Gaithersburg foodies, get ready to welcome a new (and eclectic) kid to the local dining scene. Kitchen Social, an Ohio-based concept, is preparing to make its Maryland debut in a Montgomery County storefront, reports local media outlet MoCo Show.
Kitchen Social will be bringing elevated and inclusive but affordable cuisine to 203 Crown Park Avenue in the storefront previously occupied by Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar. Company co-owner Brian O’Malley kindly set aside some time to fill What Now DC in on the restaurant’s upcoming DMV location.
“We wanted to become more than just a regional brand.” O’Malley explains. “Once we got a good feel for it, we decided to try markets we knew in past lives. I knew Gaithersburg, the demographic is fantastic-the density, the population mix, the income.”
O’Malley states that Kitchen Social wasn’t necessarily targeting a specific market, though the brand is interested in potentially establishing another pocket area of storefronts. Gaithersburg provided the draw necessary for success. O’Malley says: “On average we do about 5500 people a week. In order to facilitate that, we needed to make sure there were enough people in the area, there’s enough of a draw.“
The Gaithersburg Kitchen Social will have the same delicious and diverse menu the restaurant has incorporated in Ohio. O’Malley describes what’s in store, saying: “When we started it, we wanted it light, bright, airy, with an indoor/outdoor bar and food made from scratch. It’s a smaller menu, but we’ve tried to create something where there’s not a ton of anything on the menu but everything we do is elevated-let’s make 30-40 items and make them great. The price point is set that it’s affordable to go to once a week. There’s a lot of places you can go where you can get good food or good service, but you can’t necessarily afford to go once a week.”
Gaithersburg diners can look forward to enjoying Kitchen Social’s cuisine in summer of 2026. O’Malley states that the team is hoping to open in mid-to-late July.
Kitchen Social is certain to become an essential piece of the Gaithersburg culinary scene. O’Malley offers this beautiful summation, sure to ignite enthusiasm in local foodies: “The beauty is that everyone feels like they belong. We’ve created that comfort factor where you can get anything you want at an affordable price, but at an elevated cuisine level. We wanted to create an experience where people feel a connection with the restaurant. The feel of a place you want to be.“
