Thai Express opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Thai food aficionados distraught by the recent departure of Ruby Thai Kitchen from Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda can dry their tears. Westfield is bringing in Thai Express, which will open this summer. You'll have no trouble finding your new Thai spot at the mall when it opens. Thai Express will be in Ruby Thai Kitchen's former space in the Dining Terrace food court, next to Charleys Philly Steaks. "Coming soon" signage has been posted in front of that stall ahead of construction.

Virginia created twice as many jobs as Maryland in 2024

The year-end job creation numbers from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics are a total humiliation again for the state of Maryland, and Montgomery County. Our rival across the Potomac River, Virginia, created twice as many jobs as Maryland in 2024. Virginia added 76,900 jobs last year, while Maryland created a paltry 38,400 jobs by comparison. In the closing month of December 2024, Virginia added 4,900 new jobs, while Maryland added a laughable 200. That's a 2 with only two zeros after it.

“Virginia’s labor market continues to demonstrate resilience and growth, with a strong increase in nonfarm payrolls, a growing labor force, and low unemployment,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) said in a statement. “Our commitment to business-friendly policies, reducing costs, and fostering innovation has created an environment where both Virginia companies and Virginians can thrive.” 

Virginia was named America's top state for business in 2024 by both CNBC and Business Facilities magazine. The latter is a professional journal covering the topic of corporate headquarters relocation. While the Old Dominion has added multiple major and Fortune 500 corporate HQs this century, Maryland was a loser in all of those competitions. Among those choosing Virginia over Maryland were Northrop Grumman, Nestle, Intelsat, Lidl, Gerber, Volkswagen, Amazon, and Hilton Hotels. Here in Montgomery County alone, our elected officials have failed to attract a single major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. 

Who can forget the Montgomery County Council laser-focusing on a bill to ban circus animals on the very day that Discovery Communications was sealing the deal with two other states to move their HQ from MoCo to their cities? Or the Council canceling the biggest transportation project in White Flint on the very day that Amazon representatives were touring that area during their HQ2 search, which we lost to...Virginia? Scrapping your biggest transportation project the same day that a logistics-obsessed firm like Amazon is visiting: Sheer genius! Heckuva job, Brownie!

While Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) is promising higher taxes and fees, and a 75-cent charge on every Amazon and food delivery order, Youngkin is asking the Virginia legislature to cut taxes on his constituents and businesses. Virginia has made major investments in new transportation infrastructure and site development, all while keeping taxes lower than Maryland. 

Maryland elected officials, by contrast, have blocked every meaningful congestion relief project, and have directed Maryland State Highway Administration officials to increase congestion by placing absurdly-low speed limits on major commuting state highways. They've even ordered MDSHA to remove vehicle lanes from many of those highways, including Old Georgetown Road, Georgia Avenue, and University Boulevard in Montgomery County alone. 

Rather than invest in site development for corporate campuses, and high-wage research and manufacturing facilities, MoCo and Maryland leaders have instead turned such valuable land over to their developer sugar daddies for new stack-and-pack residential housing. Taxes? Nobody in the region pays more than Montgomery County taxpayers.

Given the history of Virginia decimating Maryland in job creation this century, the only surprising thing about the 2024 numbers is that yet another historic drubbing of Montgomery County and Maryland officials is not being covered by the local media. Failure and incompetence are never brought to busy voters' attention. We can still enjoy the irony that Montgomery County's international business trips are - bizarrely - most often to Communist countries like China and Cuba, but that failures in policy and economic growth of the magnitude we find in Maryland often result in removal, or even jail, in those nations.

Sprout opening at Bethesda Row this summer

Sprout, an independent Maryland restaurant chain specializing in local, organic foods, will open its first D.C.-area location this summer at Bethesda Row. It will be located at 4926 Elm Street, next to Ideal Image. Sprout's founders, Emily and Ryan Groll, are experts in health, fitness, and the food industry. They combined that expertise in opening the first location of Sprout in Easton in 2016. 

What will you find on the menu at Sprout? According to the press release from property owner Federal Realty, "soups, scratch made artisan breads,  sprout-made spreads, overnight oat bowls, chia puddings & parfaits, breakfast muffins, acai bowls, smoothies, a full espresso bar, wraps, small plates, brownies, cookies, granola, and entrees including honey pot chicken, herb crusted salmon, and turkey sloppy joes. Sprout also creates in-house, chef crafted, hand bottled drinks."

“We welcome Sprout to Bethesda Row, an exclusive dining and shopping destination for more than 25 years,” Vanessa Mendoza, Senior Director of Regional Leasing for Federal Realty said in a statement. “Always on the search for eclectic, first to market restaurants, retailers and service providers, we are delighted to add Sprout to our Bethesda neighborhood.”

“We are excited to open our fifth location and bring to the Bethesda community our tasty, scratch-made meals, scratch-made artisanal breads, healthy spreads, and more when we open later this year,” Ryan Groll said yesterday. “Our nutritionist-designed, chef-crafted meals will be a memorable dining experience for the Bethesda community.”

FP Movement opening next month at Bethesda Row

FP Movement will open a store at 4801 Bethesda Avenue at Bethesda Row next month. It will be in the former Terrain Cafe space. FP Movement is the activewear brand of Free People, which used to have a boutique at Bethesda Row. While it is not a restaurant, the addition of FP Movement is otherwise not that surprising, as Free People shares a parent company - URBN - with the retailer it will soon share a building with, Anthropologie & Co. 

In addition to apparel, FP Movement also sells fitness and wellness accessories, and shoes. Existing FP Movement stores host fitness and wellness events.

FP Movement is scheduled to open on February 21, 2025. Operating hours for the store will be 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays. "At FP Movement, we're driven by the transformative power of movement," the company says in its mission statement. "Our mission is to support your journey toward fitness, wellness, and happiness with bold activewear that empowers you to move with confidence."

Ice cream for breakfast at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Bethesda Row Feb. 1

Ice cream is not just for dessert anymore. Starting this Saturday, February 1, 2025, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at 4918 Elm Street at Bethesda Row will begin serving Blueberry Johnny Cakes ice cream. "A flavor that hits all the savory-sweet high notes of a great breakfast," the company said in its announcement of the flavor and event. "Fluffy, honey-kissed cornbread pancakes, toasted to griddled perfection. Suspended in rich salted butter cream. And swirled with a bright blueberry-maple jam. Tastes like Saturday morning breakfast — but perfect anytime." A launch day celebration will be held at the Bethesda store on February 1 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with breakfast-inspired menu pairings, children's activities, and more.

2 robberies in 24 hours at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were busy at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda as the last week in January began. Officers responded to two robberies in 24 hours at the popular retail center at 7101 Democracy Boulevard. A strong-arm robbery was reported at the mall on Sunday, January 26, at 6:30 PM. Less than 24 hours later, on Monday, January 27, a second robbery was called in at 12:40 PM. A business at the mall was the victim in that robbery. The tenant has not yet been identified. An unspecified weapon was implied or employed in the second robbery, but it was not a gun.

Montgomery Mall had nearly made it to the end of the first month of 2025 without a violent crime taking place there. Eleven assaults were reported at the mall in 2024, up from five in 2023. The last assault was on November 12, 2024. A new leadership team was brought into the mall by parent company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ten days later. The peak holiday shopping period from Black Friday through Christmas then passed uneventfully, in terms of crime. Only the typical shoplifting calls expected at any mall during the holiday season were reported during that time. January had likewise been violent-crime-free, until this past Sunday.

Maryland restaurants aren't going out of business fast enough, lawmakers in Annapolis say

Maryland's restaurants aren't going out of business fast enough, lawmakers in the state's capital of Annapolis say, and a pair of Democrats in the legislature have a plan to speed up the process. On top of previous hikes to the state's minimum wage, which have been a factor in many restaurant closures and staff reductions statewide, their new bill would create a 2026 ballot question asking voters to approve a minimum wage of $20-an-hour. If approved by voters, the question would also force restaurant owners to pay that $20 wage to tipped workers, as well. The bill is expected to be taken up by the Democrat-controlled Maryland House and Senate next month.

Montgomery County was the vanguard of the proletariat in the effort to raise the minimum wage in the previous decade. The Montgomery County Council was warned by business owners, the Maryland Retailers Association, and the Restaurant Association of Maryland that a significant wage increase would put many enterprises out of business. Their predictions came to pass, as Montgomery's already-moribund economy was slammed by the higher wage requirements, higher taxes and new regulations, and the Council's disastrous "Nighttime Economy" initiative that ended up destroying the nighttime economy. Bars, stores, and restaurants that had endured for thirty or fifty years, serving multiple generations of Montgomery County residents, were suddenly closing left and right.

The nightlife scene in Bethesda looks starkly different from what it was prior to the last decade. In fact, you can't really look at it at all, because it no longer exists. Along with record numbers of restaurant failures countywide, at least 24 nightspots closed in Bethesda alone. Downtown Bethesda's streets are now dark and lonesome after 9:00 PM. 

Demolition of Regal Cinemas Bethesda 10
cineplex in 2017

The impact of the Council's "Nighttime Economy" catastrophe in Bethesda was capped off when Barnes and Noble closed, and the Council allowed the town's only major cineplex to be demolished, without requiring the developer to replace the theater - even though the Minor Master Plan Amendment that permitted the demolition provided the Council with the authority to impose just such a requirement. The public plaza outside the former bookstore that previously teemed with crowds during warm weather was suddenly deserted. A "spaces available" sign outside the public parking garage at Bethesda Row that usually read "FULL" during the peak dinnertime hours now showed hundreds of spaces available. The counter was eventually deactivated to cover up the embarrassment.

There are now not only fewer restaurants in Montgomery County, but fewer restaurant workers, as well. Fast food establishments that haven't closed now sport touchscreens that eliminate the number of workers needed to man (or woman) the counter. Chains like McDonald's are on the verge of total automation, only slowed by the open revolt a speedy conversion to this technology would spur among unions, and the mainstream press that already delights in bashing restaurant chains that allow working class people to eat cheaply without government welfare assistance.

Many writing for the "Buzz Insider"-style websites, and even more among the world of TikTok "influencers," were fooled into believing McDonald's' new CosMc's concept is a super-cool place to film yourself waiting in an hour-long line of cars, to get a million video views of yourself making moronic faces while sipping a Sour Cherry Energy Burst. In reality, it is a test run for the "Fight for $25" future, a future of a single supervising employee monitoring an array of robots serving precisely-made Big Macs and Egg McMuffins.

Along with Governor Wes Moore's proposal to raise taxes on the "rich," the proposed wage hike will indeed speed up the bankruptcy process for mom-and-pop restaurants across Maryland. Restaurants - and most retail - are very slim profit margin businesses to start with. The margin is even slimmer in hellaciously-anti-business counties like Montgomery. Having elected officials who don't understand this, or much of anything about how business works, is always potentially fatal to the independent entrepreneur in MoCo and Maryland.

This financial illiteracy among our elected officials leads to measures such as the higher taxes, fees, and wages being proposed fast and furiously in Annapolis this month. It leads to a state where many elected officials and government employees end up making more money annually than the private businesses they regulate. But as we've seen already in Montgomery County, which fell from its lofty perch among the Forbes "Top Ten Richest Counties in America" list during MoCo's purge of the free enterprise system last decade, the more you pile on the taxes and wage hikes, the less revenue you get. Taxation is not only theft, but generates diminishing returns as rates increase. The more you squeeze, the less you get. 

Montgomery County has already reached rock bottom in the D.C. region, or close to it, in every significant economic development category compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even Gov. Moore has admitted Maryland's economy is stagnant, and its economic and job numbers lag far behind the national average since 2017. Yet, Annapolis wants to again join Rockville in amplifying the assault on the small businessperson even further. The question for our representatives in Annapolis this year is, "How much lower do you want to go?"

Maple Beer & Wine burglarized in Bethesda

Maple Beer & Wine at 8125 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda is one of the latest victims of the sustained crime wave impacting Montgomery County since 2020. The store was burglarized in the early hours of January 17, 2025, Montgomery County police say. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry at the store. Police say money was taken by the four alleged burglars.

Three of the four suspects are described by police as Black males, aged late teens to early 20s. They do not have a description of the fourth suspect at this time. If you can identify any of the alleged burglars, or have any other information that could help detectives close this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Silver and Sons Barbecue opens to rave reviews at Westbard Square in Bethesda

Silver and Sons Barbecue is now open at 5362 Westbard Avenue at the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda. Chef-owner Jarrad Silver's fusion of American barbecue with recipes, side dishes, baked goods, and sauces that draw on Mediterranean and Jewish influences has been a big hit aboard his food truck. That success appears to have now translated to the bricks-and-mortar location. 

Initial reviews since this past weekend's opening have delivered a perfect 5-star rating to Silver and Sons on Google Reviews, with one reviewer declaring it "the best BBQ I have ever had," and another characterizing the food as "absolutely incredible." Several reviewers cited the restaurant's friendly service. Takeout orders are the primary focus here, as indoor seating is very limited. Silver and Sons is open from 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM Wednesday through Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Avocet Tower lights up with Washington Commanders colors ahead of NFC title game

The Washington Commanders will face the Philadelphia Eagles in a challenging but eminently-winnable National Football Conference Championship game this afternoon at 3:00 PM. Avocet Tower at 7373 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda was "ahead of the game" last night, when it made its best effort to ape Washington's burgundy-and-gold colors. The accent lighting can be customized within a limited color palette, and has been tweaked to do everything from celebrating Christmas, to showing solidarity with Ukraine. One question remains ahead of today's coin toss: Is Avocet Tower visible from Dan Snyder's yacht?

Bethesda CVS Pharmacy reopens after extended closure due to water outage

The CVS Pharmacy at 7235 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda has reopened, after an unscheduled and extended closure. A water main break on January 6, 2025 left the store without water service. Utility WSSC stated on January 7 that it had restored service to customers in that vicinity, but the store remained closed for weeks beyond that. CVS cited a water outage as the reason for the closure. WSSC has not elaborated further on the matter since January 7, but recently announced that its crews have responded to 414 water main breaks so far this month.

Bethesda construction update: The Pinnacle senior housing (Photos)

The Pinnacle, a senior living apartment complex, is now about four stories above street level in White Flint. Located at 11565 Old Georgetown Road, it will eventually rise to 17 stories. Inside will be 113 independent living apartments, 40 assisted-living units, and 48 units reserved for memory care and early-stage-dementia Bridge patients. Residents who are still independent will be right across the road from dining, shopping, and entertainment at Pike & Rose, and walking distance to the White Flint Metro station. The building itself will have its own 15,000-square-feet of restaurant and retail space, and will appear outwardly as a luxury apartment building, rather than a retirement or nursing facility. Developer Silverstone Senior Living anticipates a Q2 2026 delivery for the project.

Assault in Pike & Rose parking garage

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault inside a parking garage at Pike & Rose on Rockville Pike last night, January 23, 2025. The assault was reported at 8:37 PM. Police were called to the Trade Street garage at 11860 Trade Street at the property.

Fortune Cooky closes in Bethesda

Fortune Cooky has closed at 7816 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda. The Asian fusion restaurant has been dark during business hours for several days. They have not been answering the telephone, and a message to the restaurant has not been responded to as of this writing. Their space is now being marketed for lease with immediately availability, via a sublease "from current tenant." Fortune Cooky opened in October 2024.

Bartaco opening restaurant at Pike & Rose

Tacos will soon be back on the menu at Pike & Rose on Rockville Pike. Bartaco has just signed to open its first Maryland location in the former Nada space at 11886 Grand Park Avenue, according to signage posted in the windows. The national chain currently has restaurants in our region in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. A mostly-Mexican menu will have a few Korean dishes mixed in.

"With a white-washed interior, wanderlust-inspiring photography on the walls, woven basket light fixtures, and a sprawling bar at the center, [Bartaco] feels like it might belong on a beach in South America," Nashville Lifestyles wrote of its dining experience. The Reston Bartaco has a 4.2 out of 5 stars rating on Yelp, and the Bartaco at The Wharf holds a 3.8 star average.

Maryland legislature blocks public from testifying at hearing on Fairness in Girls' Sports Act

Maryland Del. Kathy Szeliga (R)

When is a public hearing not a public hearing? When the public is not allowed to testify at the hearing. That's going to be the case in Room 130 of the House Office Building in Annapolis on January 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM, when the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing on House Bill HB156, the Fairness in Girls' Sports Act. The hearing is one of several at which the committee has barred the public from being able to offer oral testimony. Only the sponsor of the bill, Del. Kathy Szeliga (R), will be allowed to testify during the hearing.

"I’m disappointed to inform you that the Committee has decided to NOT ALLOW oral testimony from citizens during the hearing," Szeliga wrote in an email to constituents yesterday. "This means I will be the sole voice presenting the overwhelming support this issue has garnered across Maryland. The positive response to my recent op-ed in The Baltimore Sun—spanning all demographics and party lines—demonstrates how much this common-sense legislation resonates with Marylanders."

If passed, HB156 would require "certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools to be expressly designated based on biological sex; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain adverse actions against a school for maintaining separate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams and sports for students of the female sex; and providing that certain individuals have the right to bring a civil action under certain circumstances."

The inability of the public to speak not only means that those supporting the bill will not be heard during the hearing, which is the apparent intent of the committee, but neither will the voices of those in Maryland who are opposed to it. We've seen in recent years that, as more citizens become engaged on certain issues like zoning and school curriculums, governing bodies put greater and greater restrictions on speech and participation in public hearings. The Montgomery County Council began to place a limit on the number of citizens who could speak during public hearings, for example, when this was never done in the past. In contrast, public hearings before the Washington, D.C. City Council and some jurisdictions in Northern Virginia literally continue into the night, until every person who wished to speak has been heard. Across the country, citizens have been given less time to speak, and even face eviction or arrest if their 1st Amendment-protected speech triggers megalomaniacal elected officials.

Those who wish to submit written testimony on HB156 can still use these instructions, and register to submit their comments, or to simply check a box that indicates support or opposition. But as any experienced activist can tell you, there is no substitute for the power of - and greater public and media attention to - oral testimony at hearings. Which is why your elected officials are trying to silence your voice - literally.

Trump revokes John Bolton's Secret Service protection

The United States Secret Service police cruisers that have been a constant presence outside of former Ambassador John Bolton's home disappeared shortly after President Donald Trump took office earlier this week. Trump revoked the Secret Service protection that has been provided for Bolton, who has been an outspoken critic of the president. The U.S. Justice Department has alleged several people with ties to Iran have attempted to recruit potential assassins to target Bolton since the U.S. killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in January of 2020. Bolton was no longer a member of the Trump administration by the time the assassination took place.

Trump also revoked Bolton's security clearance in an executive order that revoked the security clearances of 49 living intelligence officials who falsely suggested the Hunter Biden laptop scandal was Russian misinformation during the 2020 presidential election. The letter signed by the officials was used to censor news coverage and social media posts about the laptop and its scandalous contents in the final weeks of the 2020 election.

"Former National Security Advisor John R. Bolton published a memoir for monetary gain after he was terminated from his White House position in 2019," Monday's executive order stated. "The book was rife with sensitive information drawn from his time in government. The memoir’s reckless treatment of sensitive information undermined the ability of future presidents to request and obtain candid advice on matters of national security from their staff. Publication also created a grave risk that classified material was publicly exposed."

Bolton, and the National Security Council official who reviewed his book before its publication, both strongly rejected the idea that any sensitive information had been disclosed. Trump administration officials disagreed, and the fallout of that dispute has now extended into Trump's second term.

2 assaults in 24 hours in downtown Bethesda

Two 2nd-degree assaults were reported to Montgomery County police in downtown Bethesda within a twenty-four hour period this week. The first assault was reported to police in the 4400 block of Montgomery Avenue at 2:48 PM on January 20, 2025. The second was reported along the street in the 7100 block of Woodmont Avenue at 11:17 AM the following morning.

Subway "coming soon" to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Subway is "coming soon" to Westfield Montgomery Mall, signage just installed at its future space in the Dining Terrace food court promises. I broke the news that sandwich artists will soon be preparing America's favorite sub sandwiches at the mall back in September 2024. Subway replaces longtime tenant J. Chow in the food court. Construction on the conversion of J. Chow to Subway is now getting started behind the wall, and the signage promises a spring 2025 opening.

Specs New York closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Specs New York has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Signage has been removed from above the storefront. The sunglasses retailer first opened at the mall in 2014. It temporarily closed at least a couple of times in the first four years of its tenancy at the mall, so another return can't entirely be ruled out. Specs appears to be the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy, as this is the only of the chain's locations nationwide to be closing.

Kelly's Cajun Grill temporarily closed at Montgomery Mall due to gas problem

Kelly's Cajun Grill had to temporarily close yesterday at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Located in the Dining Terrace food court, the restaurant cited a "gas supply interruption" as the reason for the closure. A specific day or time for reopening was not given, but it promised to "reopen as soon as possible," so it could reopen as early as today. It's always best to call ahead in this situation, if this is the only reason you are going to the mall. The gas issue did not seem to impact the other tenants around it in the food court last evening.