"Opening our next restaurant in the Village is incredibly meaningful to us," Ted Xenohristos told Bethesda Today in May. Xenohristos is a co-founder and the chief concept officer at CAVA. The restaurant he was talking about is Maurizio's, which is going into the former Renato's space at 10120 River Road. It sits across River Road from the Potomac Village Shopping Center and Tally Ho. According to Bethesda Magazine, Xenohristos's uncle owns the diner, and Xenohristos and his business partners worked there growing up.
Potomac Village's most anticipated opening is a homecoming. At Tuckerman Lane and Seven Locks Road, Cabin John Village is changing the other way. Its new tenants are outside brands opening Potomac locations, placed by a landlord that has been reshaping the center since 2016. Both centers are still mid-change this month. October's calendar happens around storefronts that are open, almost open, or still papered over.
The restaurant across from the diner
Maurizio's has had a slow year. In January, the team expected to open in spring 2026 and said it had partnered with Zuckerman Gravely Development to secure the lease, according to MoCoShow. The opening target has moved several times since:
- January 2026: spring 2026.
- April 2026: a liquor license hearing set for May 7, with an opening expected in late spring or early summer.
- May 2026: renovations underway, with July or August as the target.
- September 2026: "this fall," with no exact date.
The September update also brought outside attention. Maurizio's is the only Maryland restaurant on Eater DC's list of the most anticipated restaurant openings around D.C. for fall 2026.
The group behind it, WildGoat Hospitality, also runs Cava Mezze in Rockville and Julii, Melina and Bouboulina at Pike & Rose. The restaurant is named for Maurizio Luise, a longtime friend of the founders and the group's operations leader. Executive Chef Aris Tsekouras, who runs the group's kitchens at Pike & Rose, will lead the kitchen here too. The menu previewed so far includes these dishes:
| Course | Previewed dishes |
|---|---|
| Small plates | Rosemary focaccia, grilled mortadella, fritto misto, tuna tonnato |
| Pasta | Spaghetti alla chitarra carbonara, linguine and clams, chiocciole alla vodka |
| Mains | Slow-braised beef, chicken parmesan, grilled branzino |
The bar is set to be dark green, with cocktails, spritzes and variations on the Negroni. Eater's preview says there will be a dedicated Negroni menu. The team has said some dishes will nod to Renato's and its decades in the community. Renato's was sold and closed in September 2024, so the corner has been dark for about two years.
When it opens, Maurizio's will face an outdoor patio and plaza it shares with Duke's Grocery, The Market at River Falls and Chipotle. Duke's Grocery opened April 8, 2025, at 10128 River Road, in the former Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar space. Across the road, Tally Ho's website still lists it at 9923 Falls Road and describes the Vellios family as its operators since 1968. Sources call the center at 10120 River Road by different names, Potomac Place in one and Potomac Village Shopping Center in another. The street address works either way.
Cabin John Village, one storefront at a time
Cabin John Village has been at 7919 Tuckerman Lane since 1967 and takes its name from the creek and regional park next door. EDENS bought it in 2016. The company describes its work since then as turning a traditional shopping center into a place built around social interaction, with a curated mix of home goods, dining, and health and wellness tenants, plus more outdoor green space for community events.
This year's arrivals fit that description closely. Most are personal-care and wellness businesses, and several are brands new to Potomac:
| Tenant | Address | Status as of early October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Macky Hair Salon | 11325 Seven Locks Road, Suite 111 | Grand opening April 4 |
| Glowbar | 7951 Tuckerman Lane, Suite B | Opened July 18, the brand's first Maryland studio |
| Carmen's Italian Ice & More | 11325 Seven Locks Road, Suite 113 | Listed as open |
| Red Panda Art Studio | Cabin John Village | Aiming for mid-October |
| Purée Juice Bar | 7937 Tuckerman Lane, Suite B | "Opening soon" |
| Hammer & Nails | Cabin John Village | "Coming soon," no date |
Cabin John Village has had its own delays. Red Panda Art Studio, which already runs a studio in Chevy Chase, planned to open over the summer when it was announced in April. Its website now says mid-October and keeps the exact day under wraps. Purée Juice Bar's May announcement also said summer. Carmen's had an early-June target in May, and no source reported the day it actually opened. The directory also lists Moby Dick House of Kabob, Pura Vida Miami and Aluna Aesthetics alongside the newcomers.
The green space EDENS describes is what makes the center's October calendar possible. The Norman's Farm CSA pickup and pop-up market sets up on the plaza near Capital One every Wednesday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The season started April 29, and the remaining dates are October 7, 14, 21 and 28, plus a last pickup on November 4.
The weekend of October 17 is split between both centers
Both centers have events on back-to-back days in mid-October, so the change at each one is easy to see in a single weekend.
Saturday and Sunday, October 10–11: Cabin John Village's Fall Seasonal Market.
Saturday, October 17: Potomac Day, the Potomac Chamber of Commerce's annual festival, runs 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Chamber lists a parade, rides, a petting zoo and a car show. The business fair is listed at 9812 Falls Road. The car show is at 10220 River Road, a short walk down River Road from the Maurizio's storefront. Cars enter from River Road and must be in place by 9:30 a.m. The Chamber's 2026 listings don't give a parade start time or route, so check with the Chamber before planning around a particular corner.
Sunday, October 18: Halloween on the Green at Cabin John Village, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a foam party, live music, face painting and crafts.
Any Potomac Day visitor walking past 10120 River Road will see whether Maurizio's has made its fall target. The next morning at Cabin John Village, the Glowbar and Carmen's storefronts will be open, and Red Panda Art Studio may be too if it hits mid-October.
Down River Road, the season has already turned
The third place on a Potomac fall weekend is the river, and it's changing too. In February 2026, the National Park Service finished the Great Falls Area (Maryland) Development Concept Plan, which sets long-term direction for access, visitor experiences and education. It is a planning document, not a construction schedule. Separately, NPS flood repairs at the Great Falls entrance road and the Swains Lock parking area are scheduled in phases through 2026. The plan allows for intermittent single-lane traffic control.
The park's conditions page, updated September 29, shows the entrance road and Swains Lock parking open, along with all three sections of the Billy Goat Trail and the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center and overlook. The Great Falls boat rides are closed for the season. Section A of the Billy Goat Trail closes when the Little Falls gauge reaches 5 feet and reopens at 4.8 feet, so a rainy week can close it with little notice. At Carderock, alternating one-lane tunnel closures began July 27. Parking Lot 1 has reduced capacity, and the restrooms are closed, with portable toilets available.
Glenstone's season also ends this month. Its Split-Rocker talks, held Thursdays since May 14, finish on October 29. After that, the Wednesday farm pickup at Cabin John Village runs one more week, ending November 4.
Questions about how changes at Potomac Village and Cabin John Village affect your own street? Graciela Haim & Heinen Group follows these openings closely and can talk through what they mean for your home. Schedule a Free Consultation whenever you're ready.