Waugh Chapel Has Almost No Room Left, So Route 3 Is Where Gambrills Changes Next

On August 8, the first 100 people in line at 1407 South Main Chapel Way each got three free chicken tenders and four dipping sauces. The number was a nod to the No. 34 jersey of Shaquille O'Neal, who founded Big Chicken. PR Newswire's release called the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre restaurant the brand's first standalone location in Maryland. Until then, the only place to find it in the state was CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore.

Big Chicken was the first of three restaurant openings at Waugh Chapel in about ten weeks. By the third one, the newer half of the center had signed enough tenants to be 97% occupied. That changes where the next new names in Gambrills can go. Fewer of them will fit inside Waugh Chapel. More will open in older buildings and new construction along Route 3, a road the state plans to start rebuilding in 2027.

Three openings between August and mid-October

Waugh Chapel is really two connected centers on Main Chapel Way. The restaurants that opened in late summer and fall were split between them.

Each of the three went into a space the center already had. First Watch is the clearest case. It moved into the former Red Robin, which the Capital Gazette reported closed on April 5. Patch reported that the space was filled within five months. The new restaurant is First Watch's third in Anne Arundel County, after Annapolis and Glen Burnie, and its 2:30 p.m. closing time gives the building a different daily schedule than the old one had.

The people behind these openings are local, too. Big Chicken is run by Pratik Patel, who has worked in hospitality for more than 15 years and runs several quick-service restaurants in Howard and Anne Arundel counties. "Gambrills is a special place, and it's the right fit to bring something new that matches its energy," Patel said in the opening announcement.

The Village at Waugh Chapel is 97% leased

Wonder was one of four tenants that signed at The Village at Waugh Chapel, 1326 Main Chapel Way, according to a September 8 report by Patch. Urban Edge Properties bought the center in 2024. The four leases cover 23,791 square feet in total and bring the center to 97% occupancy.

• Miniso, 8,581 square feet. Patch called it the brand's second expansion in the county.
• Wonder, 7,788 square feet. The third Wonder in the county, after Annapolis and Glen Burnie.
• J.Crew Factory, 5,115 square feet. The brand's third store in Anne Arundel County.
• Quickway Hibachi, 2,307 square feet. Its fifth location in the county.

Wonder has opened. Urban Edge has not given opening dates for Miniso, J.Crew Factory or Quickway Hibachi, so for now they are signed tenants, not open stores.

Kyle Irwin, Urban Edge's senior director of leasing, explained the deals in a statement that Patch published:

"These leases reflect the strong demand we're seeing from high-quality retailers and restaurants seeking well-located shopping centers."

All four are brands that already have branches elsewhere in Anne Arundel County. So for anyone in Gambrills or Crofton, the change is shorter trips more than brand-new names. Hibachi takeout or a Miniso run no longer means driving toward Annapolis or Glen Burnie. With 97% of The Village spoken for, the shopper who wants one of these brands now has fewer reasons to leave. The restaurant or shop that wants to open in this part of the county has fewer places to go.

Where the next new names are landing

The newest arrivals in the area are a short drive from Main Chapel Way. Each one is in a building that has been used before or one still under construction.

Taco a la Madre, Hopkins Place. Patch reported that the taco restaurant plans its first Anne Arundel County location at the Hopkins Place shopping center, 2299 Johns Hopkins Road, in the former Pizza Hut next to Mai Nails. That is less than five minutes from Waugh Chapel. Its other two locations are in Beltsville and College Park in Prince George's County. As of the August report, no opening date had been announced.

Tim Hortons, Route 3 near Night Hawk Golf Center. In July, The BayNet reported that "coming soon" signs had gone up at a shopping center still under construction on Route 3 near Night Hawk Golf Center. The BayNet described Sykesville as the state's only existing location at the time, though the two July reports did not agree on how many Maryland stores were operating. Citybiz also reported in July that no opening date had been set. The center itself has not been publicly named.

Old Line Eats, Defense Highway in Crofton. The newest independent spot nearby started as a food truck. Owner Robert Ripley Jr. opened the Old Line Eats Bar & Grill at 2207 Defense Hwy. The restaurant announced an August 27 opening, and the Capital Gazette covered it the day before. The menu is a bigger version of what the truck served: Maryland crab soups, crab dip, seafood plates, po' boys, burgers and sandwiches. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. That makes it one of the later options in the area for a weekend dinner.

All three are on or near the state highways that feed into Waugh Chapel, and one of those highways is about to change.

The next change on this stretch is the road itself

The Maryland State Highway Administration's project on MD 3, also called Crain Highway, covers the section between MD 175 and Waugh Chapel Road. That is the stretch of Route 3 most people in Gambrills use to reach the shopping centers. According to the MDOT SHA project page, the goal is to improve traffic flow, pedestrian accommodations and bicycle connections. The plan includes a shared-use path and better pedestrian access along the corridor.

The agency's October 2026 update lays out the schedule so far:

1. May 2026: The project was fully funded for design, right of way, utilities and construction.
2. July 2026: Right-of-way plats were issued, and the state's Office of Real Estate began appraisals.
3. August 2026: Utility test pits were finished.
4. September 14, 2026: The Final Review, at 90% design completion, was held.
5. May 2027: The project is expected to be advertised for construction bids.
6. Summer 2027: Construction is expected to begin.

This is the same corridor that connects Waugh Chapel, the new center near Night Hawk Golf Center and the drive over from Crofton. When work starts next summer, it will be on the road most people take to the restaurants that opened this year. The finished design also includes a shared-use path along this section of Route 3.

That leaves Gambrills with a short to-do list. Three Village tenants still have no opening dates, Taco a la Madre and Tim Hortons are still in progress, and the state's schedule points to construction on MD 3 beginning in summer 2027.

If you are thinking about how the Route 3 work and the filling-up Waugh Chapel area might affect a future sale or purchase nearby, Michelle Willis follows these corridor changes closely and can help you think through the timing. Let's Start a Conversation.