Another Panera Bread location in Montgomery County is now officially nearing its final days. An employee at the Rockville Town Center location confirmed Sunday evening that the restaurant’s last day of business is expected to be Tuesday, May 19.

The Panera Bread, located at 219 East Middle Lane in Rockville Town Center, had previously been expected to close sometime in the coming weeks, but this marks the first specific closure date shared by staff.

The space is actively being marketed for lease by Willard Retail, suggesting Panera’s departure has been planned for some time and that ownership is now seeking a replacement tenant.

The Rockville closure comes as another Montgomery County Panera Bread location also appears to be nearing the end of operations. As previously reported, multiple employees at the Panera Bread at 18141 Town Center in Olney have indicated over recent weeks that the store is expected to permanently close in late May or early June. One employee previously shared the location was likely to shut down at the end of May.

Corporate representatives have not responded to repeated requests for comment regarding either location. Signs of a potential transition at the Olney site have also been visible for months. Leasing materials have listed the space as “available” since at least last summer before more recently shifting to “negotiating,” potentially indicating a future tenant may already be in discussions for the property.

Former Gaithersburg High School coach Sergio Reyes is heading to the collegiate ranks, taking over as the inaugural head coach of the women’s flag football program at Missouri Southern State University.

The university announced Reyes’ hiring, marking the launch of the school’s new NCAA Division II women’s flag football program. According to the university, Reyes brings more than 15 years of experience building youth and high school programs, along with an extensive background in leadership and business.

“I am honored to join Missouri Southern as we architect the future of collegiate flag football in the MIAA,” Reyes said in a statement released by the university. “My focus is not just on building a team, but on establishing a professionalized, sustainable program model that serves as a blueprint for the sport’s expansion at the NCAA level.”

According to the university website, Reyes most recently served as the varsity head women’s flag football coach at Gaithersburg High School, where he oversaw strategic planning, recruiting, training, practice design, and game management for the Trojans program. The school also noted that Reyes previously spent 12 years leading recreational flag football and basketball programs through the Montgomery County Recreation Department.

When speaking with The MoCoShow, Reyes said he hopes the move creates additional opportunities for girls flag football players in Montgomery County to continue competing at the next level. “My goal is to provide a platform for young ladies in Montgomery County and showcase the amazing talent we have here, and make higher education accessible through flag football,” Reyes said.

Reyes said he was deliberate in selecting a school as women’s flag football continues to grow nationally and gain traction within collegiate athletics. He added that he sees major long-term potential for the sport and hopes to help create a direct pathway for local student-athletes.

In addition to serving as Gaithersburg’s varsity flag football head coach for the past two years, Reyes also spent three years as an assistant coach for the school’s girls basketball program. He said much of his coaching work at the high school and youth levels was done on a volunteer basis while simultaneously working for more than two decades in the insurance and financial services industry.

According to Missouri Southern State University, Reyes previously held leadership positions with companies including Mutual of Omaha, VIATEQ Corporation, Primitus Inc., District Mutual, XCINEX, and State Farm Insurance. The university also noted that Reyes earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Marymount University in 2003 and is a Chartered Financial Consultant.

University Athletic Director Rob Mallory praised Reyes in the school’s announcement, saying he stood out for his vision for the future of the sport and his commitment to creating opportunities for young women through athletics.

Wushiland Boba is preparing to open its first Maryland location next month at Federal Plaza in Rockville.

The Taiwanese tea chain sherernon social media this week that the Rockville shop is expected to open in June at 12266 E Rockville Pike, taking over the former Tiger Sugar space. The company promoted its authentic Taiwanese-style drinks made with premium tea leaves and handmade boba as “Bigger. Better. Straight from Taiwan.”

Founded in Tainan, Taiwan in 1994, Wushiland began as a hand-shaken tea shop and has since expanded internationally, including several locations in Southern California after opening its first U.S. store in San Diego in 2016. The brand is known for its fruit teas, milk teas, and chewy boba pearls made fresh daily.

The company says its mission is to bring “an authentic taste of Taiwan in every sip,” with drinks crafted using bold flavors and traditional tea-making techniques.

Coming soon signage for the Rockville location first went up earlier this year at Federal Plaza, replacing Tiger Sugar, which opened in the shopping center in 2021 and became known for its brown sugar bubble tea drinks featuring the brand’s signature “tiger stripe” design. An exact opening date has not yet been announced.

Chicago-based Giordano’s says it is now planning for an “early summer” opening for its first DMV location in downtown Washington, D.C., according to an update shared with PoPville.

The restaurant, famous for its stuffed deep-dish pizza, is taking over the roughly 7,000-square-foot space at 600 14th St. NW near Metro Center. The space has remained vacant since December 2023, when Todd English relocated MXDC Cocina Mexicana to another location on 14th Street.

Previous signage at the restaurant had pointed to a late spring opening, and the company had recently been hiring staff ahead of its debut. An exact opening date has still not been announced.

Giordano’s first revealed plans last year to bring its iconic Chicago-style pizza to the location within the Hamilton Square development. The restaurant is expected to serve as the brand’s flagship DMV location, with leadership previously suggesting additional locations across the region could follow.

Founded in 1974 by brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio, Giordano’s grew from a South Side Chicago neighborhood pizzeria into one of the country’s most recognizable deep-dish pizza brands. The restaurant is best known for its stuffed pizza, featuring layers of mozzarella and fillings beneath a thin top crust and tomato sauce.

Today, Giordano’s operates more than 70 locations nationwide.

 

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