Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, an upscale restaurant chain, is seeking approval from the city of Gaithersburg to build a 10,000-square-foot restaurant overlooking Lake Varuna in Gaithersburg, according to an application filed with city planning on Aug. 12.
If the project is approved and built, the restaurant will be the restaurant chain’s first location in Maryland. The MoCoShow first reported on Eddie V’s proposal to build the restaurant.
According to the application from property owner 151 Lakelands LLC, the restaurant is proposed at the corner of Lakeland Drive and Great Seneca Highway, next to the lake. The zoning plan is currently under review, but a public hearing has not yet been scheduled, according to the city of Gaithersburg’s planning website.
A media representative for Darden Concepts, the owner and operator of Eddie V’s, did not respond to numerous calls and emails from MoCo360 seeking comment.
Restaurants owned and operated by Darden Concepts include Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Capital Grille and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
Eddie V’s offers an upscale dining experience with signature cocktails, a jazz lounge and private events, the website says. At its other locations, Eddie V’s menu includes oysters, Maine lobster bisque, crab fried rice and ahi tuna for lunch and dinner, while clam tower, steak tartare, Chilean sea bass, scallops and cold-water lobster are available.
Eddie V’s operates 30 stores in the United States, with the closest to the county being at Tyson’s Corner in McLean, Virginia, according to the chain’s website.
The restaurant’s proposed location has been the subject of controversy in recent years after the property owner applied to build a 12,900-square-foot daycare/early childhood education building, according to city planning documents. Currently, the site is a wooded green space.
The proposal was “controversial and led to strong opposition among the population, as it was seen as the destruction of a natural area with an adjacent lake that had de facto become a community-oriented space,” the documents say.
The city’s Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve the daycare, but in August 2021, the Gaithersburg City Council denied the application by a 3-2 vote. The property owner appealed the council’s decision to Montgomery County District Court. After oral argument, a judge affirmed the council’s decision to deny the application in June 2022.
According to planning documents, the site is zoned for a 6,000-square-foot restaurant. According to planning documents, Eddie V’s approached the property owners about the site because of its proximity to the lake and the ability to “dine with a view of the water,” its large population and its easy access to nearby transportation routes.
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