Harris Teeter closing in White Flint

Harris Teeter is closing its store at 11845 Old Georgetown Road in White Flint. The store will close "on or before July 20, 2025," according to a sign that also promotes a closing sale with prices up to 50% off. This store has been rumored to be one of the lowest-performing in the Harris Teeter chain. It also has fallen victim to Montgomery County's puzzling decision to place a homeless shelter nearby, frequent thefts of merchandise and shopping carts, the general moribundity of the stagnant Montgomery County economy, the County's highest-in-the-region tax and fee burden, and the failed 2010 White Flint sector plan. The recent arrival of a Wegmans just up Rockville Pike was likely the final nail in the HT coffin.

Bethesda Harris Teeter to close 1 hour early on May 15

The Harris Teeter grocery store at 4805 Battery Lane in downtown Bethesda will close one hour earlier this Thursday night, May 15, 2025. A "specialized floor service" will be performed "to provide you a clean shopping environment!!" As a result, the store will close at 10:00 PM Thursday, so the work can be completed by the time it reopens at 6:00 AM on Friday.

Grocery stores take aim at antiquated Montgomery County liquor laws again

Several grocery chains in Montgomery County are once again enlisting customers in the struggle to overturn the antiquated liquor laws that prevent them from selling beer and wine in Maryland. Signage paid for by the Consumer Freedom Coalition prompts customers to contact their legislators in Annapolis to support bills that would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine, but not liquor. However, once again, the machine is prevailing in the state capital, and those bills appear unlikely to pass during this session.

The effort had the support of Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who was eager to back a popular cause to distract from the new taxes and fees in the FY-2026 state budget, but was opposed by powerful Democrats on committees that first had to approve the bills to move them to the floor for a wider vote. Harris Teeter was the loudest advocate for the change during the administration of previous Governor Larry Hogan, but the campaign stalled when the pandemic hit, and liquor law changes became focused on assisting bars and restaurants by allowing take-out cocktails, for example. Safeway has joined Harris Teeter in the 2025 push for the bills. Yet neither major corporation has been able to influence enough Maryland Democrats to sign on to supermarket sales, and those same Democrats have yet to pay a price at the ballot box for their continued defiance of the popular will on the matter.

Indecent exposure at Harris Teeter in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to the Harris Teeter grocery store at 4805 Battery Lane in downtown Bethesda Wednesday night, June 5, 2024. Officers were summoned to investigate an indecent exposure incident. The crime was reported at 6:00 PM Wednesday. No arrest was made that evening, according to Montgomery County arrest records.

Mountain Dew Baja Blast returns to stores

Mountain Dew Baja Blast, one of the greatest soft drinks of all time, is back on store shelves in Montgomery County. Seen here at Harris Teeter, the popular soda will be available year-round nationwide for the first time. Available at all times as a fountain drink at Taco Bell, Baja Blast has sporadically been sold in bottled form over the last decade. But PepsiCo is going big to celebrate the drink's 20th anniversary in 2024.

"MTN DEW BAJA BLAST has cemented its place as a fan-favorite flavor in pop culture and as a staple in countless Taco Bell orders, so we knew we had to celebrate its 20th anniversary in a big way," Mountain Dew Vice-President of Marketing JP Bittencourt said in a statement. "Nothing's better than giving fans what they've asked for, with a few additional surprises to keep the celebration going all year long. Thank you to all the BAJA BLAST lovers over the last 20 years. Because of you, everyone nationwide can now buy the beloved flavor in-stores and as always, at Taco Bell, all year long and earn rewards while doing so... that's a win-win."

Bare and spartan shelves persist at Harris Teeter in Bethesda (Photos)

Harris Teeter at 4805 Battery Lane in downtown Bethesda is one of the local retailers still suffering from significant supply chain problems. Last night, there was a limited amount of milk, and shortages of other dairy products like cream cheese. The juice case was sparsely populated. 

Shelves were stripped at the meat counter, and the refrigerated breakfast and lunch meats section wasn't much better. Produce shelves were also nearly empty. 

Bethesda Harris Teeter cutting back evening hours

The Harris Teeter grocery store at 4805 Battery Lane in downtown Bethesda is reducing its evening hours of operation. Effective this Monday, January 10, 2022, the store will now close at 9:00 PM, instead of 10:00 PM. The new hours appear to also apply to the White Flint store, as well, according to the announcement. Harris Teeter says the reduction in hours is necessary to dedicate more time to stocking shelves and "cleaning stores."

Bethesda Harris Teeter cuts back operating hours

The Harris Teeter grocery store at 4805 Battery Lane in downtown Bethesda has temporarily reduced its operating hours. For the time being, the store will now close at 9:00 PM. A store employee cited a shortage of employees as the reason for the reduced hours. Harris Teeter opens at 6:00 AM.

9:00 PM is much earlier than competitors Giant and Safeway close. It appears the ending of enhanced unemployment benefits has so far not spurred a run on restaurant and retail job openings.

This Harris Teeter previously dropped 24-hour operation in 2018, in response to the cratering of downtown Bethesda nightlife following Montgomery County's disastrous "Nighttime Economy" effort. Nineteen clubs and bars closed, and restaurants, 24-hour grocery stores and pharmacies proceeded to reduce nighttime hours as well.

New EV chargers to be added at Park Potomac

Four new electric vehicle (EV) chargers are expected to be added to the Park Potomac development in the coming months. The chargers will be located by the Harris Teeter grocery store. Right off an interchange with I-270, Park Potomac is a prime location along a busy interstate for EV infrastructure.

Harris Teeter to drop overnight store hours in Bethesda

Harris Teeter is the latest victim of the crash of downtown Bethesda's nighttime economy. The store at 4805 Battery Lane plans to no longer be open 24 hours a day. New store hours will be from 6:00 AM to midnight. The move leaves Safeway at 5000 Bradley Boulevard as the only 24-hour grocery store downtown.

CLICK HERE to restore sanity to
Montgomery County government - and
your property tax bill!

Late night hours have become a dark and quiet time in downtown Bethesda since the failure of Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer's disastrous "nighttime economy initiative." The fiasco resulted in the closure of 15 nightspots in Bethesda to date, the closure of the 24-hour Hamburger Hamlet, the end of overnight pharmacy counter hours at CVS Pharmacy on Arlington Road, and late night hour cutbacks at businesses like Barnes & Noble and Nando's Peri-Peri.

There just aren't enough people out at night anymore to sustain nighttime businesses. The large flow of clubgoers that once spilled out onto downtown streets around 2:00 AM have mostly decamped to the District for nightlife, cutting off vital revenue to the County's budget, which is now in the red every year. Riemer's failure was capped off by his move to strengthen and preserve the County's archaic government liquor monopoly, which is killing bars and restaurants in MoCo, and sending even more spending money into the District instead.

Harris Teeter opens in Bethesda (Photos)

Harris Teeter opened yesterday in the Flats at 8300 luxury apartments, at the corner of Battery Lane and Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda. There were many special offers for customers on the first day, and feedback from those who ventured into the store was overwhelmingly positive. Unless you arrive via walking or bicycle, your visit will likely begin with drive down into the steep garage below the building.

Reserved spaces for
military veterans near
the door are a nice touch 

No Escalades allowed
in this space

If you ordered your
groceries online, pull
into the Express Lane
for pick-up

Once inside, pick up a coffee at the in-store Starbucks.

Now it's time to start shopping!

Now it's time to check out. I'll have to test their self-checkouts, and report to you if they are better than the ones at Giant and CVS (not exactly a high bar).

Bethesda Harris Teeter sets opening date (Photos)

The new Harris Teeter, located in the Flats at 8300 luxury apartments at 8300 Wisconsin Avenue, will open on August 24, 2016. A pharmacy and Starbucks will be located inside the store, the first Harris Teeter to open in Bethesda (they do have one in North Bethesda's Pike District). Starbucks fans will like to scroll down to see the first supplies being loaded in for the in-store Starbucks.