No Regrets to Go pizzeria opening in Bethesda

No Regrets Pizza is expanding from White Flint to downtown Bethesda. No Regrets to Go will be located in the ground floor of the new Sophia Bethesda apartment tower at 4924 St. Elmo Avenue. The new location will sell beer and wine. The owner has applied for a liquor license from Montgomery County. A hearing on the application has been scheduled for March 19, 2026 at 10:30 AM.

Andy's Pizza opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Andy's Pizza is now open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. One reason this is exciting news is that they serve award-winning, authentic New York-style pizza. The second is, you can buy it by-the-slice if you prefer. As much as I revere Sbarro as a classic denizen of American mall food courts, this is a much higher quality product. Look for Andy's Pizza on Level 2 of the mall, in the Dining Terrace food court by CAVA and Chipotle.

Za'Atar Shawarma & Pizza opens in Bethesda

Za'Atar Shawarma & Pizza is now open at 8021 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Their menu features Middle Eastern cuisine and artisanal pizza. The restaurant replaces Cheesy Pizzi, which closed in August. It has already earned rave reviews on Google, and has been reviewed once on Yelp, where the customer gave it a positive four-star appraisal. Operating hours are 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM on Friday and Saturday.

Andy's Pizza opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Andy's Pizza is speeding up its expansion within Montgomery County. The award-winning pizzeria that has had tremendous success in downtown Bethesda will soon open a second Bethesda location at Westfield Montgomery Mall. It will be in the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2, in between CAVA and Chipotle. A third MoCo Andy's Pizza shop will be opening soon at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg.

Za'Atar Shawarma & Pizza opening in Bethesda

Za'Atar Shawarma & Pizza is opening at 8021 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Their menu will feature Middle Eastern cuisine and artisanal pizza. The restaurant will replace Cheesy Pizzi, which closed in August. Work is underway inside the space.

Robbery at Domino's Pizza in Bethesda

Montgomery County police are searching for two suspects who held up the Domino's Pizza store at 4817 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The robbery took place on September 23, 2025 at 10:41 PM. Coincidentally - or not, Papa John's in downtown Bethesda was robbed eight days later.

Police describe the Domino's robbery suspects only as two Black males, and have not released any surveillance camera images of them as of this writing. The two alleged robbers escaped with cash from the store. If you have any information about the suspects or this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Cheesy Pizzi closes in Bethesda

Why are the pizzerias closing in downtown Bethesda? Anthony's, The Corner Slice, and now, Cheesy Pizzi. Yes, Cheesy Pizzi at 8021 Wisconsin Avenue has closed. Previously known as Pizza Tempo, the pizza parlor was already on the market for sale in March of 2024. Apparently there were no buyers, and the business has closed. Business owners continue to be simultaneously-squeezed by the moribund Montgomery County economy, and the anti-business policies of the County Council, particularly in the thin profit margin hospitality industry. 

Pizzeria Da Marco to add Sunday brunch in Bethesda

Pizzeria Da Marco at 8008 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda will soon expand its operation to include brunch on Sundays. A banner outside the restaurant says the new Sunday brunch service is "coming soon." Currently, the pizzeria opens at 11:30 AM on Sundays, and does not offer any breakfast-oriented menu items. Pizzeria Da Marco is best known for its Neapolitan-style pizza.

Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria opens at Westbard Square in Bethesda

UPDATE - 7:56 PM: The initial operating hours appear to be limited - call ahead to verify they are open.

Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria has opened at 5306 Zenith Overlook at Westbard Square in Bethesda. This is the second location of the pizzeria to open. The original is also in Bethesda, at the Wildwood Shopping Center. Piccoli Piatti's specialty is Neapolitan-style pizza, made in a custom-built oven with authentic ingredients from Italy. You'll also find a variety of appetizers and Italian dishes ranging from arancini and mussels to pasta and lunchtime sandwiches.

Fresh Tomato Pie returning for summer at Pepe's Pizza at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is bringing back its popular seasonal Fresh Tomato Pie again this summer at all of its locations, including the one at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. This is the 17th year that Pepe's has offered the Fresh Tomato Pie, which tops the pizzeria's signature coal-fired crust with fresh native tomatoes, mozzarella cheese sliced daily in-house, garlic, basil, grated Pecorino Romano cheese imported direct from Italy, and just a touch of Pepe’s olive oil blend. The Fresh Tomato Pie will be sold from June 30, 2025 until the end of summer. World-famous Pepe's turns 100 this year, and what better way to celebrate than with a Fresh Tomato Pie from the Montgomery Mall location?

Photo courtesy Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

&Pizza reopens in Bethesda

UPDATE - June 28, 2025, 7:40 PM: &pizza has reopened.

UPDATE - June 27, 2025, 9:33 PM: &pizza says, "there’s a water leak that’s being repaired. We will be back open any day now." There is no sign or message referring to this posted at the restaurant, however.

&Pizza has closed "for now" at 7614 Old Georgetown Road in The Metropolitan in Bethesda. The "for now" caveat was added by the local chain in a message to customers without explanation. One could be that a number of &pizza locations have been sold to at least one franchisee, as the company attempts to move from direct ownership to a franchise model. They may want to give that franchisee, or another, the option to reopen this store before dismantling it. &pizza opened here over 11 years ago, in May of 2014. That's a good run in Bethesda by any measure.

Signage installed at Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

The permanent sign has been installed over the future storefront of Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria at 5306 Zenith Overlook, at Westbard Square in Bethesda. We're also now getting a better look at that storefront with barricades and other obstructions now having been removed. There is dark paneling behind the sign, and patterned columns supporting the overhang. The indented storefront contrasts with other tenants in the building so far, and provides additional outdoor dining space beyond the sidewalk area. 

Piccoli Piatti has added the Westbard Square location to its website, which says "opening soon." The new pizzeria held two hiring events earlier this month, and still has a "Now Hiring" sign in the front window as of last evening. Piccoli Piatti specializes in Neapolitan-style pizza, using authentic ingredients imported from Italy.

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana celebrates 100 years at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

This year marks the 100th year of business for Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. The chain's pizza parlor at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda has only been open for a small fraction of that time, but it will be celebrating the milestone as much as the original New Haven, Connecticut restaurant. Through the end of this month, June 2025, dine-in guests can get a large, 18-inch pizza (16 slices) for $19.25. The offer is available exclusively for dine-in guests from Monday through Friday until June 30. It is limited to one redemption per table, and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Look for Frank Pepe on Level 1, in the Old Navy/Cheesecake Factory wing of the mall.

Photo by Foodies of 617

Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria hosting hiring events this week in Bethesda

Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria, opening soon at 5306 Zenith Overlook at Westbard Square in Bethesda, will be hosting two open house hiring events this week. The first will be tomorrow, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Another will be held this coming Saturday, June 7, again from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria will specialize in Neapolitan-style pizza, as well as other Italian dishes, baked in their customized volcanic brick oven, which was installed in April.

Pizza oven installed at Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria at Westbard Square in Bethesda

The pizza oven has arrived at the future Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria at 5306 Zenith Overlook at Westbard Square in Bethesda. Manufactured by Marra Forni, the Neapolitan pizza oven is customized with the name of the restaurant across the front. "Italian inspired American craftsmanship" utilizes MarraStone, a refractory brick composed of volcanic material. Best of all, Marra Forni is based right here in Beltsville, Maryland. Stay tuned for an opening date, but you can get an advance taste at their Wildwood Shopping Center location in Bethesda.

The pizza oven!

More Piccoli Piatti signage added at Westbard Square in Bethesda

The Piccoli Piatti pizzeria isn't open yet at Westbard Square in Bethesda, but more signage has been posted around the development for it. One is a permanent wayfaring logo applied to the wall inside Level 1 of the parking garage. The other is an additional "coming soon" banner.

Promising "the best Neapolitan pizza in Maryland," the Italian restaurant has an existing location at the Wildwood Shopping Center. Ingredients used include flour imported from Italy, and Bertozzi cheese. If that's not enough, their tomatoes are grown in San Marzano, below Mount Vesuvius. A selection of appetizers, pasta, and mussels rounds out the main menu.

Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria "coming soon" to Westbard Square in Bethesda

"Coming soon" signage has been installed at the future home of Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria on Zenith Overlook at Westbard Square in Bethesda. Promising "the best Neapolitan pizza in Maryland," the Italian restaurant has an existing location at the Wildwood Shopping Center. Ingredients used include flour imported from Italy, and Bertozzi cheese. If that's not enough, their tomatoes are grown in San Marzano, below Mount Vesuvius. A selection of pasta and mussels rounds out the main menu. It's great to see construction getting underway here.

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings closes in Bethesda

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings has permanently closed at 7776 Norfolk Avenue in the Windsor Bethesda apartment tower. Workers were loading the contents of the restaurant into a U-Haul truck this afternoon. Anthony's opened here in January 2020, replacing Community, an upscale diner. 

The pizza chain is a victim of BurgerFi, which acquired it in 2021. BurgerFi has since gone into financial distress, and is considering filing for bankruptcy. Windsor Bethesda now has a large restaurant space to fill.

MOD Pizza closes at Montrose Crossing

MOD Pizza has closed at 12027 Rockville Pike at the Montrose Crossing shopping center. The pizzeria opened here in August of 2019. This is probably not a total shock, as the chain closed 26 of its locations in Q1 of 2024. At the time of those closures, MOD described those stores as "underperformers," so we can't rule out the anti-business policies or moribund economy of Montgomery County as contributing factors. 

The "fast-fired" pizza chains as a whole seem to have struggled in MoCo while enjoying longevity elsewhere. Blaze Pizza didn't even last two years at Montgomery Mall, closing in 2016, but its multiple outposts right next door in Gorgeous Prince George's County are still serving pies in under 180 seconds today. Yet &pizza seems to continue to thrive at its many Montgomery County locations, including one about a block away from this MOD at Pike & Rose, so they must be doing something right that some of the other chains weren't.

No Regrets Pizza opens in White Flint

No Regrets Pizza Co. has opened at 5454 Nicholson Lane, Suite 180, in the ground floor of the Harwood Flats apartments in White Flint. In addition to handcrafted artisan pizzas in New York and Roman styles, the pizzeria turns into a dinner and cocktail bar destination. Early patrons appear to have no regrets, as No Regrets currently has a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Google Reviews, and a 4.5 average on Yelp. Operating hours are 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM seven days a week.