Restarting the Shake Shack Watch in Bethesda (Photos) #DC

I'm restarting my Shake Shack Watch in downtown Bethesda. Or maybe just doubling down on it with a second property in play. Douglas Development, which has secured a Shake Shack in the past at a property in the District, now has a restaurant space at 4731-A Elm Street available for lease.

This property is adjacent to Federal Realty's popular Bethesda Row development, and gets foot traffic from people walking to and from the Regal Bethesda 10 Theaters on nights and weekends. Neighbors Potbelly and The Barking Dog have been stable and successful for years.

4731 also has 6,592 SF of space, double the size of most Shake Shack locations. It just seems long overdue, and inevitable that Shake Shack would open a location in downtown Bethesda. What's taking so long for them to expand here is mystifying. The long wait continues...

ART DECO POP-UP SHOP CLOSES ON NORFOLK AVENUE (PHOTOS)

As Time Goes Buy, an interesting pop-up shop at 7920 Norfolk Avenue, has vacated the premises as expected after the end of holiday shopping season. The Dare to Deco collection included art pieces, furnishings and replicas of the Art Deco period. Now we can officially start prognosticating again about Douglas Development luring Shake Shack to this vacant spot.

START THE BETHESDA SHAKE SHACK RUMORS

BURGER EMPIRE'S

DC LANDLORD

TAKES COMMAND OF

RELIC NIGHTCLUB

BUILDING

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

DC powerhouse firm Douglas Development has taken charge of the 4936 Fairmont Avenue building that housed the now-defunct Relic Lounge.   The company, founded by Douglas Jemal in 1985, not only is an award-winning developer, but also landlord to many prime restaurants and retailers like LivingSocial, Carmine's and... Shake Shack.

Douglas is now leasing the building's units for office and retail space.  But with Relic having been configured as a food service operation, and Shake Shack's rapid expansion to 3 DC locations in 12 months, the scenario is bound to fuel rumors.  If any company has the inside track, and established relationship, to score the next DC area Shake Shack, it's Douglas.  So Bethesda has to move up on the list of potential locations on those merits alone.

Shake Shack will not reveal specific plans, but does not deny the company is actively expanding.

That block of Fairmont Avenue is currently underappreciated.  But JBG is about to redevelop half of it into a 17-story residential building, and The Monty is currently under construction on the Relic building's side of the street.  Now add a major player like Douglas, and the game has changed on this almost-forgotten block.

So the atmosphere on Fairmont - and level of pedestrian traffic - is bound to change over the next two years.  This could make 4936 Fairmont a prime target for Shake Shack, which undoubtedly would like to tap into the deep pockets of Bethesda diners.

Have we maxed out on burger restaurants?  Burger aficionados wouldn't say so!  With spaces opening at Bethesda Row, there will be a lot of speculation about the most-wanted restaurants and retail in the near future.

The only certainty is that, with Douglas Development in charge, 4936 Fairmont is likely to end up with at least one prominent tenant.