After plumbing issues extended the closure of restaurants at Rockville's Woodley Gardens mall beyond the expected Halloween reopening, some stores are beginning to reopen this week, according to social media posts.
Carmen's Italian Ice & Café, 1115 Nelson St., announced on social media Wednesday that the store would be open Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“Looks like the plumbing issues in Rockville have been fixed and the water will be back on at noon today!” The store's Instagram post said there was still a “mess” of construction in the parking lot.
Another business in the center, Z&Z Manoushe Bakery at 1111 Nelson St., announced on social media Wednesday that it would open Thursday, but did not provide details of its hours.
Drew Briscoe, the leasing agent for Woodley Gardens and chief operating officer of the company that owns the mall, did not immediately return MoCo360's call Wednesday seeking more information about repairs and openings.
He previously told MoCo360 on October 30 that the center's management company was working to resolve the plumbing issues as quickly as possible.
In late October, several downtown grocery stores, including Carmen's Italian Ice & Café, Z&Z Manoushe Bakery, Hard Times Café and Shanghai Taste, were forced to close for plumbing repairs. Businesses have been told they may be able to reopen by Halloween.
However, as repair work continued at the mall, which required digging and excavating part of the parking lot in front of the stores, hopes of an Oct. 31 opening faded.
Carmen's Italian Ice Cream owner Jason Mandler told MoCo360 on Oct. 30 that a Nov. 4 reopening was more likely. While the store was closed, Carmen's used its food truck to continue selling ice cream and pudding to the community, according to the store's social media posts.
Mandler said the neighborhood was very supportive of the closure. “We’re making the most of it and doing our best to serve the neighborhood,” he said.
Other downtown restaurants that have been closed since late October, such as Hard Times Café at 1117 Nelson St. and Shanghai Taste at 1121 Nelson St., could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. Woodley Gardens Veterinary Care remained open during repairs.
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