Rockville Town Square Adding Four Restaurants

Tenants will provide ‘expanded Asian flair’

By Charlie Wright

Friendship BBQ will arrive at Rockville Town Square in July, followed by Gyuzo Japanese BBQ, Kyoto Matcha and Cents Taro Family in the fall. Via Friendship BBQ

Four new restaurants are scheduled to open at Rockville Town Square.

Gyuzo Japanese BBQ, Kyoto Matcha and Cents Taro Family will take the former Mellow Mushroom space at 33 Maryland Ave., according to Federal Realty Investment Trust, the company that owns and operates Rockville Town Square.

Friendship BBQ will open across from Sushi Damo on Maryland Avenue.

They will provide “an expanded Asian flair to The Square,” according to a news release.

“It is exciting to welcome all four of these new merchants to Rockville Town Square and we believe the concepts will resonate well with our community, who is anxious for high-quality authentic restaurants,” Federal Realty Vice President of Asset Management Deirdre Johnson said in a statement.

The three restaurants at the former Mellow Mushroom location are expected to open in the fall. They are each separate eateries, with the building now divided into three spaces.

Friendship BBQ is expected to open in July.

Friendship BBQ

The fast-casual Asian restaurant will feature skewered meats and authentic Asian seafood dishes. The 2,300-square-foot building will seat 75 people, along with additional seating at a full bar.

Friendship BBQ originated in Flushing, New York, and has since expanded to multiple New York locations. This will be the first Maryland location.

Entrees and main items are between $8 and $16, while orders of meat skewers and seafood options are a few dollars more.

Gyuzo Japanese BBQ

The Japanese tableside grilling restaurant allows customers to cook up their own menu selections. The 3,900-square-foot space will seat 100 people, along with a dozen seats at the bar.

This will be the first Gyuzo Japanese BBQ location. A menu is not available at this time, though the bar will have tropical fusion drinks and sake.

Kyoto Matcha

The Japanese green tea and dessert shop will open next to Gyuzo. It will have soft ice cream and cakes to go with the tea.

This will be the first Kyoto Matcha location. A menu is not available at this time.

Cents Taro Family

The Taiwanese dessert shop is next to Kyoto Matcha and will feature handmade taro balls along with other Asian sweets.

Taro balls are made from taro root, water and flour, packed into bite-sized chunks.

This will be the first Cents Taro Family location. A menu is not available at this time.

Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@bethesdamagazine.com