White Flint McDonald's to add roadside sign

The new McDonald's restaurant at 11710 Rockville Pike has been hampered since its opening last May by a lack of signage easily visible to drivers traveling that busy commuter corridor. McDonald's is aware of the problem, and I've received word that they will be requesting permission from Montgomery County to install a freestanding pylon sign by the roadside. What dimensions the County will permit for that sign remains to be seen. I know that the pylon sign installed at the River Road McDonald's in Bethesda earlier this century, before the even-stricter sign rules were implemented by the County, is notably shorter than the typical Golden Arches sign seen elsewhere in the country. 

Signage installed at Coffee Republic in Bethesda

The first permanent signage has been installed on the facade of the future Coffee Republic coffee shop next to Lidl at the Bethesda Place apartments. It's a small, round sign that is drowned out visually by its surroundings. Hopefully there's additional signage on the way, given Montgomery County's draconian sign regulations that victimize and hurt so many businesses across the County, when they cannot be seen by drivers passing them on the roadways. Heckuva job, Brownie! Meanwhile, our bumbling County Council will likely be triggered to learn that we do not have a coffee democracy, but a Coffee Republic.

Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too has cleared out of its space on Level 1 at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The pop-up apparel store has completed yet another Christmas shopping season at the mall, and will very likely return once again this fall, and we'll know the holidays are imminent when it does. They had a nicer spot this time, occupying the former Tesla space, and some of Elon's custom fit-out design elements remain visible. What appears to be part of a stuffed display alpaca could be seen sticking out of a shipping box inside the empty store, but I've been assured that no alpacas were harmed in the making of this exit from the mall.

Urban Outfitters opens new concept store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Urban Outfitters has opened its long-promised new concept store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. This is only the third location in America to get this store design, after Houston and Glendale. The new store concept features more floor space dedicated to the best-selling UO brands, including BDG denim, OFU (Out from Under) and Standard Cloth. New modular and responsive fixtures and displays allow the store to more quickly and easily respond to trends and seasons. The new concept was developed after extensive research into what store design elements, layout, and aesthetics would appeal to Gen Z shoppers, the brand's current target audience.

Anthony Bourdain favorite Xi'an Famous Foods opening at Montrose Crossing

Xi’an Famous Foods will open its first restaurant in Maryland at 12031 Rockville Pike at Montrose Crossing. The 1,718 square-foot western Chinese restaurant will be located next to RASA and Five Guys Burger and Fries. Xi’an Famous Foods was founded in 2005 as a 200 square foot basement stall in the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, N.Y. It claimed to have been the first restaurant to bring the little-known cuisine of Xi’an to the United States. Over the last twenty years, it has grown into 20 locations across the Big Apple, and was a favorite of the late Anthony Bourdain.

Signature dishes at Xi'an include:

Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles: This is the dish the company says made Anthony Bourdain a fan. Thinly-sliced lamb, spiced with cumin and chili powder, mixed with chewy hand-pulled biang-biang noodles and topped with soy-vinegar noodle sauce. Like many menu items, this is an original recipe from the founder's family.

Stewed Pork Burger: A house-made crispy flatbread, stuffed with diced stewed pork belly, simmered with soy sauce and signature spices until tender.

Liang Pi "Cold-Skin Noodles”: House-made steamed wheat flour noodles are chilled, then served with bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro, and spongy cubes of seitan (wheat gluten).

Spicy & Sour Lamb Dumplings: Ground lamb wrapped in homemade dumpling dough and infused with spices for even more flavor. Served with their signature spicy and sour sauces. 

“In 2026, as a 20-year-old, still-family-owned business, supported by sales (with no investors or franchisees), we are excited to open our first company-owned Maryland location in Rockville,” Xi'an Famous Foods CEO Jason Wang said in a statement yesterday. “We hope to be open by mid-2026 to share our food based on beloved family recipes.” Accomplishing all of this without outside investors certainly raises expectations ahead of the opening here on Rockville Pike. We often see well-funded chains with big investors that end up shuttering quickly, because it was all hype generated by expensive social media campaigns, rather than word-of-mouth based on the quality and flavor of the food.

Photos by Jenny Huang

Westbard Bowlero rebranding as Lucky Strike Bethesda as Montgomery Mall location closes

OOF! The hits just keep on coming for the already-moribund Montgomery County economy this morning. Lucky Strike has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, leaving a huge vacant space behind at the popular shopping, dining, and entertainment center. In a related move, Lucky Strike parent company Bowlero announced that its Westbard Square location at 5353 Westbard Avenue in Bethesda is being rebranded as "Lucky Strike Bethesda." The future of the Westbard location is not on solid ground, though, as its lease expires in 2027, and it will be up to Bowlero and landlord Regency Centers to agree on an extension or new lease on a site that previous Westbard developer Equity One had planned to erect a mixed-use building on.

One needs a cheat sheet to keep track of the numerous brand names the venerable Westbard bowling alley has operated under in its five decades in business. Strike Bethesda! Bowlmor! Bowlero! But for longtime residents, 5353 Westbard will always be Bowl America, where thousands cheer. And where thousands ate the best hot dog in Bethesda, and real men pumped quarters into real arcade games while wearing rented shoes several years past their recommended replacement date.

Interestingly, but predictably, Lucky Strike at Montgomery Mall is our second victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy and virulently anti-business policies of the County Council this morning. Lucky Strike is not closing other locations around the country, just Bethesda. Here in MoCo, it faced the same perfect storm that has sunk many a business vessel in recent years, including government-mandated high minimum wages, the highest tax and fee burden in the region, and the requirement to buy all of its alcoholic beverages from the County government liquor sales monopoly.

With the average income of the County trending downward, as the wealthy depart and are replaced by low-income residents who are the majority of the inflow population, there was also the obstacle that fewer and fewer were left who could afford a pricey night out at an upscale bowling alley. Even one that looked like it had taken possession of the den bookshelves of George Plimpton's 541 East 72nd Street duplex. But thanks to the County cartel gaining control of the Council in 2002, a rapidly-dwindling number of Montgomery County residents in 2026 could even tell you who George Plimpton was. 

Heckuva job, Brownie!

Kiehl's closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Kiehl's has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The windows of the skincare boutique are blacked out but cardboard packing boxes could be seen inside last evening. Westfield has removed the store from the Montgomery Mall website. Kiehl's was a tenant of the mall for just over eleven years, having opened its doors in December 2014.

The boutique appears to be the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy, and the virulently anti-business policies of the County Council. Kiehl's is not closing stores elsewhere in the United States, and I've seen no reports of the company being in financial distress. In fact, Kiehl's just opened a new store in the more vibrant Washington, D.C., in a ravishing return to the elite Georgetown neighborhood. 

We're in real trouble, folks, especially when you look at the structural budget deficits of Montgomery County and Maryland. Hard to believe, but D.C.'s lower tax and fee burden is attracting many businesses and Montgomery County expats to the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, MoCo leaders continue to ensure Montgomery County has the highest overall tax and fee burden in the region. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Char'd opening at Pike & Rose

Char'd is expanding to Montgomery County with a new location planned for 11881 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose. It has a lot in common with the previous tenant of that space, BurgerFi. Char'd is a fast-casual burger chain, albeit one that is local in origin as a food truck, and orders are placed at electronic kiosks. The Char'd burgers are grass-fed halal beef, smashburger in style, and their fries are fried in duck fat. Prices are fairly nutty though, with the Original Char'd ringing in at $16.49 for the burger alone, a modest serving of fries at $8.99, and a milkshake for $10.49 (!!). 

It will be interesting to see if Char'd can thrive where BurgerFi failed. With no drive-thru, and parking at Pike & Rose being a nightmare, nobody but the shrillest New Urbanist YIMBY can say that lukewarm burgers and fries are appealing after the long struggle to get out and get home. That leaves dine-in and residents of the buildings at Pike & Rose to get the real Char'd dining experience, particularly at those high prices. And with demographic trends in the County heading steadily downward income-wise, can fast-casual at this price point draw a large enough crowd? 

Update on Sense of Thai at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

Sense of Thai - or 5ense of Thai, as stylized - is almost a year past its original target opening date of spring 2025 at Westbard Square in Bethesda. But work is progressing on the interior fit-out of the space. The interior still has a ways to go, but is beginning to take the basic shape of what you see in the artist's rendering above. Signage is in place on the storefront. Stay tuned for an opening date.

First look: Bartaco in North Bethesda (Photos)

Bartaco at 950 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda appears ready to open any day now. The taqueria chain's first Maryland location had a sign in the window last evening reading, "Closed for staff training." Only a couple of workers were visible inside, but every table was set for dining, and all furnishings, light fixtures, and equipment was in place. Here's a sneak peek of what Bartaco refers to as its "Southern California and Latin America-inspired" decor:

Beauty spa moving into vacant Wyrd Ryds space in Bethesda

The storefront at 4825 Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda has experienced heavy turnover since tenant Bethesda Scooters & Boards moved around the corner several years ago. It's been home to furniture, art and antiques shops, a Psychic Reader, and most recently, e-scooter retailer Wyrd Ryds. There has been activity at the space since the end of December. Signage posted today now indicates the new tenant is a beauty spa. This is right next to Z-Burger at Veterans Park.

Bethesda Florist moving

One of the oldest businesses still operating in downtown Bethesda is Bethesda Florist at 4934 St. Elmo Avenue. The shop will soon be moving about 4 blocks away, to a new address they plan to publicly announce"soon." Their existing storefront is among several buildings that will soon be demolished to make way for a new apartment tower. Bethesda Florist has been a family-owned-and-operated business for over 65 years. 

Update on Citibank Wisconsin Ave. branch in Bethesda (Photos)

Citibank looks closer to opening at 8101 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Signage has been installed on the building, one of two new branches of the New York City-based banking giant in Bethesda. The other recently opened in the Flats at Bethesda Avenue apartments. You can see the drive-thru lanes are completed but need ATMs and related equipment installed. The parking lot has also been resurfaced and painted.

Assault at Chevy Chase Lake

Montgomery County police were called to Chevy Chase Lake after someone reported having been assaulted there Saturday night, January 10, 2026. The assault was reported in the 8400 block of Chevy Chase Lake Terrace at 8:34 PM Saturday. It occurred along the street, which runs in front of The Lindley apartments near the Capital Crescent Trail overpass.

Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda late yesterday afternoon, January 10, 2026. The assault was reported at the mall at 5:58 PM Saturday. This is the first assault of 2026 at the mall. Twelve assaults were reported at the property in 2025, and eleven in 2024.

Assault at Westbard Giant in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at the Giant supermarket at 5320 Zenith Overlook in Bethesda on Wednesday night, January 7, 2026. That is at the Westbard Square development. The assault was reported at the grocery store at 8:50 PM Wednesday.

Tia Queta closing in Bethesda after 45 years

The recent wave of closures of some of Bethesda's longest-operating businesses continues. Tia Queta at 4839 Del Ray Avenue announced on Facebook yesterday that it will permanently close on January 31, 2026. The family-owned Mexican restaurant has been in business for 45 years. As the family also owns the property the restaurant stands on, the small lot could be valuable if assembled with the planned - but ridiculously-long-delayed - redevelopment of the Steamers site next door. The Tia Queta property was advertised as being for sale in August of 2024.