Bethesda Shake Shack opening date pushed back to September 30

There's been another delay in the opening of the downtown Bethesda Shake Shack at 7535 Old Georgetown Road. It has now been pushed back from September 17 to September 30. Inside, the fast-casual burger restaurant looks ready to go, so much so that employees have had to keep a sign in the window to inform the many hopeful gawkers that it is not yet open. If you just can't wait, there are always the relatively-nearby Montgomery Mall and Cabin John Village locations that are open now. But here in the downtown, there are 19 days to go!

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando discharged from hospital

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) has been discharged from the hospital after a successful surgical procedure following a heart attack last weekend. He is continuing his recovery at home, from where he filmed and uploaded a video message to his constituents. Jawando thanked his doctors at George Washington University Hospital, and the community for the outpouring of support and well-wishes. The video was likely reassuring to constituents, as you would not know he had suffered a medical emergency just days ago if you were not already aware. His appearance and speech showed no sign of illness or impairment.

Jawando advised viewers to "take care of yourself," and not ignore warning signs of cardiovascular health issues. He noted that even exercising regularly and being in good overall health did not prevent last Saturday's heart attack. "I'm in shape, I work out a lot, but things can happen." In short, this could happen to any of us at any time. 

"Most importantly, I want to thank God for getting me through this, and allowing me to still be here and to serve, and to be with you and to be with my family," Jawando said. Doctors expect Jawando, who is the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive, to make a full recovery. "I'll be back on track before you know it," Jawando concluded. Jawando's office announced in a press release that it is fully open even while the Councilmember is recuperating, and that his staff is "available, and ready to serve constituents throughout his recovery."

Luke's Lobster closes at Bethesda Row

Luke's Lobster has permanently closed at 7129 Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. Signage has been stripped from the storefront, and the interior appears cleared out. It's the end of an era, as Luke's was one of the highest profile additions of the previous decade at the Federal Realty development. Luke's was also one of the biggest names in the lobster roll fad, which never actually ended, but became such a popular item that it wound up on many restaurant menus beyond the trucks and eateries that only sold those mayonnaise and butter drenched sandwiches. Perhaps the ubiquity of the lobster roll cut into demand for the OG specialty shops.

Kusshi Sushi to replace Passion Fin at Sumner Place in Bethesda

Kusshi Sushi is continuing its successful growth in the region with a second Bethesda location. It will be at 4611-H Sangamore Road in the Shops at Sumner Place (a.k.a. Little Falls Mall). There it will take over the Passion Fin space next to ATI Physical Therapy. Passion Fin had a successful run by any measure, surviving fourteen years, but was dark during normal business hours last night. The venerable shopping center has been upping its dining game recently, and Kusshi can be seen as another example of that.

Inspire Nail Bar coming soon to downtown Bethesda

We knew a nail salon was coming to 7718 Woodmont Avenue, in the ground floor of the Lionsgate condominiums, and now we know which one. Inspire Nail Bar is "coming soon," according to signage posted in its future storefront. This is a local nail salon chain that has grown from five locations in the region to nearly forty. Inspire is also opening a location at the Residences at Mazza in Friendship Heights, and has an existing location at 10309 Westlake Drive by Montgomery Mall.

Montgomery County Councilmember suffers heart attack

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) suffered a heart attack during a pickup basketball game this past Saturday, September 5, his office announced on Monday. He was transported to George Washington University hospital, where doctors inserted a stent, although the statement released did not indicate where the stent was placed. The statement did say that Jawando is "resting comfortably." His doctors expect him to make a full recovery, and anticipate he will be discharged from the hospital later this week. He will then work back up to his normal Council schedule under their guidance.

Jawando's medical emergency gained increased notice because he is also the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive, and because he is relatively young and in apparent good health. The latter two factors will be advantageous in his expected full recovery. Much older elected officials like Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen have suffered cardiovascular episodes, and have returned to not only full schedules, but to vigorous travel and public speaking engagements. In that context, there's every reason to believe his ability to campaign - and serve, if elected in November - will be unaffected in the long term.

However, the incident did draw renewed attention to the fact that Jawando had not yet agreed to participate in one or more public debates with his Republican opponent, Esther Wells. Debates are a critical part of this "democracy" thing we keep hearing strident lectures about. The voting public has a right to hear the candidates for each office expound on the issues, and defend those positions and ideas. If a candidate cannot do this, they are utterly incapable of assuming the responsibilities of public office - much less the highest office in the County. 

Yet Jawando and his colleagues never participated in a general election Council At-Large debate in 2018 or 2022(!!). It seems inconceivable that the forces of "democracy" in Montgomery County would allow this definitively-autocratic trend to continue this fall. Voters should not only express their interest in debates to the Democratic candidates directly, but should also apply pressure to the local media and their civic associations to host these debates prior to the start of early voting. You can either be complicit in an election process that Vladimir Putin and Fidel Castro would be proud of, or you can claim you are a champion of democracy. You cannot do both.

PJ's Soccer/Lacrosse moves in Bethesda

PJ's Soccer/Lacrosse has relocated in Bethesda. It didn't move far. The new location is only two doors down from the old one, at 10438 Auto Park Avenue, at the Home Depot Square shopping center near Montgomery Mall. PJ's Soccer/Lacrosse is a family owned and operated sporting goods business specializing in soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey. Founded in 1986, PJ's has two locations - this one, and another in Falls Church.

Always Ice Cream "coming soon" to Pike & Rose

Always Ice Cream is coming soon to Rockville Pike, according to signage posted in its future storefront. It will be located at 11802 Rockville Pike at Pike & Rose. The Maryland-based chain manufactures over 250 handcrafted flavors in the state, but has attracted the attention of national media. Always Ice Cream is expected to open this fall. Most of its scoop shops are located in the Annapolis area, but the brand is now expanding into Montgomery and Charles counties.

Lexus TZ prototype displayed at Bethesda Row "Discover Your Energy" event through Labor Day

The Lexus Discover Your Energy Tour is making its final stop here in Bethesda over this Labor Day weekend. It is set up on the Bethesda Avenue end of Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. The most obvious and attention-grabbing element is the 2027 Lexus TZ prototype on display. This is the first all-electric, 3-row seating SUV from the Lexus brand. The production model is expected to arrive at dealerships late this year. 

Interactive digital displays behind the backdrop are open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Test drives can be scheduled between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM today and tomorrow. The tour has made three previous stops in Scottsdale, Arizona; Plano, Texas; and Cleveland, Ohio.

Le Creuset opens in Friendship Heights

Le Creuset has arrived in Friendship Heights. It is located at 5481-B Wisconsin Avenue, in the Collection at Chevy Chase development. The store will host a grand opening celebration from September 10-13, 2026. There will be free refreshments, and a free Le Creuset apron for the first 10 customers each of those days. A purchase of $250 or more will get you a free pumpkin butter dish, while supplies last.

Bethesda bus lanes on MD 355 to be removed next week

Temporary bus-only lanes along Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, and along Rockville Pike in North Bethesda and White Flint, will be removed next week, the Maryland State Highway Administration announced yesterday. Starting Monday, September 7, all vehicles will again be able to use the lanes. MDSHA crews will work overnight between September 7 and September 11 to remove the bus lane markings, and restore painted lines destroyed by the project.

Montgomery County elected officials were applying heavy pressure to MDSHA behind the scenes to make the temporary bus lanes permanent as late as this week. When ABC 7 News reporter Tom Roussey asked MDSHA on Tuesday if the lanes would be left in place after the Metro station shutdown ended next week, the MDSHA spokesperson was unable to answer his question. This shows just how intense the pressure from County politicians was, as MDSHA had sworn up and down that these lanes were temporary, and would not typically be waiting until the last minute to schedule overnight road work.

By Thursday, MDSHA - in a rare return to professionalism in an agency that has become increasingly politicized over the last decade - declared that it would indeed be removing the lanes, as promised. MDSHA further told Roussey in a follow-up interview Thursday that the data the agency collected during the lane closures this summer "showed the best decision was to remove all bus-only lanes along Route 355." In other words, giving buses their own lanes does not generate more commuter throughput than automobiles can, no matter how many explainer graphics anti-highway radicals post on X. Of course, residents of Staten Island could have told them that ten years ago.

One of many Metro shuttles seen
traveling in the center or left lanes of MD 355,
despite having been given its own exclusive bus lane

Montgomery County's War-on-cars elected officials - all of whom hypocritically drive to "work" at their very-part-time Council "jobs" - must be furious with MDSHA at this hour. The agency not only vetoed their wishes, and foiled their Trojan horse scheme to achieve a permanent 33% in reduction of vehicular capacity on a major commuter route for two counties, but also made public that the data shows County officials are dead wrong in their claims regarding bus lanes and BRT. Again, this is how MDSHA and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation used to function up until the last decade. They would regularly veto and reject the wishes and whims of rabid, radical politicians when they conflicted with traffic engineering best practices. I would strongly encourage MDSHA to use Thursday's decision as a turning point to restore the agency's previously sterling reputation for professionalism and independence.

We've also got to credit the public for being more engaged this time, compared to when the County successfully browbeat MDSHA into making similar "temporary" lanes - in similar "Metro stations are closed!" Trojan horse fashion - permanent in Silver Spring a few years ago. MDSHA and WMATA heard loud and clear the outrage from drivers on the already-congested MD 355, on which MCDOT still does not synchronize the traffic signals during rush hour to not turn red at every block. Stay engaged, and make your displeasure effective by voting these bums out in November.

Prato Italian restaurant construction update at Bethesda Row

Prato is currently under construction at 7278 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. The Italian restaurant is replacing Matchbox on that prominent corner at the Federal Realty development. First, they've had to gut the interior of the previous establishment. The expected opening timetable has been revised from fall to "late fall." That gives them through December 20, so it's theoretically still doable.

Pollo Campero closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Pollo Campero has permanently closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, according to a sign posted at their stall in the Dining Terrace food court. The Guatemalan chicken chain opened this location in July 2024. From what I can tell, this is one of the rare closures we can't necessarily blame the Montgomery County Council for. I see that quite a few Pollo Campero restaurants have closed elsewhere across the country this year.

I recall that the chain went through a major expansion push in 2024, after celebrating record sales growth the previous year. Several of the planned 45 new locations were here in Montgomery County. I notice that a recurring theme in news articles about the other closures is that they all opened during that heady expansion year of 2024. 

Colony Grill closes in Potomac

Colony Grill has closed at 11325 Seven Locks Road at Cabin John Village in Potomac. Signage for the restaurant has been stripped from the building. Colony Grill opened this location in June 2023, but the chain says it has "decided not to continue our lease at this location." Apparently, a high score from Dave Portnoy wasn't enough to impress diners in Potomac. An 8.4! 

Two broad-daylight assaults in two days in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to two assaults in broad daylight in downtown Bethesda over the weekend. On Friday, August 28, 2026, an individual was jumped by multiple assailants in the 7400 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 3:44 PM. The suspects physically assaulted the victim, and robbed them of unspecified property. Yesterday afternoon at 4:28 PM, officers responded to a 2nd-degree assault in the 4800 block of Cordell Avenue. No descriptions of any of the suspects involved have been released as of this writing. Both incidents again highlight the disturbing 2026 trend of violent crimes increasingly being perpetrated during daylight hours.

USPS closing News Express postal facility in Bethesda

The United States Postal Service will close its facility inside of News Express at 4853 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda permanently Tuesday, September 1, 2026. This mini post office has been operated under contract within the convenience store for many years. The operating hours, and convenient location, made this facility preferable to the U.S. Post Office at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue for many in the Woodmont Triangle and East Bethesda neighborhoods. Once again, the failure of Montgomery County elected officials to ensure adequate postal facilities - when two downtown Bethesda post offices were closed last decade - continues to bite local residents.

Cornucopia Specialty Food Market closed until September 15 in Bethesda

Cornucopia Specialty Food Market at 8102 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda is temporarily closed. The store will reopen on September 15, 2026. A sign in the window explains that unanticipated travel to Italy for family reasons is the cause of the closure. Imported Italian foods and ingredients are the specialty of the market, but their fresh deli sandwiches make it a popular lunch spot for those in-the-know.

Car stolen from home in Spring Hill neighborhood of Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the Spring Hill neighborhood of Bethesda early yesterday morning. The theft was reported at a home in the 5200 block of Cammack Drive at 8:41 AM Thursday. Police believe the vehicle was taken sometime between 4:49 AM and 5:49 AM. They have not released a description of the missing vehicle.

VEG ER for Pets, Method Room sign on at Westbard Square in Bethesda

Regency Centers has found its first ground floor retail tenant for the Greystar-developed apartment building now under construction at Westbard Square in Bethesda. VEG ER for Pets, a chain operating 24-hour emergency rooms for animals, has leased a Westbard Avenue-facing storefront in the future building. Meanwhile, reformer-based fitness studio chain Method Room has signed on to fill the final ground-level space in the existing Giant building at the property. This will be the second location for the Washington, D.C.-based high-intensity, low-impact fitness concept inspired by traditional Pilates, but employing modern reformer equipment.

Woodmont Grill to become Ted's Bulletin in Bethesda

Restaurateur extraordinaire Steve Salis has purchased the former Woodmont Grill restaurant building at 7715 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda. He plans to turn it into a Ted's Bulletin, one of several concepts within his hospitality portfolio. The location served Woodmont Grill - and Houston's before that - well, as it was widely considered to be the highest volume restaurant in downtown Bethesda prior to its abrupt closure last year.

Salis has experience in the downtown Bethesda market, ranging from the very successful &Pizza to the innovative but short-lived Ensemble. But the question of placing a modern homage to diners next door to the real-deal Tastee Diner could be his boldest challenge yet. News of the real estate transaction and Salis' plans were broken by UrbanTurf.

Bethesda Boxing & Kickboxing Academy reopens after move

Bethesda Boxing & Kickboxing Academy has completed its move in downtown Bethesda, and is once again open for business. It was a short move, right across the street to 4927-A St. Elmo Avenue, at the St. Elmo's Cove shopping center. Their old space is being demolished to make way for a new apartment tower, necessitating their relocation. BBKA welcomes people of all ages and all skill levels to join their kickboxing community in Bethesda.

PacSun returning to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

When I reported nearly a year ago that PacSun would be returning to Westfield Montgomery Mall, there were some doubting Thomases who could not believe it. After all, the California-inspired surf and skate-wear retailer had just closed at the mall two years earlier. But PacSun has now made its return to the popular retail center official with coming-soon signage. PacSun will be located between Carter's and T-Mobile on Level 1 of the Old Navy/Cheesecake Factory wing.

Pop Mart opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Pop Mart has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The blind bag and stuffed-labubu toymaker previously tested a vending machine at the mall to gauge interest. That experiment was clearly a success, as the Chinese brand is now returning with a permanent storefront. Look for Pop Mart on Level 1 of the mall, next to Bath & Body Works.