Judge orders Bethesda restaurant owners to pay back rent, stay off premises

A Montgomery County Circuit Court judge sided with the property owner of 4866 Cordell Avenue in downtown Bethesda yesterday, entering a monetary judgement against the owners of Zuma by Chef Ninja for unpaid rent, and issuing several orders in the case. Judge Debra Lynn Dwyer entered a judgement in the amount of $146,166.39 for unpaid rent. That amount covers rent that was not paid between September 2023 and July 18, 2024. The judge also issued orders that allow landlord Greendell, LLC to change the locks on the building and secure the premises.

Notices warning locksmiths that they can only open or change locks for authorized representatives of Greenhill Realty Company, and that the building is a no-trespass zone, have been posted on-site. The building is now being guarded by uniformed security.

Judge Dwyer's July 22 orders allow Greendell, LLC to remove or dispose of any property inside the building that belongs to the owners of Zuma, which closed in January 2024. The owners of the former restaurant may not interfere with Greendell's access to the premises in any way. If the defendants fail to comply with the orders issued yesterday, they will be held in contempt of court, the court-issued document concludes. With the process of Zuma exiting winding up, the property owner is now closer to welcoming a new restaurant or business in this space in the near future.