BY SUSIE CURRIE — This month, the big news at this retail area at the intersection of Route 1 and Jefferson Street will be the Fourth Annual Downtown Hyattsville Arts Festival on September 24.
But under the radar, the center continues to make news as more shops join the mix and sign on as tenants.
August 29 was the grand opening of the long-awaited Yes! Organic Market. With good lighting, clean floors, beautiful produce and a large selection – the list of fermented beverages includes kombucha, beer and wine – it should appeal both to co-op and chain grocery shoppers.
Also open in August was The Big Bad Woof, offering, according to its motto, “essentials for the socially conscious pet.” They don’t sell actual pets, as some fish-seeking local children were disappointed to learn, but do team up with local shelters to promote adoption. The next event, with a Greenbelt animal shelter, is scheduled for September 24 and helps kick off the shop’s Grand Opening Week, with giveaways, product demos and special events through October 1.
By the time you read this, Tara Thai may be open for business. It will be the 11th branch of the restaurant in the Washington metropolitan area, and the first in Prince George’s County.
“The county is underserved with ethnic food,” says owner Nick Srisawat, a native of Thailand. County permits and inspections have delayed the launch for “three or four months,” he says, but the restaurant should be in business by mid to late September, “unless something unexpected comes up.”
After Tara Thai, the next business on the horizon is Frame Savvy, right beside Essential Day Spa. “We hope to open by the end of October,” says owner Cheryl Fountain of Mount Rainier. The store will offer custom framing, photo restoration and canvas printing.
Spice 6, described by the developer as “a fast casual Indian restaurant,” is expected to join the lineup of tenants by the end of March. But owners have already run into at least one delay: The earthquake pushed their August 23 liquor-board hearing back to September 14.
As for additional parking, one solution is to allow reverse rush-hour parking along Route 1, similar to the stretch a few blocks south between Farragut and Gallatin. Officials at the Maryland State Highway Administration, which maintains Route 1, have indicated that they would allow the change if the city requests it.
“We’re exploring the possibility, ” said city spokesperson Abby Sandel, “But in limited trials [in front of the EYA townhomes], cars that parked there kept getting hit.”
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