Pop Mart opens a full-size store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The collectible-toy retailer, known for blind-box designer figures including its popular Labubu line, will hold a grand opening at 10 a.m. with limited-edition merchandise and gifts for shoppers, The MoCo Show reported. Pop Mart moved into the former Squishable space after testing a vending machine in the mall's Dining Terrace in early 2025.

It is one of at least 10 new or returning tenants headed to the Democracy Boulevard mall, according to a MoCo Show roundup published Sept. 3.

The biggest project is Zara's relocation from the Nordstrom wing to the former Gap and Gap Kids space. The new store will span 38,000 square feet across two levels, a $6.5 million buildout that will make it Zara's first two-level location in Maryland. Employees at the current store told MoCo Show the new location is expected to open in February 2027.

Two food tenants are expected to open near Cinnabon in September. Kami Ramen will serve Japanese ramen bowls, sides and beverages. Wetzel's Pretzels, which opened at Westfield Wheaton in April, is expected by mid-September.

Ay! Mama Taqueria is already open. The family-owned Mexican restaurant, specializing in birria, took the former Falafel Inc space next to Chick-fil-A. It previously operated in downtown Silver Spring under the name J&J Mex-Taqueria.

Several more tenants are on the way with no firm dates:

• Hey Tea will take the former Luggage Plus space on the lower level. The specialty-tea chain's first Montgomery County location opened in June on Rockville Pike, where opening-day lines stretched through Wintergreen Plaza.
• Miniso is reopening in its former lower-level space near Macy's after closing in July 2025.
• PacSun is returning in the former Windsor space. Windsor closed Aug. 16 after about seven years at the mall. PacSun had left the mall in 2023.
• Q (Fashion Q) will reopen in the former Forever 21 space. The discount women's clothing retailer closed its previous mall location in 2025.
• Shotted, a Northern Virginia-based Saudi-inspired coffee shop, is expected in fall 2026 in the former Gold Bunny Donuts space. It will be Shotted's Montgomery County debut and its second Maryland location after an Annapolis opening earlier in 2026.

On the departure side, Pollo Campero permanently closed its food court location after opening in July 2024, MoCo Show reported. The chain still operates Montgomery County restaurants in Gaithersburg, Takoma Park and Wheaton. Gold Bunny Donuts closed July 9 following a lease termination.

Esvin's Bagels and Cafe, a family-owned shop planned for the lower level near Old Navy, had received all needed permits and was scheduling inspections as of June but has provided no updates since.