A well-organized group of Route 1 residents is trying to stop a McDonald’s from replacing a locally owned restaurant near Hyattsville.

The Stop McDonald’s group has set up a website and is gathering letters from residents who oppose the project to present to the planning board of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission on Oct. 17.

The group opposes a plan to build a McDonald’s drive-thru at 6543 Ager Rd., near the intersection of Riggs Road, Ager Road, and East-West Highway, just past the Home Depot.

The property is currently home to La Doñita, a popular restaurant serving Central American cuisine.

Stop McDonald’s argues that a drive-thru would lead to back-ups on the already well-traveled road, which gets about 42,000 cars per day at that location, according to Maryland Department of Transportation data.

They also argue that there are already 14 McDonald’s locations within a 10-mile radius, with seven more planned, and that the franchise would be selling unhealthy food in an area that lacks access to healthy foods, according to a 2019 county report.

For more information on how to write a letter about the project, sign up to speak at the Oct. 17 meeting or call and email local elected officials, go here.

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A new pilates studio is set to open in November at the Station at Riverdale Park.

Located at 6710 45th St., next to District Taco, Club Pilates is part of a national chain founded in San Diego.

The studio specializes in Reformer Pilates, which uses a specialized piece of equipment called a reformer, which uses springs and straps to provide resistance.

A spokeswoman for the chain told the Hyattsville Wire that they were drawn by the Whole Foods Market grocery store, which attracts “like-minded people” who are focused on health and wellness. She said the location is also a central spot for Prince George’s County residents who live farther out.

The studio will have 12 reformers for smaller classes, with trainers offering more individual instruction. It already has over 250 members and is offering pre-opening specials.

The Station at Riverdale Park is also home to a Gold’s Gym, with Bikram Yoga Works and a Crunch Fitness location nearby.

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A new restaurant in Riverdale Park offers burgers and fries until late at night.

Located at 4501 Woodberry St. at the Station at Riverdale Park, Munchin Burger offers burgers, loaded fries, chicken wings, and sides like onion rings and mozzarella sticks.

It’s the second location for the restaurant, which started at Mount Vernon Marketplace in Baltimore and briefly had a pop-up location at the R. House market near Johns Hopkins University.

The menu includes several signature burgers, including a Baltimore-themed one with lump crab meat and Old Bay seasoning and another with blue cheese and mango sauce. There are also fries loaded with crabmeat, garlic, or buffalo chicken.

The restaurant also uses halal chicken, beef, and turkey bacon, which has proven to be a draw for other Route 1 burger places.

Munchin, which has a logo of a dinosaur eating a burger, is open from noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 10 p.m. on weekends. You can also order from the Le Fantome food hall around the corner.

Owner Saheb Singh told the Hyattsville Wire that he plans to soon stay open until 1 a.m. in part to accommodate University of Maryland students who often come in groups late at night.

Singh said he also plans to expand to other places around D.C. soon, including the NoMa neighborhood.

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Popular College Park restaurant Northwest Chinese Food will open a new restaurant at city hall next year.

Specializing in hard-t0-find dishes from Shanxi province, Northwest Chinese is a critic’s darling, regularly named as a top restaurant by Washingtonian magazine, The Washington Post, Bon Appétit and the Hyattsville Wire reader poll.

Owner Hua Wang told the Hyattsville Wire they will open a new eatery called Li Chun Cafe at the new city hall plaza at 7401 Baltimore Ave. next February in the space previously occupied by Taim Mediterranean.

The new restaurant will feature dishes from Wang’s hometown, Shenyang City in Northeast China, including handmade bing, a type of Chinese flatbread wrap, as well as traditional tea and tea snacks.

Meantime, Northwest Chinese will stay at its long-standing location in a strip mall at 7313 Baltimore Ave. for a while, but eventually it will have to move as it is going to be torn down to make way for a 93-unit apartment building called Terrapin House.

Northwest Chinese neighbor Pho Thom will also move to the Union on Knox apartment complex as a result of the new construction.

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The city of College Park is holding its popular annual festival on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Held each fall, College Park Day offers free activities and entertainment for kids and adults. This year’s festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m. at the College Park Aviation Museum at 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr.

There will be live performances on three stages. The main stage will feature local bands such as Hair Force One, the Dead Flowers, and Mama Moon and the Rump Shakers; the family stage will feature acts such as Guava Jelly Duo, Milkshake, and The Great Zucchini Magic Show; and the community stage will feature a variety of diverse performances throughout the day.

Full performance line-ups are available at collegeparkday.org. 

During the event, aviation enthusiasts will get free entry to the College Park Aviation Museum’s exhibits, and there will be a helicopter fly-in too.

As in prior years, there will be a serious dining scene, too.

Participating food vendors include Bill’s BBQ, BliMan Kitchen, Diga Coffee Bar, Fun Stuff 4 Kids, Inc., PhoWheels, Pupuseria y Taqueria El Solecito, Tatak Pinoy Fil-Asian Cuisine and Street Food, Thai Town, Aunt Titty’s LLC, Cakelady Desserts, Catalyst Hot Dogs, Cousins Maine Lobster, Kona Ice, Mister Magic Ice Cream, Taqueria Habanero, and Two Smooth Food Dudes.

For those interested in local brews, Denizens Brewing Co. and Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. will also be on hand. 

Attendees can also check out free entertainment with wandering performers, an insect zoo, arts and crafts stations, arcade games, big wheel races, bounce houses, a 26-foot rock wall, and an inflatable football obstacle course. This year, you can also try axe throwing or a mechanical bull riding arena.

Free parking is available near the event site including the College Park Metro Station garage at 4931 Calvert Rd. and at the Downtown Parking Garage at the corner of Knox Road and Yale Avenue.  Free shuttle service will run from 11:45 a.m. to 6:25 p.m., with stops at Regents Drive Garage, City Hall and the Metro station. 

For more details, visit the event website.  

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This Friday, September 27, is your last chance to get a drink at Zeke’s Coffee’s original cafe in the Woodridge neighborhood of D.C.

Starting on Saturday, this location will be dedicated entirely to roasting coffee beans, and the coffee shop will officially hold the grand opening of its expanded cafe next door at 2304 Rhode Island Ave. NE.

The new space is minimalistic, with high ceilings, white tile, and stylish La Marzocco espresso machines. Over a dozen pieces of art from neighboring nonprofit Art Enables hang on the wall, along with photos of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, where some of their coffee beans are sourced.

As part of the expansion, Zeke’s will offer an expanded menu of locally sourced food, including fresh juice from The Waterhole in Mount Rainier, bagels from D.C.’s Bullfrog Bagels, empanadas from DMV Empanadas, and gelato from Dolci Gelati.

The grand opening on Saturday will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., which are its regular café hours. Free coffee and cold brew will be available all day, and as part of the celebration, Zeke’s will offer 250 free doughnuts, with a limit of one per customer.

Magician Rahaan Jackson, a D.C. native, will also be on hand to entertain customers, young and old.

The cafe will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

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Route 1 nonprofit Community Forklift recently received a $750,000 grant from the federal government to expand its operations.

Located at 4671 Tanglewood Dr. in Edmonston, Community Forklift resells donated housing materials and furnishings.

Rep. Glenn Ivey recently helped the nonprofit get a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to train its truck crews, who pick up material at construction sites, and buy a new electric vehicle to make deliveries.

Executive Director Trey Davis said the training could help Community Forklift crew members get hands-on experience that they might later use to get a job in a related field.

“If you can deconstruct a building, then those are some of the skills that you can use in going into construction trades,” he said.

Over the summer, Community Forklift held regular “First Friday” events with live music and food trucks. It also works with other local groups, such as Emma’s Torch in D.C.’s Woodridge neighborhood.

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