From the relocation of old favorites to the arrival of new franchises, College Park’s business scene will see continued change throughout the year.
Here’s a look at what restaurants and retailers have opened up this summer and which are coming to the city soon.
Union on Knox
Several new businesses will soon fill out the strip of retail space along the ground level of Union on Knox.
Pho Thom opened its new location in the apartment complex on July 11, according to its website. The Vietnamese and Thai restaurant was previously on Route 1.
Duck Donuts is under construction, Terrapin Development Company vice president Tom Parker said. The store is expected to open next semester, Parker said.
Berries & Bowls, which serves acai fruit bowls and smoothies, and BOHO Nails are both working on their final designs and getting permits, Parker said. He estimated both stores will open in early 2026.
[As College Park Liquors tries to reopen, local leaders oppose license transfer request]
Parker also said that a new “local craft coffee and pastry shop” will also open in the apartment complex. The Terrapin Development Company, a venture created by this university to help redevelop certain properties and public spaces in College Park, is waiting on the lease to be signed before revealing the name of the store.
“When you see great tenants moving in like Pho Thom and then opening up, it really does kind of bring a smile to my face,” Parker said.
The Aster
Arepa Zone, a Washington, D.C.-based chain of Venezuelan restaurants, will open its first Maryland location in the Aster apartment complex, Parker said. Construction work is complete and the business is wrapping up final inspections. No official opening date has been announced.
A new “specialized fitness concept” will also be added to the apartment, but the name cannot be released until the lease is signed, Parker said.
Route 1
Little Blue Menu, which temporarily closed in May for renovations and laid off more than 90 employees, will reopen Tuesday, according to the restaurant’s Instagram page.
All of the restaurant’s previous employees were given the chance to re-apply.
The restaurant, which is owned and operated by Chick-fil-A but offers special menu items like burgers and pizza, will now feature an indoor dining room with about 100 seats for customers. Before, the restaurant only offered outdoor seating and curbside pickup for online orders.
Neel Kamal, the chef and owner of Maryland Tandoor, said he expects the restaurant specializing in fresh kabobs and curry to open by Wednesday in the retail space under The Varsity apartment complex. Renovations have been completed and the business is just waiting on inspections, Kamal said.
The restaurant will offer a 10 percent student and 15 percent senior citizen discount upon opening.
[Taqueria Habanero, Arepa Zone among restaurants opening in College Park in coming months]
“They will love the ambiance. They will love the price tag,” Kamal said. “ It is going to be the first Indian fast food casual restaurant around the campus.”
Raising Canes, which will fill the vacancy left by Nando’s Peri-Peri, is completing internal construction, according to College Park economic development director Michael Williams.
Wonder Food Hall, which will feature variety of cuisines all located in one place, is slated to open on the corner of College Avenue and Route 1. The restaurant is still working on internal construction, Williams said.
He hopes both stores will be open around Labor Day.
Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea is a bubble tea store that is planning to open in the space next to Taqueria Habenero on Route 1, according to Williams. The store is currently building out while also working on getting grant money from Maryland’s Project Restore 2.0, a state-funded program aiming to help cities address commercial vacancies, Williams said.
Williams said because it has about 14,000 square feet of retail space, the bubble tea store plans to include both a dining area and recreation space with gaming tables and a large screen. He believes the store, located at the site of the former bowling alley on Route 1, will open around winter break.
A new Subway will open in the College Park Shopping Center, but Williams doesn’t know when the store will officially open.
“We have to continue to stay ready to support the businesses that are here, and also be welcoming to the businesses that want to come here,” Williams said.
