe oh grand and wonderful Poobah!
DeleteRace has everything to do with it. The white man has controlled everything in this country since the day they landed at Plymouth Rock, let's stop fooling ourselves please.
DeleteUsually the people that always bring up the race card are the racists.
DeleteYes, Nanjamoy does need some major development like grocery stores, etc. It's literally a ghost town there.
ReplyDeleteSame with Indian Head and Bryan’s Road area!
DeleteI don't see anything coming down to Nanjemoy. With no public water and sewer system it makes it tougher. There is almost no commercial zoned property down there except for a very small patch around the fire department.
ReplyDeleteWhats going in where the old LaPlata Motel was?
ReplyDeleteWho knows, let's just change the name of the town to Waldorf Jr. now. Shame we blocked the Super Walmart years back and are losing lots of tax $ to King George... Especially since that land is now developed anyways.
DeleteChris any March updates?
ReplyDeleteHey Chris, any chance we could look into getting a Dave & Buster's or even a Chuck-E-Cheese's down in the Nanjemoy area? The kids down here are bored and maybe something like that would keep them occupied instead of getting in trouble.
ReplyDeleteNeed more things for kids to do in charles county. One Skyzone and Chuck E. Cheese isn't good enough. Having to travel to VA for more kid friendly options is getting old.
ReplyDelete