By KAYLA NAZAIRE
Chopt, Duck Donuts and Shake Shack will open their first Prince George’s County eateries in College Park this fall.
The three national franchises, which have eateries in the District, Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, are set to open on the first floor of a new student housing building, Union on Knox, at the beginning of the fall semester.
Developer Ken Ulman said the restaurant chains have already begun construction at the development, which will be an 800-student apartment building on the lot where the 7-Eleven once stood.
Photo credit: Kayla Nazaire
“Shake Shack, you know, frankly, they have been looking for a location in College Park for a number of years,” Ulman said. “Prior to that, there hadn’t been a lot of new opportunities to locate in College Park. So we’re excited to welcome them.”
Ulman is the president of Terrapin Development Co., a real estate and economic development organization jointly by the University of Maryland (UMD) and the University of Maryland College Park Foundation. The partnership has developed a number of mixed-use projects, such as the new city hall, with a retail block featuring Shop Made in Maryland, and Aster, on Calvert Road, with Trader Joe’s.
Ulman said Union on Knox, which will offer 20,000 square feet of retail space, will house up to nine retailers and restaurants, including Chopt Creative Salad Co. and Duck Donuts, a coffee, donut and dessert shop.
City Councilmember John Rigg (District 3) said he is excited that the food chains are coming to downtown College Park.
“I have a passion for small businesses, but I know these will be great additions to College Park that members of the community will enjoy,” Rigg said.
Patrons will be able to access the new restaurants and businesses from Sterling Place, a paved pedestrian walkway named after the street where the 7-Eleven and UPS were previously located. Along the road, the storefronts will have outdoor seating and draped lights.
“There are not many vegetarian options around here, and I’m vegetarian, so I’m really excited about Chopt,” said Sahil Patel, a junior computer science major at UMD.
Rigg said he loves a good salad but is more excited about Duck Donuts.
“Bad businesses don’t last long in College Park,” he said. “Our residents tend to know good stuff when they see it and go back again and again.”
The development will address traffic congestion by featuring the first underground parking garage in downtown College Park. The garage will serve both retail customers and the building’s tenants.
Another restaurant is slated to open this summer farther north on Route 1. Primetime, a nearly 6,000-square-foot, upscale sports-themed restaurant, will open in the lobby of Cambria Hotel. The venue bills itself as an alternative to the typical sports bar.
“Instead of wall-to-wall TVs everywhere, the decor will focus on sports legends throughout history, both male and female,” Heather Kingry, the restaurant’s spokesperson, said.
Images of sports heroes like Lou Gehrig and Jim Brown will adorn the restaurant’s walls, but Kingry said diners could also expect to see tributes to UMD and Maryland-native sports figures. Sports fans will be able to watch games on TVs throughout the venue.
The George Martin Group, which owns Primetime, is known for its New York-based restaurants, including George Martin The Original and George Martin’s Strip Steak. The chain recently opened two restaurants, Grillfire and Añejo Rose, in Hanover, Md.
“When this opportunity [in College Park] came up, it was just kind of an organic, natural fit,” Kingry said.
The restaurant is not yet hiring but will create between 65 and 80 jobs, Kingry said.
Rigg said the new restaurants are a part of the cityÕs strategic economic growth plan.
“As much as we want to be attractive to new businesses, we also want to retain the businesses we already have,” Rigg said. “We want to continue working with the businesses that have been displaced, like Taqueria Habanero.”
Taqueria Habanero, formerly located in Campus Village Shoppes, was forced to close after the property was sold to a developer. A student apartment complex is slated to open on the site in 2027.
Taqueria Habanero is expected to relocate to 7410A Baltimore Avenue, the former home of Jimmy John’s .
