Warby Parker holding grand opening event Saturday at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Warby Parker will celebrate its arrival at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this week with a special grand opening event this Saturday, October 18, 2025. The eyewear boutique will be open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Saturday. This is Warby Parker's second Bethesda location; the first is located at Bethesda Row. Look for Warby Parker on Level 1 of the mall, across from Vineyard Vines in the Nordstrom wing.

Immersa Edutainment VR game experience opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Immersa Edutainment has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The virtual reality game hub has been set up on Level 1 of mall, near the LEGO Store and Build-A-Bear in the former Sears wing. VR machines available to play include the TRON light cycle-esque 360 Moto VR ($11.99-$15.99 for 7 minutes), Car Simulator VR ($11.99-$15.99 for 8 minutes), and the UFO Experience space exploration adventure game ($11.99-$15.99 for 6 minutes). The UFO game has 5 seats for a multi-player experience.

Immersa is operating on a soft opening basis right now. The full experience will begin on October 31, 2025 for the holiday season. Immersa is combining gameplay with STEM learning, and will be offering educational workshops in the future.

Warby Parker opening next week at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Warby Parker is aiming to open this coming Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, according to Google. The eyewear boutique looks just about ready inside, except for the empty shelves still awaiting glasses. This is Warby Parker's second Bethesda location. A Bethesda Row store has been in business since May 2017. Here's a sneak peek inside the Montgomery Mall store:

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings holding soft opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The restaurant is currently operating under special soft opening hours. It is open 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM seven days a week. Look for Nan Xiang right by the main outdoor entrance to the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2 of the mall.

Coach reopening Friday at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The Coach store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda is expected to reopen tomorrow, October 10, 2025. That's very appropriate, as Friday is also National Handbag Day, for those who celebrate. Many handbags from Coach's fall collection will be in stock, as will large Kisslock bags. The store had to close briefly this week to complete renovations on the space. 

Mavi opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Jeans have been a hot fashion topic in recent months, and another retailer plans to get in on the denim trend at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Mavi, a Turkish denim label founded in 1991, will open a new boutique on Level 1 of the mall, across from Lily Pulitzer in the Nordstrom wing. Celebrities who wear Mavi include Lady Gaga, Liam Hemsworth, Colin Farrell, Katherine Heigl, Jessica Alba, and Kate Hudson.

Kate Hudson

"I like comfortable clothes such as my Mavi Jeans, Belstaff jacket and Armani button-down shirt," billionaire Sir Richard Branson told Mavi.  "They are comfortable enough for flights and nice enough for meetings." Apparently they also work for spaceflight, as Branson sported a pair of Mavi jeans when he flew aboard his VSS Unity spacecraft in July 2021.

Sir Richard Branson

Considered a premium denim brand, the company's "Perfect Fit philosophy" leads to jean styles that fit a variety of lifestyles and body types. You can rightfully feign amazement and surprise that the firm is also committed to sustainability, blah, blah, blah. Mavi offers some lines of jeans that are made from hemp or plastic water bottles. And its overall "green" efforts have been praised, endorsed, highly-ranked, and/or certified by a variety of environmental organizations.

Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda for its annual extended seasonal run. There's a chill in the air these nights, and this store's arrival every year reminds us that Black Friday and the holidays are just around the corner. That's the store's prime time, along with the frostier early months of the year - and believe it or not, we're less than two months from the start of the Christmas season at 12:00 AM on November 1. Look for Sheepskin Gifts and Alpaca Too on Level 1 of the mall, in the former Tesla space.

Shiki Bistro "coming soon" to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Shiki Bistro is "coming soon" to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It will be located on Level 3 of the mall, across from the AMC Theatres Montgomery 16 cineplex. Shiki Bistro describes itself as "An Exquisite Culinary Symphony of Japan and Thailand. Shiki is not just a restaurant—it’s a celebration of two of Asia’s most beloved cuisines. We seamlessly blend the refined artistry of Japanese culinary traditions with the vibrant, spice-forward soul of Thai cooking, creating a dining experience that is both familiar and thrillingly unexpected."

The restaurant will offer an optional omakase experience for the adventurous diner, where the chef serves a tasting menu of his or her choice.  It will also host a happy hour and "Late Night Bites," with discounted signature sushi rolls and cocktails. Shiki Bistro will open this winter.

Montgomery Mall to celebrate the arrival of fall with Fall Fest September 20

Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda is welcoming the fall equinox with a Fall Fest celebration on September 20, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The event will feature a "vibrant" artisan market, craft activities, and dance. There will be dance performances, and attendees can participate in interactive salsa lessons. Over 30 local arts and crafts vendors will be spotlighted in the artisan market. Many mall businesses will offer fall season specials and experiences during the Fall Fest hours. The event is free, and you can RSVP online.

Gorjana, PacSun, HEYTEA could be in your future at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A sharp-eyed reader noticed some new additions to the tenant roster at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, and snapped a few screenshots (see below) before they were taken down. These "coming soon" listings touted the ultra-popular Chinese beverage cafe HEYTEA, and a return by California-inspired surf and skate-wear retailer PacSun. I also see remnants of those listings in Google search, but the links just take you to the main mall directory now. But the reader said mall management confirmed HEYTEA and PacSun - as well as another California-inspired retailer, jewelry boutique Gorjana - perhaps in time for the holiday shopping season, although there are no official announcements or target opening dates at this time.

Jim Coleman Cadillac displays Escalade EV at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Jim Coleman Cadillac of Bethesda has given a glimpse of the future of the Cadillac Escalade SUV at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The 2026 Escalade IQ Sport is an electric version of the highly-popular truck. It's a big truck, with a big price: $140,430, as outfitted here. Jim Coleman Cadillac is located right across from the mall at 10400-A Auto Park Avenue.

Lululemon soft-opening today at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Lululemon has set the opening date for its new space inside Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Its current space has now closed to facilitate the move to their new storefront, which is in the mall center court on Level 1, between Psycho Bunny and Sleep Number. The new store - which was still walled off as of last evening - will hold a soft opening today, September 4, 2025. A grand opening will be held this Saturday, September 6.

Unique Jewelry & Artifacts opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Unique Jewelry & Artifacts is now open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It is located on Level 2 of the mall, right outside of Nordstrom. The space is best known as the former location of Wentworth Gallery. Strangely, Unique Jewelry & Artifacts does not appear on the mall's online directory of stores, and does not have a website or social media account that I can find.

Foot Locker construction begins at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The interior fit-out of Foot Locker's new space is underway at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Now the location of the new space is clear, as "coming soon" signage has been placed across the future storefront. The new store will open this fall, just in time for the big holiday shopping season, and will include a Kids Foot Locker. Foot Locker can currently be found two doors to the left, in its temporary location between AT&T and Macy's Home.

Below Zero opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Below Zero is now open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The cold therapy skincare boutique missed its expected spring opening date, but is now here in time for fall and the holiday shopping season. Its products are targeted at those who want to look younger and extend their lives, which is just about everybody, right? The interior fit-out of the boutique is quite nice, with upscale marble finishes.

"Many animal species live longer at lower temperatures than at higher temperatures," Below Zero notes. "Researchers found that the sense of cold activates a genetic program that enhances lifespan. The research shows that enzymes and hormonal frameworks have a role in reactions to low temperatures, which affects aging and lifespan." Look for Below Zero on Level 2 of the mall, between California Pizza Kitchen and Avalon Nails-Hair-Lashes, right outside of Nordstrom.

Kami Ramen Bar coming soon to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Kami Ramen Bar is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It will be opening its latest location in the mall's Dining Terrace food court, right next to Cinnabon. This will be at least the second try for a ramen bar inside the food court, with Ejji Ramen lasting just over a year. The description of Kami Ramen Bar provided by Westfield matches that of a small chain that currently operates four locations in Tennessee. Those spots get high marks from locals in the Volunteer State. Kami Ramen Bar says it offers a "true taste of Japan. We are crazy about making ramen noodles!"

Maman Joon Kitchen to open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Maman Joon Kitchen is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The authentic Persian kabob restaurant will be located in the space most recently home to Brio's Chicken, but best known as the longer-term home of Tara Thai. That is on Level 2 next to the entrance from the parking deck. Maman Joon has six existing locations, and this will be its second in Montgomery County.

Most of the spices employed in the dishes at Maman Joon are imported from Iran, the local chain says. The dishes are based on family recipes handed down through generations. They also offer catering services. As for the name of the restaurant, Maman means “mom” and Joon means “soul, spirit of life.”