Raising Cane’s is set to open its doors in College Park on Tuesday, concluding a semester filled with new restaurants and businesses popping up around the city.
Here’s an overview of developments in College Park over the fall semester.
Route 1
The first business in College Park to open its doors this fall was Peter Chang Kitchen & Bar, which replaced a Korean barbecue restaurant. Chang, a well-known chef in the Washington, D.C., area, aims to bring authentic Szechuan Chinese food to College Park through his restaurant.
“We have people from all over the world,” District 1 College Park City Council member Alan Hew told The Diamondback. “The university tends to attract an international crowd, and with the number of people with that much diversity in a local location, it can support international and regional restaurants.”
[New food hall in College Park features food from more than 15 restaurants]
Another change on Route 1 was the opening of Maryland Tandoor in September under The Varsity.
The restaurant allows customers to choose from a variety of traditional Indian dishes with an urban twist. Maryland Tandoor’s managing partner Vijay Joshi said the restaurant offers students affordable food options with shareable portions.
Further down Route 1, Wonder opened its first Maryland location in November.
Wonder operates as a food hall and gives customers the ability to order from the menus of more than 15 restaurants. All of the food for these restaurants is cooked in one kitchen, allowing customers a variety of cuisines to choose from, according to Ayana Garzillo, a Wonder marketing brand ambassador.
One of the most anticipated grand openings of the semester is Raising Cane’s this Tuesday, said city economic development coordinator Rehanna Barre.
Barre said it was exciting to see such a large franchise come to College Park and that many community members have been buzzing about the new restaurant.
While many new businesses opened on Route 1 this semester, the city lost a grocery store, Shoppers College Park, which closed in early November following orders from its parent company.
The Aster
The Aster apartment complex gained a new Venezuelan restaurant in September as founders and co-owners Gabriela Febres and Ali Arellano opened Arepa Zone’s first Maryland location in College Park.
[Upcoming Shoppers College Park closure leaves community members worried]
“It’s for the Venezuelan community to gather, but also to introduce people that have never tried arepa before,” Febres said.
While the College Park location follows the chain’s typical fast-casual style, Febres said this new location stands out as the first Arepa Zone with a full bar.
Union on Knox
There are several retail spaces under construction within the Union on Knox complex.
Duck Donuts is set to finish construction soon and open in early 2026, according to Tom Parker, Terrapin Development Company’s vice president.
Black Lion Café, an Ethiopian coffee shop, is in the beginning of its construction process. The café will create a welcoming, calm and cozy environment for College Park community members, said Neima Tahir, the manager of the café’s Silver Spring location.
According to Parker, Black Lion Café is expected to open ahead of next fall.
Berries & Bowls, a family-owned business serving smoothies and smoothie bowls, is also beginning the construction process and is expected to open in late spring of 2026.
