Two streets with nearly the same name run through the Waugh Chapel retail area off Crain Highway. South Main Chapel Way belongs to Waugh Chapel Towne Centre. Main Chapel Way, without the "South," belongs to The Village at Waugh Chapel. On the ground they read as one shopping trip. On paper they are two properties with different owners and different leasing teams, so each one changes on its own timeline.
This fall, both changed at once, and in different ways. On the Towne Centre side, restaurant spaces have been refilled one at a time. The Village signed four tenants together in one announcement, its first new retail since the property changed hands in 2024. If you've driven past since August and wondered why so many signs went up together, the two owners explain it.
Two addresses, two owners
The Towne Centre is the side with Big Chicken and the new First Watch. Greenberg Gibbons, the firm that manages its leasing, lists the property at 1417 S. Main Chapel Way.
The Village is the side anchored by Safeway, with HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, LA Fitness and Marshalls, plus Chick-fil-A and Newk's Eatery among its restaurants. Eye On Annapolis reported that Urban Edge Properties bought it in 2024. Its directory runs under the Main Chapel Way addresses, starting from 1326 Main Chapel Way.
Both centers have Gambrills 21054 mailing addresses, but for most of Crofton they're the nearest big shopping stop, just up Route 3. Once you know there are two owners, this fall's openings start to make sense.
The Towne Centre refilled its restaurant row one space at a time
On the Towne Centre side, new restaurants have been moving into existing spaces one by one.
Big Chicken, Shaquille O'Neal's chicken chain, opened at 1407 S. Main Chapel Way in early August. WMAR reported the restaurant open on Aug. 5. The company's announcement called it the brand's first standalone Maryland location and scheduled a community grand opening for Aug. 8. Pratik Patel, the local operator, told Crofton Patch the site was "the right fit to bring something new that matches its energy."
A few doors down, First Watch moved into the former Red Robin at 1403 South Main Chapel Way. Patch reported an Aug. 31 public opening and noted it's the chain's third Anne Arundel County location, after Annapolis and Glen Burnie. The First Watch location page lists Suite 101 and daily hours of 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The Towne Centre's dessert stop came earlier in the year. The Capital Gazette reported in April that Marble Slab Creamery was coming to the center.
None of these needed new buildings. A brunch chain replacing a burger chain in the same space is how a mature center keeps its restaurant row current, and that's how the Towne Centre's year has gone.
The Village filled most of its empty space in one round of leases
The Village took the opposite approach. Rather than trading one tenant for another, Urban Edge announced four new leases together in September.
According to Eye On Annapolis, the four leases total 23,791 square feet and bring the center to 97% occupancy, leaving four small shop spaces open. Kyle Irwin, Urban Edge's senior director of leasing, told the outlet the additions "broaden the property's retail and dining mix" and "strengthen its appeal as a community destination."
The sizes show what kind of trip each tenant brings in:
| Tenant | Space | What it is | Status as of mid-October |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miniso | 8,581 sq ft | Household goods, accessories, toys, beauty | Center page lists Unit 2640 and store hours |
| Wonder | 7,788 sq ft | One order from 20+ restaurant brands | Grand opening held Oct. 15 |
| J.Crew Factory | 5,115 sq ft | Women's, men's and children's apparel | Center page says "Coming Soon" |
| Quickway Hibachi | 2,307 sq ft | Fast-casual hibachi, sushi, salads | No opening date announced |
The largest space went to Miniso, a store you browse, not a restaurant. Eye On Annapolis also reported it's the first Miniso anywhere in Urban Edge's portfolio.
Wonder is the one that's open now. Patch reported the Oct. 15 grand opening at 1352 Main Chapel Way, with a 10:15 a.m. ribbon-cutting and dishes from more than 20 restaurants available for dine-in, pickup or delivery. The space has both indoor and outdoor seating. Wonder also runs locations in Annapolis and Glen Burnie, so this is its third in the county too.
The split shows up in the hours
The two owners went after different tenants, and the result is that each side now leads at a different time of day.
The Towne Centre now covers the morning. First Watch opens at 7 a.m. and is done by 2:30 p.m. every day. Big Chicken carries that side into the evening, open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The Village now has the latest kitchen in the area. Wonder's location page lists 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day, which beats Big Chicken's weeknight close by 90 minutes. Miniso's posted hours run to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. Sunday, so that stretch of Main Chapel Way will stay lit for a while after dinner.
In practice, the two Main Chapel Ways now point to different times of day. Breakfast is on South Main Chapel Way. A 10:45 p.m. order that works for one person who wants pizza and another who wants a salad is on Main Chapel Way.
Off the strip, three local stops worth knowing
New openings near Crofton aren't limited to the two big centers, and the closest ones in town are smaller and more local.
- Old Line Eats Bar & Grill opened Aug. 27 at 2207 Defense Hwy in Crofton. Its menu is built around Maryland staples like crab dip, rockfish and crab cakes, which no chain at either center offers.
- Taco a la Madre is planned for Hopkins Place at 2299 Johns Hopkins Road, in the former Pizza Hut beside Mai Nails. It would be the first Anne Arundel County location for a taqueria with shops in Beltsville and College Park. As of Patch's August report, no opening date had been released.
- The Crofton Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at Crofton Library, 1681 Riedel Road, through Dec. 19. Note the one gap: there's no market on Nov. 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
What's still coming to each side
Most of what's left to open is on The Village side. J.Crew Factory's page on the center's site still says "Coming Soon," with no hours posted. Quickway Hibachi appears in Urban Edge's directory at Suite 1356B, a few doors from Wonder. Even after those two open, four small shop spaces will remain to be leased.
At the Towne Centre, the next date on the calendar is the holidays. Its holiday page mentions the annual tree lighting, but as of mid-October it lists no 2026 date and asks visitors to check back in November.
Back in Crofton, the longer-term project is Crofton Park at 2285 Davidsonville Road. Anne Arundel County's project page, last updated Aug. 31, says the park is still in design. The concept includes a skate park, shade structures, a gazebo, parking and stormwater work, and a continuous path around the park, and the county was in the process of selecting the firm to design and permit it.
Want to know what all this new activity at Waugh Chapel means for home values a few minutes away? Homestead Finders can show you recent sold prices near Route 3 and Crofton Boulevard. Get your instant home valuation, or schedule a free consultation with Tommy and The Blazer Team.
