Silver Spring neighbors complain of fried chicken aroma from Royal Farms

Could you ever get tired of the aroma of fresh Royal Farms fried chicken? Some neighbors of the new Royal Farms store at 9475 Georgia Avenue, in the Montgomery Hills area of Silver Spring, have. And the Maryland convenience store chain has heard them. The company has agreed to install a "Chicken Exhaust Scrubber," which it hopes will "resolve the aroma of fried chicken in the neighborhood." Royal Farms is directly adjacent to a residential neighborhood.

Photo courtesy Royal Farms

Hakim 1 Stop Shop reopens in Silver Spring, but inspection records vanish

Hakim 1 Stop Shop has reopened at 8433 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. The convenience store was temporarily shut down by Montgomery County health inspectors for unspecified code violations. These violations had to be corrected, and the premises reinspected by the County, for the business to reopen. 

Intriguingly, neither the original violations nor the successful reinspection can be found in the Montgomery County Food Inspection database. The terms "Hakim" and "8433 Georgia" return zero search results. I then performed an excruciating manual search of the database for all of April and May, and found no trace of either inspection, or even of the required pre-opening inspection from months earlier.

Royal Farms postpones opening in Silver Spring

UPDATE - May 5, 2026, 5:18 PM: Royal Farms has postponed the opening to June 1. 

The Force is with Royal Farms. Maryland's homegrown mega gas station and convenience store chain opened its newest location this morning at 9475 Georgia Avenue, in the Montgomery Hills area of Silver Spring. It's just south of the interchange with the Capital Beltway. Open 24 hours a day, the station boasts 8 gas pumps and the store serves the chain's famous fried chicken. Now you can stock up on both before you hit the highway to Ocean City this summer.

"Royal Farms has been a Maryland staple since 1959, and opening this Silver Spring location allows us to deepen our connection to our home state," Royal Farms District Leader Steve Rymer said in a statement. "We take great pride in serving our neighbors, and we’re eager to bring our signature fresh-food experience to the Georgia Avenue corridor."

Montgomery County orders closure of convenience store in Silver Spring

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services has ordered the closure of a convenience store in downtown Silver Spring. Hakim 1 Stop Shop at 8433 Georgia Avenue has been shut down by HHS inspectors under Montgomery County Code Chapter 15, Section 15-16(b), which reads as follows:

When it is imperative to preserve the immediate health and safety of the community, the [HHS] director may summarily revoke or suspend a license without the notice prescribed in subsection (a), and may direct that the facility be closed to the public until the hazard is corrected. 

The store only recently opened in March. Once code violations are corrected, and the corrections are approved by inspectors, Hakim 1 Stop Shop will be able to reopen. One positive update about the business is that a sign in the window now says it is open 24 hours a day, a rare thing in Montgomery County in recent years.

Chicken arrives at Royal Farms in Silver Spring (Photos)

The chicken has arrived at the new Royal Farms in Silver Spring. No, not the convenience store chain's famous fried chicken, but a giant fiberglass rooster. Seen outside of many Royal Farms locations, the imposing statue has taken up residence at this one, which is located at 9475 Georgia Avenue in the Montgomery Hills neighborhood just south of the Capital Beltway interchange. Still needed before the store and mega gas station can open: pavement in the parking lot!

Pickpocket strikes at convenience store in Takoma Park

Takoma Park City police responded to a report of a pickpocket at a convenience store Friday evening, March 6, 2026. The theft was reported at a store in the 900 block of Merrimac Drive at 7:47 PM Friday. There is a 7-Eleven store located at 900 Merrimac Drive. When stopping for a Big Bite hot dog with everything on it, don't forget to watch your wallet, keeping it in a front pants pocket when possible.

Significant progress at Royal Farms in Silver Spring (Photos)

Construction has been dragging on forever at the future Royal Farms at 9475 Georgia Avenue in the Montgomery Hills area of Silver Spring, but there has been a spurt of progress at a higher pace since my last report in December. Most obvious is the completed installation of the tall roadside sign that will display gas prices. It's notably taller than the sign permitted at the Royal Farms in Gaithersburg. Second most-obvious is the progress on the convenience store building. Windows and a brick facade treatment have been installed, but no logo above the storefront yet.

Hakim 1 Stop Shop opening soon in Silver Spring

Downtown Silver Spring residents will soon have a one-stop shop for all the essential items they need. Hakim 1 Stop Shop is opening soon at 8433 Georgia Avenue. The convenience store will replace Kuku's Beauty Supply, which has moved down the road to 7327 Georgia Ave NW. We've seen in the recent snowstorm just how handy one-stop shops like this can be.

Gas pumps installed at Royal Farms in Montgomery Hills

Gas pumps have been installed at the future Royal Farms in Montgomery Hills. The convenience store and mega gas station continues to take shape at 9475 Georgia Avenue, very close to the Capital Beltway interchange. Not much progress has been made on the convenience store building, by contrast. The regional chain has not given a target opening date for this location yet, but I do not see any job listings for it on their website as of this writing, so we'd be lucky if this store opens by late 2025 based on the current state of construction.

Royal Farms update from Montgomery Hills (Photos)

Construction continues to slowly progress on the future Royal Farms convenience store and mega gas station at 9475 Georgia Avenue in Montgomery Hills, just south of the Capital Beltway interchange. In just over a month since my last update, the convenience store building remains just a framework at the rear of the lot. Cinderblocks have been laid for wall segments in a few spots. The primary work that appears to have been done is to fill in the areas that had been excavated for the installation of fuel tanks, and to pour a significant part of the concrete surface of the gas station.

Royal Farms taking form in Montgomery Hills (Photos)

The Royal Farms convenience store and mega gas station are taking structural form in the Montgomery Hills area of Silver Spring. Located on the site of a demolished gas station at 9475 Georgia Avenue, the new operation will have the lucrative "last gas" positioning for drivers heading north to get on the Capital Beltway. As you can see in the photos below, the framework of the store building is now standing, and the mega gas station canopy has been erected. You can also see the gas tanks installed below ground level.