Saturday, December 19, 2015

Walter Reed Wendy's to open December 28 in Bethesda

If you work at, or otherwise have authorization to be at, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, you will have a new dining option as of December 28. And I envy you, because that new option is a Wendy's restaurant, which will celebrate its grand opening that day. The rest of us will have to continue to pollute the environment with auto emissions, to drive all the way out to the Wendy's in Rockville to get a Baconator.

The de facto ban on new fast food restaurants in Bethesda? That's Montgomery County "planning" for you. The Montgomery County Council saves you a bit of time deciding what you will eat, by already predetermining your dining options. How Orwellian of them.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

It seems we don't need to buy gas, don't need to have fast-food, and soon don't need to see movies...
What's next?

G. Money said...

Yes, it's too bad they banned fast food from Bethesda. I wish there was a Five Guys, a Cava, a Shophouse, and two different salad places all in a one block radius, but because of the ban, we can't have that.

Anonymous said...

I blame Smashburger's closure on Hans Riemer.

Anonymous said...

Those aren't fast food.
They're fast casual.
Fast food is McDonalds, Burger King, Arbys, Wendys, Jack in the Box, Carls jr

Anonymous said...

We demand crappy premade food!

Anonymous said...

There is a time and a place for everything. Even fast food. Taco Bell is my personal favorite, even if it is it's own "thing" (as opposed to Mexican food).

Anonymous said...

Yes. I feel the County Council's nearness each time I shop to make my Marinara, as the Shiraz involves an extra stop.

Anonymous said...

but fast food sucks

Anonymous said...

Is there actually a real reason there is no fast food in Bethesda that has to do with Montgomery County?

Anonymous said...

Dyer wants to tear down our new urban districts and replace them with fast food joints, 7-11s and gas stations.

The Seventies rule, man!

G. Money said...

I'm sorry that Five Guys is too upscale for you, 12:28. You've have to visit the Westbard ghetto to get your McDonald's fix, or you could settle for Subway, Quiznos, or Jimmy John's.

Anonymous said...

Fast food won't build in Montgomery County since they have to pay their workers more than 6 bucks an hour. Wah poor us :(

Anonymous said...

No Carl's Jr or Jack In The Box.

Rieeemmmmmmeeeerrrrrr!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Nah, I head to upscale North Bethesda for my fast food. Hahaha.
Benefits of Pike district. For now.

Anonymous said...

Seriously if the claim is Montgomery County bans fast food in Bethesda, can an explanation follow? How does the county ban fast food?

And you don't *have to drive to other places to get fast food from Bethesda. You *want to. That's a big difference.

Anonymous said...

No answer for you. #dodgingdyer

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, because as a blogger, he is, REQUIRED to respond to every question.
:roll eyes:

And here's some coal for your stocking.

Anonymous said...

Not required to by any means. But posting a public opinion that's hotly contested sure doesn't give him any credibility, of which he is already quite lacking.

Anonymous said...

*and not providing evidence of sources

Anonymous said...

@ 6:27 AM - so you admit that he's not a journalist, just a "blogger".

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

This is a blog, he is a blogger. Never said he wasn't a journalist. One isn't exclusive of the other.

Have some more coal.

Anonymous said...

He's a fine blogger. Questionable journalist.

Robert Dyer said...

10:18: Solid journalist. Just read the dozens of "George Leventhal ends homelessness" articles floating around the interlink, which ask no questions, provide no specific data or case studies, and lack any critical thinking whatsoever. You're not going to find obsequious coverage of the County government like that on here.

Anonymous said...

A "Solid journalist" does not use an article on a Wendy's fast-food outlet opening at Walter Read Medical Center as a completely off-topic opportunity to impugn George Leventhal's efforts to aid the homeless.

Anonymous said...

Did he just call himself a solid journalist? Lol.

Anonymous said...

Agreed. What does one have to do with the other? So strange.

Robert Dyer said...

4:37: Yep, he just did. "LOL"

Robert Dyer said...

4:18: There was nothing about the homeless in the article. You brought up journalism standards, and I mentioned the weak ones we find in local media. What specifics and data do we have on the housing "miracle"? Or do we just let warm, fuzzy feelings stand in for critical journalistic thinking?

Anonymous said...

So you are asked about your journalistic standards and your retort is to compare to someone else. Dyer, you do good work. You can stand up for yourself without redirecting.

Anonymous said...

The recent news about the homeless in Montgomery County concerned military veterans, and represented no "miracle" as you put it but a great deal of hard work by many. County-wide, homeless individuals (and their families) have been placed in permanent supportive housing at a rate during 2015 that allowed a year end statement that the number of remaining veteran homeless is functionally zero.

In Bethesda, with nearly 60 housing placements in 2015, there is for the first time in decades a community with zero homeless veterans.

As to data, a master list of all persons identified as Veterans and are
currently homeless in Montgomery County has been developed. This list was created
using data from the CoC Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the
January 2015 Point-in-Time (PIT) survey, input from the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) and their SSVF contractors, and from other providers in our community who work
with veterans experiencing homelessness.

The list is updated regularly – in most cases, daily in order to ensure it has the
most up-to-date information on veterans in our community.

This is no "miracle" as you put it, but the end result of a lot of hard work and a lot of heart.

Bethesda Cares, our local homeless resource center, deserves a great deal of credit.

Robert Dyer said...

9:41: I agree Bethesda Cares should be getting credit for the work they do - another reason I'm puzzled that George Leventhal is the one giving himself, and receiving from obsequious media allies, the most prominent credit. It was a major public relations publicity stunt that should have been handled with more sensitivity.

I'm not sure the public impression given in the process was accurate. I think a goal was met by service providers, but that veteran homelessness is not "solved" or eliminated. It's an ongoing effort.

I know which intersections I've seen homeless veterans panhandling at, and I'll be sure to monitor whether those individuals are truly "off the street". Meanwhile, I think our local media needs to think critically, and not rush to shore up a failed councilmember for reelection.

Robert Dyer said...

4:37: My standards are the highest, and I'm simply pointing you in the direction of the weaker ones you apparently seek.