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County officials, community members attended Thursday’s grand opening celebration

Silver Spring’s first Amazon Fresh grocery store opened Thursday morning in the White Oak Town Center, according to Amazon Fresh and Montgomery County officials.

“We’re thrilled to open our newest Amazon Fresh grocery store right here in the heart of Silver Spring,” Amazon Fresh Regional Manager Doug Chamberlin said in a release announcing Thursday’s opening.

The grocery store at 12263 Prosperity Drive joins the retail center’s other tenants, including Jersey Mike’s Subs, Starbucks, a county-owned Oak Barrel & Vine liquor store and the recently opened First Watch restaurant.

The White Oak location is the fourth Amazon Fresh to open in Montgomery County and the fifth in Maryland.

The store opened at 8 a.m. with a grand opening celebration attended by community members as well as County Executive Marc Elrich and County Councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5), according to a county press release. The first 200 customers in line at 8 a.m. received gifts and a free Silver Spring-branded tote bag.

The celebration included appearances by the cheer and basketball teams of nearby Springbrook High School and the presentation of a $10,000 check to the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., according to the Amazon Fresh website.

Customers who visit the store Thursday can enjoy music, food samples, games and the opportunity to win a $500 Amazon gift card as part of the grand opening celebration.

In 2023, Amazon paused its national Amazon Fresh expansion plans — along with plans to open the 41,000-square-foot store in Silver Spring. The decision stemmed from concerns about the grocer’s competitiveness, but last year the plans were rebooted, the Washington Business Journal reported.

Amazon Fresh offers grocery items and prepared foods for in-store shopping, pickup and delivery. Anyone can shop at Amazon Fresh stores, although Amazon Prime members are eligible for free same-day delivery and pickup, according to Amazon’s website.

The grocery store also offers an optional high-tech shopping experience. In addition to shopping in a traditional fashion, customers can use Amazon’s smart shopping cart known as a Dash Cart. According to the company’s website, the Dash Cart uses sensors and computer algorithms to identify items dropped into the cart and adds up the cost. Amazon touts the Dash Cart as a way to make grocery shopping more efficient.

Amazon Fresh opened its first Maryland grocery store in Chevy Chase at 5463 Wisconsin Ave. in August 2021. About a year later, another Amazon Fresh opened in the Chevy Chase Lake mixed-use development at 8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace. In August 2024, the county’s third Amazon Fresh opened at 15790 Shady Grove Road in Gaithersburg.

“Our team is proud to continue expanding in the Greater Washington, D.C., area and build new relationships with our customers and important local organizations in the area like Capital Area Food Bank,” Chamberlin said in the release.

Fuddruckers began its return to the area last week by opening a two-level restaurant formerly occupied by Tom’s Watch Bar at 781 7th Street, NW in D.C.’s Chinatown neighborhood.

The Houston-based burger chain announced its plans last year to reopen its locations in D.C., which closed in 2017, and at 819 Ellsworth Drive in Downtown Silver Spring, which closed in 2019.

According to WTOP, the Downtown Silver Spring location will reopen later this year. Construction at the restaurant is underway, and “Coming Soon” signage is displayed on the large digital billboards at the nearby Ellsworth Place mall.

D.C. entrepreneur and Howard University graduate Nicholas Perkins acquired the Fuddruckers chain in 2021 from parent company Luby’s through his Black Titan Holdings group for $18.5 million, making him the largest owner of Fuddruckers franchises.

Luby’s initiated the sale after shareholders approved the parent company’s dissolution and liquidation.

Perkins told the Washington Business Journal last year that he plans to expand Fuddruckers’ locations in the D.C. area and enter new markets, including Baltimore, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina, Atlanta, and San Antonio.

Each franchise requires a $400,000 capital investment and a $45,000 franchise fee.

“We’re excited to be purchasing Fuddruckers and look forward to working with Fuddruckers’ many dedicated, highly capable franchisees to further build this brand,” Perkins said in 2021. “As a Fuddruckers franchisee, I have a vested interest in ensuring that all Fuddruckers franchisees have the resources, infrastructure and operational and marketing support they need to maximize their return on investment.”

Before the reopening in D.C., the nearest open Fuddruckers location was in Ashburn, Virginia. Previous locations in Montgomery County included Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Downtown Silver Spring, where it is set to return.

Photo: “Fuddruckers” by TimothyJ is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Home / Help Montgomery Parks name its newest park in downtown Silver Spring

WHEATON, Md. – Montgomery Parks will be opening its newest park in downtown Silver Spring in the spring of 2026 and is inviting the public to help choose its name. Currently referred to as the South Silver Spring Urban Park, the one-acre park at 1110 East-West Highway (the former National Tire and Battery site) is under construction. The park will serve as an active, urban, recreational space featuring a promenade, a playground, a fitness area, a multi-sports court, a dog run, and a picnic area, among other amenities.

Watch a video about the park naming contest.

Cast your vote:

Online via the South Silver Spring Urban Park naming survey By phone: 301-495-2595 (Please reference South Silver Spring Urban Park renaming contest) By mail: 2425 Reedie Drive, 12^th Floor, Wheaton, MD 20902 Attn: Public Affairs

The survey will be open March 17 – May 7, 2025. The new name will be announced the following week via a press release and on the parks’ social media platforms.

About Montgomery Parks Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 419 parks. Montgomery Parks is focused on promoting physical activity, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship, especially in diverse and urbanizing areas, with an emphasis on teens, working-age adults, and seniors. Montgomery Parks is a department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. MontgomeryParks.org

Accessibility Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit Montgomery Parks Accessibility for more information.

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