Noodles & Company closes both Bethesda restaurants (Photos)

Noodles & Company may not know how to turn its struggling brand around, but they sure do know how to make an exit. Their Bethesda restaurants on Elm Street, and at Westfield Montgomery Mall, have both abruptly closed. They quickly stripped both locations of all signage and sign that they had ever been a Noodles & Company, as if it would reduce the embarrassment of what transpired somehow. Noodles & Company puts more energy into closing than the Montgomery County Council has in 20 years!

Sign quickly removed from
the Elm Street restaurant
downtown, unlike
100 Montaditos, where the
sign remains even after a new
tenant leased the space!

Interior of Elm Street location

Westfield Montgomery Mall
location

They want you to know the
Congressional Plaza location
is still open

Pretty spartan dining room

Perhaps noodles aren't working
in the age of
"carbohydrates are evil"

Wouldn't Coastal Flats or
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
have been a better choice here?

They yanked the sign off
immediately here, too

SNEAK PEEK: NOODLES & COMPANY IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Wow, work has really sped up at the future Noodles & Company on Elm Street in downtown Bethesda since my last update. Even the dinnerware has arrived at the global pasta restaurant, which will be opening soon in the former Ri-Ra space in the Shoppes of Bethesda.

NOODLES & COMPANY INSTALLS SIGN AT FUTURE BETHESDA LOCATION (PHOTOS)

The permanent sign is up at the future Elm Street location of Noodles & Company, in the Shoppes of Bethesda. Construction continues on the interior of the former Ri-Ra space, with the restaurant expected to open this fall. The pasta-oriented menu features dishes from around the world, ranging from Wisconsin Mac and Cheese to Italian favorites to Japanese udon pan noodles. Sandwiches and soups round out the menu.

NOODLES AND COMPANY BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

The future Noodles & Company restaurant under construction in the Shoppes of Bethesda on Elm Street is still in the early stages. This space is being reconfigured from an Irish pub (Ri-Ra) into two separate stores - one for Noodles & Company, and one for SoulCycle. So it has been a little more complicated than the typical construction for a new tenant.

SOULCYCLE/NOODLES & COMPANY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

There's a lot of work going on inside the former RiRa space on Elm Street, but the conversion of the Irish Pub into a spin fitness center and noodle restaurant is busting out through the exterior. SoulCycle and chain restaurant Noodles & Company are going to share the space. A separate, shopping center-wide renovation is also underway at the same time at the Shoppes of Bethesda.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT FORMER RI-RA SPACE FOR SOUL CYCLE, NOODLES & COMPANY (PHOTOS)

The disappointment that the sizable Ri-Ra space in the Shoppes of Bethesda didn't draw a major restaurant or nightclub tenant still stings. But the two future tenants, who have divided the vacant Irish pub in two, are laying the groundwork to move in.

Spinning gym Soul Cycle and fast-casual chain Noodles & Company are the tenants, but general contractor Urban Built is the first on the scene to make it happen. They started work on the Elm Street space Monday.