True Food Kitchen space being marketed as available for lease in Bethesda

Is True Food Kitchen on the way out in Bethesda? The restaurant's space at 7100 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda is now being marketed for lease, with immediate availability. True Food Kitchen opened there, in the ground floor of the Solaire Bethesda apartment tower, in June of 2017. Assuming a 10-year lease, this is a year short of the termination date. The proposed monthly rent for the 6500-square-foot space is available upon request, according to the online listing. True Food Kitchen remains open for business at this time.

Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel searching for Starbucks replacement

A for-lease listing online confirms that the closure of the Starbucks in the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 1 Bethesda Metro Center was a Starbucks corporate decision, not a Hyatt decision. That's because the listing is marketing the former Starbucks space as ideal for a coffee shop tenant. It certainly would be a score for a coffee operation to take advantage of Starbucks' expensive and high-quality interior fit-out at no cost - or minimal modification, if the brand-name is big enough. I'd like to suggest a few up-and-coming chains, but most of the fastest-growing companies are focused on drive-thru sales, which aren't possible at this location.

Norfolk Avenue retail space now available for lease in Bethesda (Photos)

7929 Norfolk Avenue was recently gutted inside, and is now available for lease. The former restaurant building is being marketed by Dochter & Alexander, a Washington, D.C. commercial real estate agency. Most recently home to several restaurant concepts by Chef Ashish Alfred, most memorably Duck Duck Goose, the building was acquired by The Greenhill Companies of Bethesda this past April. The building is in a prime spot in the Woodmont Triangle, with windows facing onto a heavily-traveled intersection.

Hardwood Artisans space for lease in Bethesda

Hardwood Artisans appears to be on the way out in the Woodmont Triangle - at least from its current showroom. Their ground-level space at 4828 St. Elmo Avenue is now listed as becoming available for lease on July 1, 2025. They've had a good 9-year run, which is tough for any business to accomplish in downtown Bethesda. Hardwood Artisans remains open for business.

This is "the best corner in Woodmont Triangle," according to Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors, which is marketing the property. It's also best remembered as the home of Johnny Rockets way back in the 1990s. One point of interest in the online listing for the space is that it retains a kitchen exhaust shaft for restaurant use. A restaurant would certainly do more to liven up that corner than retail that closes at night.

Nail Supply Bethesda space back on market for lease

Nail Supply Bethesda's prominent corner space at 7891 Old Georgetown Road is now available for lease, according to signage posted in the window. The nail and beauty supply shop moved in this past spring. Perhaps the limited hours of the store - 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays only, according to the posted schedule - cut out potential customers who are at work during that time. The building is at one of the busiest intersections in downtown Bethesda, making it a prime spot for the right tenant.

Former Pitango space now available for lease in Bethesda

The corner space recently vacated by Pitango Gelato at 4901-A Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda is now available for lease. Signage has been posted by property owner Greenhill Companies. Pitango was the second tenant since the former Blackfinn bar space was subdivided into smaller storefronts, following Tapabar. It remains a high-visibility, high-traffic location in the Woodmont Triangle for the right dining or retail concept.

Woodmont Crescent shifts marketing strategy for vacant storefronts in Bethesda

The ownership of the Woodmont Crescent building has turned to Bethesda-based H&R Retail to market its empty storefronts at 7766 and 7770 Norfolk Avenue for lease. New signage from the commercial real estate firm has been posted in the windows of the ground floor spaces. Previous signage from a different leasing firm had shown renderings of a possible restaurant use. The building lost longtime tenants The Blue House and Random Harvest in recent years, as well as the offices of MoCo360, which relocated to North Bethesda. Major renovations and improvements have been undertaken at the property in the time since, including the installation of an elevator. More remodeling is ahead inside Starbucks, which is the anchor tenant of the building.

Aden Pizzeria space for lease in Bethesda

The space that is currently home to Aden Pizzeria in downtown Bethesda is being marketed for lease. 7812 Old Georgetown Road is available "now," according to an online listing. The listing also states, "sublease space available from current tenant." Aden Pizzeria, now in its tenth year of operation, remains open for business at this time. 

Plans to construct Bethesda's tallest building appear to be on hold

A proposal to build a 315'-tall apartment tower at 7820 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda appears to have hit another snag. One of several properties assembled for the mixed-use project recently went back on the market, seeking a "long-term" tenant. A new online listing reveals what "long-term" means in this case. The vacant EagleBank building at 7815 Woodmont Avenue is now available for a 10-year lease term, at a negotiable rate.

Bethesda-based AMR Commercial, LLC is suggesting several possible uses for the 3 units within the former bank headquarters, such as a bank, restaurant, medical or veterinary clinic, retail store or brewery. The building has a drive-thru, which provides a ready-to-go amenity for a bank, drugstore or fast food restaurant. All 3 of the spaces can potentially be leased separately, combined in any way, or fully-filled by one large tenant.

Unless plans change again, this would mean that we won't see any redevelopment of this site for at least a decade, or it will be a smaller-scale project that excludes the bank building. If so, that would be good news for nearby residents, and for customers of the busy 7-Eleven. The high-rise plan was controversial, as a late change drastically reduced the public green space that was originally proposed, Montgomery County failed to realize the planned expansion of Veterans Park onto the site, and the undesirable functions of the building were located to face residents of the Fairmont Plaza condos rather than toward the commercial and office buildings in the opposite direction.

4909 Auburn Avenue retail spaces hit the market in Bethesda

Leasing of three retail/restaurant spaces in the ground floor of the future 4909 Auburn Avenue apartments has begun. Two of the spaces face Auburn, and the third fronts onto Norfolk Avenue. Two have venting to accommodate restaurant use. Delivery of the shells of the three spaces is anticipated for spring 2024. KLNB is the broker with the listing.

Retail space at Cheval Bethesda branded as "The Corner at Cheval"

Ongoing efforts to lease the ground floor retail space at the Cheval Bethesda condo tower at 4960 Fairmont Avenue have resulted in a new marketing strategy. CBRE is now promoting the space as "The Corner at Cheval." Despite the prime corner location at Old Georgetown Road, it has remained vacant for several years after the completion of the building.

A bank was once rumored to be the tenant for the spot, but it never materialized, if it was even true (and the silver lining is that many people would prefer retail or restaurant use to yet another bank branch). The rest of the ground floor commercial space houses the Triangle Art Studios, which hosts local artists, and famously exhibited the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Sphinx in 2019.

The challenge of filling retail spaces in today's Montgomery County and pandemic environment has vexed Cheval developer Duball, LLC in Rockville, as well. It is currently seeking permission from the City of Rockville to convert all of the approved retail space at its new Ansel development in Rockville Town Center into additional residential lofts. Duball did have great success in attracting desirable tenants to its sister Rockville Town Center development, including World of Beer and Panera Bread.

Subway at 7201 Wisconsin available for lease April 2021

$5 Footlongs may be no longer next year at the Subway at 7201 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. An online listing is offering the space for lease as of April 2021. The vacant Modell's space is also immediately available on the ground floor of the same building.

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant space now for lease in Bethesda

The closure of Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant at 4865 Cordell Avenue is now official. You may remember the restaurant was cleared out last week, but the ownership had not publicly commented on the future of the business. Yesterday, a For Lease sign was placed in the front window, and the search for a new tenant is underway.

Yuzu Japanese Dining space marketed for lease again

The space currently home to Yuzu Japanese Dining at 7345 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda is back on the market for lease again. It was also listed online for lease last year. This time, the listing claims the space will be available for another tenant to move in by July. In 2019, the rate was $45 per square foot; rent amount is now available upon request in 2020. Yuzu remains in operation, and is open for business.

Yuzu space in Bethesda being marketed for lease

The space currently home to Japanese restaurant Yuzu at 7345 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda is being marketed for lease. According to an online listing, the 3175 SF restaurant space is available for $45 per square foot, but that rate is negotiable. Yuzu remains in business at this location.

Fuse Taco space for lease in Bethesda

Looking for a prime restaurant space in downtown Bethesda? The recently-vacated Fuse Taco space at 4903 Cordell Avenue is now officially for lease. Smashburger, Bold Bite and Fuse Taco all failed at this location, but tenants Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins and Tommy Joe's continue to survive in this fairly new building with excellent window views of the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood. Best not to have a concept that competes with the longtime California Tortilla, which remains very popular right across Norfolk Avenue.

South Street Steaks building now available for lease

Things were looking up for the return of South Street Steaks on Cordell Avenue in recent weeks. After structural repairs were completed on the building that was hit by a car last summer, the cheesesteak restaurant's awning was reattached to the facade. Still, all was silent on the South Street Steaks social media pages. Yesterday, for lease signs appeared on the front and side of the restaurant, suggesting that South Street has decided not to reopen at this location.

Faryab restaurant available for lease

The building currently occupied by Faryab, a popular and well-reviewed Afghan restaurant in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, has been put on the market for lease. Faryab is still fully open for business at last check, and there is no public indication that it is closing yet.

But an online listing is at least testing the market for potential alternative tenants. The storefront is located in a prime spot at 4917 Cordell Avenue.

Gallery Bethesda II looking for a few good retail/restaurant tenants

Now that the glass and doors are installed in the ground floor of the Gallery Bethesda II apartment tower at 4850 Rugby Avenue, developer Donohoe has installed window screen ads touting the spaces for lease. The developer has previously said it is seeking dining and retail tenants who will be a draw for foot traffic, compared to the original Gallery Bethesda, which has resident-oriented retail in its ground floor.

Having shopping or dining that is a draw will be essential to the success of the overall project, as the plaza both towers share is currently underused and undertrafficked. One thing that has proven true downtown is that out-of-the-way spaces can be a success with a big name restaurateur. Star chefs like Peter Chang and Mike Isabella have been able to generate foot traffic, despite moving into spaces that either had already failed or were shaping up to fail.

4500 East-West Highway is a great location for office tenants close to Metro, but was not going to work for a no-name restaurant. Chang was recruited by developer Carr Properties, and disaster was averted. The Solaire Bethesda is a bit of a jog from Bethesda Row on loud and busy Wisconsin Avenue. Washington Property Company recruited True Food Kitchen, which opened to rave reviews from ordinarily Bethesda-hostile dining critics.

The same approach - a celebrity chef (Spike Mendelsohn or David Chang, for example), or a trendy chain not yet in Montgomery County (i.e. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, or Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken) - could activate the plaza here into the public space originally envisioned. Already overdone in MoCo: burgers, salads, and lobster rolls, Which cuisines are still criminally-underrepresented in MoCo? We desperately need a German restaurant, and some additional Russian/Eastern European options around here.

What's next for the Bold Bite space in Bethesda?

There's still no official word on what restaurant will replace the recently-closed Bold Bite at 4903 Cordell Avenue. A source told me a Popeyes fast food restaurant would be the new tenant. Popeyes' media relations department has so far declined to comment on that rumor.

However, there is now a For Lease sign in the window of the space. If Popeyes has leased it, why is it being advertised as available? The plot thickens.