This year Waugh Chapel added a breakfast spot, a late-night chicken counter and an ice cream shop, and it scheduled a mid-October grand opening for a food hall with more than 20 restaurant brands. Each one covers a different part of the day. That matters on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Crofton Halloween Parade ends around midday, and an hour after it starts, Waugh Chapel Towne Centre begins its Family Fall Festival on the same block where most of the new tenants sit.
Each opening made a short item in the local news. Added up, they cover a full Saturday on one stretch of Main Chapel Way, from a 7 a.m. pancake stack to an 11 p.m. chicken sandwich.
Breakfast took over the old Red Robin space
The year's changes began with a closure. Red Robin at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre closed April 5. In July, the Capital Gazette reported that First Watch would take over the space at 1403 S. Main Chapel Way, Suite 101. The paper expected an August opening. The First Watch Gambrills page now takes online orders and lists daily hours of 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
That swap changed what the corner is for. A casual burger chain that served lunch and dinner gave way to a restaurant that closes by mid-afternoon. On a weekend morning, the most visible table at the Towne Centre now serves breakfast, and it turns over before the dinner crowd shows up.
The late shift belongs to Big Chicken, with ice cream next door
Two doors down, at 1407 S. Main Chapel Way, the evening tenant opened in August. WMAR reported that Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken had opened its first Maryland restaurant at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre. Patch put the grand-opening celebration on Aug. 8. The Big Chicken Gambrills page lists hours starting at 10 a.m. every day, with closing at 9 p.m. Sunday, 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Marble Slab Creamery shares that address at Suite 103. The Capital Gazette first reported in April that the shop was coming, and the Baltimore Business Journal covered its opening in June. The Towne Centre directory lists it as open.
So the block now covers the start of the day, the end of the day and dessert. Here is how the posted hours compare, including one new spot on Defense Highway covered further down:
| Spot | Address | Posted hours | Part of the day it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Watch | 1403 S. Main Chapel Way, Suite 101 | 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily | Breakfast through early afternoon |
| Big Chicken | 1407 S. Main Chapel Way | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon. to Thu.; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. and Sat. | Lunch through late evening |
| Marble Slab Creamery | 1407 S. Main Chapel Way, Suite 103 | Check the shop's ordering page | Dessert |
| Wonder | 1352 Main Chapel Way | Check Wonder's Gambrills page | Group meals, dine-in or pickup |
| Old Line Eats Bar & Grill | 2207 Defense Hwy., Crofton | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun. to Wed.; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thu. to Sat. | Lunch through late evening |
Wonder fills the gap for groups that can't agree
The largest addition sits in The Village at Waugh Chapel, the separate shopping center along Main Chapel Way. Patch reported that Wonder set its grand opening for Oct. 15 at 1352 Main Chapel Way. The plan included a 10:15 a.m. ribbon-cutting and a swag bag for the first 100 customers who spent $10 or more. The food hall offers dine-in, pickup or delivery from more than 20 restaurants. Wonder already runs locations in Annapolis and Glen Burnie.
Wonder fits a different need than the restaurants on South Main Chapel Way. First Watch is built around one meal and Big Chicken around one menu. Wonder is designed for a table where everyone wants something different. The Wonder Gambrills page lists brands including Yasas by Michael Symon, Dabba Indian Kitchen, El Diez Mexican Bowls, Streetbird by Marcus Samuelsson, Tejas Barbecue, Detroit Brick Pizza Co., Ess-a-Bagel and Room for Dessert. Food hall lineups can change, so check that page before promising anyone a particular dish.
The Village has more on the way. Patch reported in September that Urban Edge signed leases for J.Crew Factory at 5,115 square feet, Miniso at 8,581 square feet and Quickway Hibachi at 2,307 square feet, along with Wonder's 7,788-square-foot space. That report gave no opening dates for the first three, so Quickway Hibachi belongs on the coming-soon list for now.
How Saturday, Oct. 24 lines up
Here is where those hours start to matter. The Crofton Civic Association's event schedule and the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre events page put two family events back to back on the same Saturday. Arranged by time with the new restaurants, the day looks like this:
- 7 a.m. First Watch opens at 1403 S. Main Chapel Way.
- 8 a.m. to noon The Crofton Farmers Market runs at the Crofton Library, as it does every Saturday.
- By 10 a.m. Costume contest sign-ups close at Prince of Peace Church, and judging runs from 10 to 10:50 a.m.
- 11 a.m. The Crofton Kiwanis and CCA Halloween Parade leaves the Crofton Country Club, travels down Crofton Parkway and ends at Duke of Kent Drive. Kids can join at the tail of the parade. Contest winners are announced at the after-party in Town Hall's backyard, which also has make-and-take crafts and light refreshments.
- Noon to 2 p.m. Waugh Chapel Towne Centre holds its Family Fall Festival on South Main Chapel Way, with balloon art, live music, pumpkin decorating, face painting and visits from Towne Centre businesses.
- 2:30 p.m. First Watch closes for the day.
- Until 11 p.m. Big Chicken stays open on Saturdays.
The festival takes place on the same street as First Watch, Big Chicken and Marble Slab. A family coming from the Town Hall after-party can arrive while the festival is still going and find lunch, a snack or ice cream within a few doors. For a group that wants more variety, Wonder is a short hop up Main Chapel Way at The Village.
Off the Waugh Chapel map, and later in the month
Not everything new is clustered in Gambrills. Old Line Eats Bar & Grill started as a food truck. Its website announced a soft opening on Aug. 27, 2026, for its Crofton restaurant at 2207 Defense Hwy. It stays open until 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and until 9 p.m. the rest of the week. That makes it the other late option on the same Saturday, for anyone who would rather end the day on the Crofton side of Route 3 than go back to Main Chapel Way.
The rest of October continues the weekend calendar:
- Monday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. The CCA budget meeting at First Baptist Church, Crofton, reviews the Maintenance and Operations and Administration budgets. All members of the tax district are welcome.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 1 to 7 p.m. Full Circle Home Care holds an indoor fall festival at 2131 Espey Court, Suite 2, open to all.
- Friday, Oct. 30, 6 to 8 p.m. The Crofton Police Department's 4th annual Trunk-or-Treat comes to the Crofton Village Green. It's free, with decorated police and community vehicles, and costumes are encouraged.
- Saturdays through Dec. 19 The farmers market keeps its 8 a.m. to noon slot at the Crofton Library.
The Trunk-or-Treat starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m., three hours before Big Chicken's 11 p.m. Friday close. A Halloween-week dinner on the way home still works on Main Chapel Way.
Our team keeps track of which storefronts change hands around Crofton and Gambrills because it shows how these neighborhoods change from season to season. If you'd like to talk through what's opening near you, or anything else about life in Anne Arundel County, the T&C Team of Compass is happy to help. Let's Connect.
