Sunset on Midsummer opening this spring in Bethesda

Sunset on Midsummer is coming to the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda this spring. A true local, small business startup by founder Lindsey Wolf, the boutique will carry chic apparel, accessories, and gifts aimed toward tweens, teens, and young adults. Sunset on Midsummer will offer on-site embroidery and heat-press personalization, in a 1,759 square-foot space located between Fish Taco and Irresistibles. Wolf, whose father grew up near the Wildwood Shopping Center, is currently aiming for a Saturday, April 18, 2026 opening.

“Wildwood is the perfect location for Sunset on Midsummer,” Wolf said in a statement yesterday. “As a Montgomery County native with personal ties to the area, Wildwood naturally attracts the brand’s core audience and supports experiential retail concepts that encourage connection.” “Wildwood is pleased to welcome Lindsey and Sunset on Midsummer, a new local business to the Bethesda community,” Federal Realty Vice-President Vanessa Mendoza said in announcing the lease Friday. “Small businesses have always been at the heart of Wildwood, and we’re excited to see Sunset on Midsummer thrive at this popular shopping destination.” Federal Realty owns the Wildwood Shopping Center, and has indeed made room for small businesses to grow there over the years.

Sunset on Midsummer sounds like a concept that could enjoy such growth. Hiring of staff will begin soon, and a website for the boutique is online. You can sign up online now to get on The Sunset List ahead of the grand opening.

King Arthur Baking Company opening today in Bethesda

King Arthur Baking Company is opening a pop-up store today, August 2, 2025, at 10207 Old Georgetown Road at the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda. It will be open there through the holidays this year, so it will be ready for your summer and fall baking, as well as your gift-buying needs during the holiday shopping season. The store's inventory includes ingredients, mixes, tools, accessories, and kitchen appliances. Their operating hours will be 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, seven days a week. King Arthur Baking Company has been in business since 1790!

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.

Small Door Veterinary opens in Bethesda

Small Door Veterinary, a "tech-enabled" veterinary practice, has opened at 10253 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, at the Wildwood Shopping Center. This is Small Door's first clinic in Maryland, and the company says it will be the first of several to open in the future at other Federal Realty-owned properties. Leading the practice here will be Dr. Heidi Heller, and Senior Veterinarian Dr. Penny Coder. 

A Small Door membership costs $169 per pet, per year. That fee gives your pet one free exam, same or next-day appointments, 24/7 telemedicine, and state-of-the-art medical facilities equipped with the latest technology. “When our pets are healthy, comfortable and fit, they keep us healthy, active and fit too,” Dr. Heller said in a statement. “As a native of the DMV area, it’s personally gratifying to be helping foster a healthier community here in Bethesda.”

For more information, or to join or make an appointment, visit Small Door's website.

Smashing Pumpkins fan accused of pickpocketing at Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda

A Smashing Pumpkins fan is allegedly one half of a duo accused of snatching wallets at two businesses at the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda on Thursday, September 21, 2023. Montgomery County police have released photos of the two suspects, and are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating them. They are accused of stealing wallets from victims at Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria and Fish Taco that day.

Suspect #1 is described by police as a White female, wearing sunglasses, a purple Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt, a black zip-up sweatshirt, white and red Nike sneakers, and carrying a black purse. She was also seen wearing a bright blue shirt with the word ‘NASA’ written across the front, a black hoodie, white and red Nike sneakers, and again carrying a black purse.  

Suspect #2 is described as a Black male, wearing a black baseball hat, sunglasses, a grey tracksuit, with a white t-shirt underneath (that reads, "JUST DID IT"), and black Nike sneakers. He was also seen wearing an Eagles baseball hat, sunglasses, a white t-shirt, black pants, and black shoes. The reason both are seen wearing different clothing is that they allegedly attempted to later use credit cards found in the wallets. 

Anyone with information regarding these suspects or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Small Door Veterinary opening clinic in Bethesda

Small Door Veterinary is opening a clinic in Bethesda. It will be at 10253 Old Georgetown Road, in the Wildwood Shopping Center. Small Door Veterinary touts convenient appointments and access to doctors, a stress-free physical environment in its facilities, transparency in fees, and ease of management of your pet's medical records. It is a Certified B corporation and a Public Benefit Corporation.

Rakugaki now open Mondays in Bethesda

Rakugaki announced this morning that it will now be open on Mondays. Hours will be the same as other days of the week, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM for lunch, and 4:30 - 9:00 PM for dinner. Rakugaki is located at 10233 Old Georgetown Road in the Wildwood Shopping Center. The Japanese restaurant opened earlier this spring, and is a sister restaurant to Raku at Bethesda Row.

Rakugaki to hold soft opening Saturday in Bethesda

Rakugaki will hold a soft opening tomorrow, Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 10223 Old Georgetown Road, in the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda. A sister restaurant to the long-popular and highly-rated Raku at Bethesda Row, Rakugaki will feature your favorite Japanese dishes from Raku, and some exclusive to this location. The soft opening menu will be limited, however. Unlike Bethesda Row, there is plenty of free, surface parking here.

Wildwood shops to shuffle locations in Bethesda

Three shops are relocating this month at the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda. Red Orchard is moving into the former Sassanova space next to Piccoli Piati at 10259 Old Georgetown Road. Sequel is moving into the Hadlee space. Hadlee has a sign saying it will reopen this month, but doesn't yet say which storefront it will be in, unless it is simply going to share space with Sequel in its existing spot.

Signage installed at Rakugaki in Bethesda (Photos)

The permanent sign has been installed at Rakugaki, the new Japanese restaurant opening at 10223 Old Georgetown Road at the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda. In fact, it's already lit. 

If the name sounds familiar, this is a new spinoff of the phenomenally-successful Raku at Bethesda Row. Owner Marcel The promises all of your Raku favorites, plus some new dishes exclusive to this location. After the misfire of Buredo, this looks like a sure winner for Wildwood.

Wear it Well moving from Bethesda Row to Wildwood Shopping Center

Wear it Well is leaving Bethesda Row. The women's apparel boutique at 4816 Bethesda Avenue will merge into sister stores Hadlee and Sequel at the Wildwood Shopping Center at 10303 Old Georgetown Road in North Bethesda. Both properties are owned by Federal Realty. A 20%-off moving sale is currently underway at Wear it Well.

Wildwood CVS Pharmacy burglarized in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to the Wildwood Shopping Center after a break-in was reported there early yesterday morning. Officers found signs of forced entry at the CVS Pharmacy at 10233 Old Georgetown Road. The burglary was reported at 2:39 AM, according to crime data.

Rakugaki to open at Wildwood Shopping Center

Fans of Raku at Bethesda Row who live north of town will be delighted to know their favorite sushi will soon be closer to home. Raku owner Marcel The plans to open Rakugaki at 10223 Old Georgetown Road in the Wildwood Shopping Center this fall. “We love the Bethesda community which we have served for the past 25 years," The said in a statement. "We feel that Wildwood is the perfect choice for our newest restaurant where we will feature favorite menu items as well as introduce new offerings.”  

“We are thrilled to welcome the Raku team to Wildwood and expect Rakugaki to share the same success as its sister location at Bethesda Row,” Federal Realty's Ralph Ours said. The operates two other restaurants in his local mini empire: Raku at Cathedral Heights in the District, and Rakuya at Dupont Circle.

Logo courtesy Rakugaki

Provisions opens at Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda

Provisions, a culinary gift shop, has opened at 10231 Old Georgetown Road in the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda. The 750 square foot store is the newest venture from the owners of Red Orchard at Wildwood. With the holidays approaching, this could be a gift-buying stop for the culinary genius on your list.

Photos courtesy Wildwood Shopping Center

J. McLaughlin expanding to Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda

J. McLaughlin is a familiar boutique to shoppers at Bethesda Row. Now residents closer to the Wildwood Shopping Center won't have to drive as far to get there. J. McLaughlin has announced it will open a new location at Wildwood between Bethesda Bagels and [solidcore] for the holiday season. 

The Brooklyn-based retailer sells apparel for both men and women, but the Wildwood location is expected to feature an expanded women's inventory. “The Washington, D.C. metro community has been very supportive of J.McLaughlin,” company co-founder and Creative Director Kevin McLaughlin said Wednesday. “We are thrilled to open another location in Bethesda, in Wildwood Shopping Center, and expand the J.McLaughlin family even more.”  

Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream sets opening date at Wildwood Shopping Center

Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream is almost ready to open its newest Bethesda location, at 10219 Old Georgetown Road, in the Wildwood Shopping Center. Now they have an opening date set for Friday, October 9, 2020. You can visit in-person with their covid-19 protocols of masks, gloves, sneeze guards and social distancing capacity limits. Or you can order online with either contactless pickup at the Wildwood Shopping Center (next to Le Pain Quotidien), or have it delivered right to your door, if you are within delivery range.

See their menu here.

Grand opening weekend, October 9-11, will feature several promotions. Every online order of $25 or more will earn you a free 12-flavor sampler box. All orders, in-store and online, will receive a "Buy 1 scoop, get 1 free" coupon that can be used at a later date. And 20 Instagram contest winners (tag @SarahsHandmadeIceCream and use hashtag #SarahsHandmade) will receive free scoops and/or 12-flavor sampler box.

Sarah's Wildwood location is 1100 square feet in size, and will be open 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM Fridays and Saturdays, and 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Sundays – Thursdays. If you can't wait until October 9, Sarah's existing store is open at 5241 River Road, in the Kenwood Station/Whole Foods shopping center.

Piccoli Piatti, Gregorio's Trattoria target opening dates in Bethesda

Wildwood Shopping Center

Piccoli Piatti at Wildwood Shopping Center and Gregorio's Trattoria at The Shops at Sumner Place in Bethesda have both been in the works for around a year. Both have now applied for liquor licenses from Montgomery County. Piccoli Piatti, which will feature a menu of pizza and light Italian dishes, now estimates a September opening. The equally-Italian Gregorio's is now aiming for an October opening, and will be open 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM seven days a week.

The Shops at Sumner Place

Fish Taco at Wildwood Shopping Center temporarily closed after kitchen fire

Fish Taco at 10305 Old Georgetown Road will be temporarily closed after a fire damaged the restaurant's kitchen. The restaurant is in the Wildwood Shopping Center. Customers are being referred to the Fish Taco's locations at Bethesda Row, Cabin John and Tysons.

Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream to open 2nd Bethesda location at Wildwood Shopping Center

Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream & Treats is expanding in Bethesda. The local business will open a second store at the Wildwood Shopping Center late this summer. Sarah's began with its existing store in the Kenwood Station shopping center on River Road, replacing Wow Cow. The Wildwood store will be located between what are now Le Pain Quotidien and Wildwood Family Cleaners.

Bethesda mother-daughter partners Sarah and Annie Park founded the business after Sarah retired in 2018. Her ice-cream-making hobby turned into a store when the Wow Cow space opened up, quickly filling the vacuum for frozen treats in the area around the Whole Foods-anchored shopping center.

Indigo Octopus opening at Wildwood Shopping Center

A fashion brand familiar to vacationers on the Eastern Shore is coming to this side of the Chesapeake in 2020. Indigo Octopus, a Fenwick Island boutique with a DC pop-up shop that recently ended its run, will open a Bethesda location at the Wildwood Shopping Center. The boutique carries women's apparel, jewelry, and accessories.