Steeze Burger, which was ranked the number one burger in the DMV by The Washington Post, is set to open its first brick-and-mortar location on Sunday, May 24, at the Shops at Potomac Valley shopping center in Gaithersburg.

Founded by Laytonsville resident Hunter Karametos, the concept began as a pop-up in 2022 and quickly developed a following across the region.

The new restaurant’s menu will mirror its popular pop-up offerings, featuring single, double, and triple burgers, chili cheese dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, fries, soda, and a variety of Mountain Dew flavors. Burgers are served on sesame seed buns with pickles, onions, and Steeze sauce, with plans to eventually add loaded cheese fries and rotating burger specials. Steeze Burger plans to initially operate Wednesday through Sunday before expanding to seven days a week.

The location at 12141 Darnestown Road was previously expected to become Kong Dog and was formerly home to Neal’s Bagels before the bagel shop relocated to Kentlands.

 

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Montgomery County native Lisa Ann Walter will compete tonight in the semifinals of Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars on ABC.

Tonight’s lineup features Walter alongside sports personalities Katie Nolan and Mina Kimes, with the semifinal matchup airing at 8pm on ABC and streaming the following day on Hulu.

Walter, who currently stars as second grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti on the hit ABC comedy Abbott Elementary, was born in Silver Spring on August 3, 1963, and grew up in Montgomery County.

She graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in 1979 before earning a theater degree from The Catholic University of America in 1983.

Walter began her entertainment career in stand-up comedy, spending several years performing before landing her own Fox sitcom, My Wildest Dreams. She later starred in the ABC series Life’s Work, playing an assistant district attorney in Baltimore, and has appeared in numerous films while also hosting a Los Angeles radio talk show.

Many fans still know Walter for her memorable role as Chessy in The Parent Trap, though her role on Abbott Elementary has introduced her to a new generation of viewers.

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.