Starbucks adds Cinnamon-Shaken Waffles to menu in Bethesda

Check out what's new at Starbucks for the holiday season. Cinnamon-Shaken Waffles are starting to pop up on menus at Starbucks locations across Montgomery County in recent days. Three bite-size Belgian waffles are shaken in a Cinnamon Dolce Shake Shake Topping, and served warm and golden brown. The waffles are available all day long, not just for breakfast.

Starbucks closes at Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel (Photos)

Starbucks has permanently closed at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 1 Bethesda Metro Center. The closure ended a seven year run at the busy hotel and Metro station. Most signage has been stripped from the exterior, but a tenant sign out front has simply been taped over, and a garbage bag tossed over the Starbucks logo sign inside the hotel. A sad luggage cart was the sole witness to the devastation. Once seemingly eager to have a store on every block in America, the Seattle-based coffee giant is now in the process of shuttering hundreds of stores, and laying off 900 employees.

Hyatt Regency Bethesda Starbucks closing

The Starbucks inside the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 1 Bethesda Metro Center will permanently close "by the end of this week," according to a sign posted at the store. That sign is identical to one posted at the Aspen Hill Starbucks that is also closing this weekend. Both closures are part of the company's move to close hundreds of stores nationwide by next week. This Starbucks opened in the Hyatt in June 2018.

Inside the "new" Bethesda Starbucks (Photos)

The fully-renovated Starbucks at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda reopened for business yesterday morning. Here's a look at some of the major changes inside. Most obvious is the new seating. Not only is there the new custom couch that was ordered from California, but there is less seating than before. The other noticeable addition is the electronic Order Status screen. I haven't seen this in any other local Starbucks yet, not even at the brand new Westbard store when it opened. It tells you if your order is ready or still in progress. No more free bathrooms and no more free water for non-paying customers!

Bethesda Starbucks reopening TODAY

The reopening of the Starbucks at 7700 Norfolk Avenue has been moved up eight days. It will reopen this morning, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, according to a sign in the window. The store has been closed since January for major renovations. Today, we will see what the "exciting updates" are, besides the large custom couch that was flown in from California.

Bethesda Starbucks expected to reopen next week

The Starbucks at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda has its third target reopening date since it closed for renovations on January 12, 2025. It is Thursday, May 8, 2025, and it appears the store may actually meet the deadline this time. Everything looks ready inside, where even the cups are stacked behind the counter. The store is still hiring baristas, if you are seeking a job and always wanted to wear a Starbucks uniform.

Norfolk Avenue Starbucks renovations update (Photos)

The renovations at the Starbucks store at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda have taken longer than expected. It appears that the construction crew gained momentum in recent weeks, as the space now appears almost ready. Menu boards are in place and lit up, and the new counter extends across almost the entire room. You can now see the fancy custom couch that was ordered from California. Out front, umbrellas for outdoor seating stand at the ready, wrapped in plastic. Marks left from the old "Starbucks Coffee" sign behind the new "Starbucks" sign letters have finally been cleaned off, or painted over. Starbucks has been closed since January 12.

Wildwood Starbucks closes for renovations in Bethesda

Another Bethesda Starbucks store has temporarily closed for renovations. The Wildwood Shopping Center location at 10251 Old Georgetown Road will add "exciting updates," a sign in the window promises. No reopening date is given. 

The major remodeling of the Norfolk Avenue store in downtown Bethesda has fallen disastrously behind-schedule, and has missed several reopening dates. Hopefully this one goes more smoothly. Until then, Wildwood patrons will have to head to Joe and the Juice, which is also located a few doors down in the shopping center.

Norfolk Avenue Starbucks renovation update (Photos)

The Starbucks at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda has missed a couple of reopening dates as it continues to undergo a major renovation. New signage has now been installed above the storefront, and as suspected, Starbucks has dropped the "Coffee" portion of its brand name. Somebody will have to buff out the "Starbucks Coffee" still visible where the previous signage letters were pried off.  

Inside the store, well, there's still a ways to go. The renovation is clearly behind schedule. A large "curved custom banquette" was just delivered to the store from Amtrend, a luxury upholstery shop in Fullerton, California. A number of other shipping crates have been delivered, as well. I notice that Starbucks is currently hiring a shift supervisor and baristas for this store.

Remodeled Bethesda Starbucks scheduled to reopen March 18, 2025

When they said the Starbucks at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda was to undergo an extensive renovation, the coffee chain wasn't exaggerating. Yesterday, the construction crew pried off all of the individual letters that spelled "Starbucks Coffee" above the storefront. The store closed temporarily on January 12, 2025 for remodeling. It is currently anticipated to reopen for business on March 18.

Norfolk Avenue Starbucks to temporarily close for renovations January 12

The Starbucks at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda will temporarily close for renovations on January 12, 2025. Stop me if you've heard this one before. This is at least the third time since 2020 that this Starbucks will close for renovations. The closure announcement does not give a reopening date or timeline for the work, but promises that the renovations will bring "exciting updates" to the store.

New Starbucks parking at Hyatt Regency Bethesda

A new parking spot has been created for delivery drivers and takeout customers at the Starbucks inside the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 7400 Wisconsin Avenue. The sign that was just installed allows 5 minutes of parking for Starbucks. Of course, a five minute limit assumes that the delivery is ready to go and that the driver doesn't have to get in line with customers to receive the parcel. 

When the hotel added the Starbucks in 2018, the pandemic and ensuing delivery craze were still two years away, and not forseen by many. The chain's decision to intentionally reject its role as a comfortable "third place" where customers would linger while sipping beverages, after a 2018 bathroom-use racism scandal, only increased the customer switchover to takeout and delivery in the following years. Starbucks has recently indicated that this move was a mistake, and that it will refocus on the in-store experience in the coming months.

Norfolk Ave. Starbucks temporarily reduces hours in Bethesda

The Starbucks store at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda is temporarily reducing its hours of operation. No reason is given for the schedule change, but staffing has been an issue for Starbucks as a chain - and at this location in particular - in recent years. The new, temporary operating hours are 5:30 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

New elevator completed inside Starbucks space at Woodmont Crescent building in Bethesda

The addition of a new elevator to the Woodmont Crescent building in downtown Bethesda is now complete. An elevator lobby can now be seen next to the Starbucks on the building's ground level at 7700 Norfolk Avenue. Achtung! There are multiple signs warning Starbucks customers that this door is no longer an entrance to Starbucks, which lost part of its interior to the new elevator and walk-in-closet-sized lobby.