Tommy Joe's has made it official - the venerable bar-and-grill will move from its longtime Montgomery Lane location to the recently-vacated Urban Heights space at 7940 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The last day at their current location will be February 13, and the new location will open sometime in March. With the move, owner Alan Pohoryles returns to the scene of his former rooftop venture, Roof Bethesda.
They're gonna get killed.
ReplyDeleteYou know, it's a good spot...if it's used correctly. We were so happy when The Roof opened, but actually getting them to serve you on the roof itself was a chore. They'd roll up the carpet and run at the first dark cloud. Towards the end, they kept saying how they didn't have enough staff to keep the terrace level running. Urban Heights got a little bit closer to embracing the roof, but it just seemed a little skewed and unwelcoming (which I feel about the whole crumbling Weidermeyer empire these days).
ReplyDeleteAll that said, will Tommy Joes get killed at that location, as 5:21 says? Probably, yes. But the location/idea itself is sound, in my opinion. It's sad to see it crash and burn (and crash and burn again).
Location is sound, sure. But that building is largely the issue. Plus, the fact that several restaurants have closed there doesn't help. Throw in Smashburger closing, and you really got challenges. Upstairs restaurants generally don't do well.
DeleteThey made it official three weeks ago when they told everyone
ReplyDelete7:26: Their first public announcement was yesterday, including the date of closure. Just because word is out there is different from the business actually announcing it on their social media accounts or via press release. That's the whole point of my first sentence!
Delete@ 7:26 AM - it's not "official" until Dyer sees a sign in a window at 3 AM.
ReplyDelete7:52: It's not "official" until you pick up Hans Riemer's dry cleaning, you obsequious Guy Friday.
DeleteI like the location. I went there for evening drinks when it was Urban Heights and also when it was Roof. I think they just need some marketing help to draw in the right crowd. Maybe Tommy Joe's will do that.
ReplyDeleteI think Hanaro is on the out and out (they have a large tax lien against them -- usually the first sign of a business doing poorly) and they used to draw a nightlife crowd. Then Parva just shut down also. Maybe all those people will give the new Tommy Joe's a try.
I think it comes down to the quality of the restaurant/bar, not the building. This building is actually a plus: there aren't many rooftop places in Bethesda. That's a huge selling point. I love the windows all around the dining room.
ReplyDeleteBut, it comes down to the quality of the restaurant/bar. Urban Heights received poor reviews, had a lackluster launch and didn't have wide appeal. Weidmeyer may be stretched thin with all these outposts in Bethesda.
Maybe a bit of both? Were Roof and now Utban Heights and supposedly Smashburger all bad enough to close?
DeleteHow much is the rent?
ReplyDeleteYes, all those places are bad enough to close otherwise they wouldn't have or still to be with Smashburger. Good places find audiences which in Bethesda, not hard to do. Bad ones just close.
ReplyDeleteI meant the food. Were they tha bad? I never had Roof. Urban Heights was so so. I kinda like Smashburger but they are small burgers.
DeleteYeah, if Jaleo or Rio Grande moved there, they'd do well. Those restaurants have a following.
ReplyDeleteI found the food at Urban Heights pretty good and also imaginative. I think Wiedemaier's next failure will be Villain and Saint.
Well, it's a quarter of the way through February, and SmashBurger is still going strong. Meanwhile De Topless is advancing towards its opening at a pace slower than a snail in molasses, that building where the homeless shelter used to be, is stillborn.
ReplyDelete1:47 - The food wasn't anything to write home about including Smash Burger. The fact is, that building is just weird. Just don't think anything will work there
ReplyDeleteNothing good happens after office hours in Bethesda!
ReplyDeleteI was seriously sorry to see them move. Tommy Joe's on Montgomery Ave was pretty much the last dive bar within walking distance from our office -- and many other offices. We also used to go to Markham's for lunch and happy hour, and then Weidmeyer ruined it by turning it into Villain and Saint. His involvement will do the same for Tommy Joe's. I predict the crash and burn will happen sooner rather than later.
ReplyDelete