New Westbard Square Giant tour, and the final moments of the original Westbard Giant store (Photos)

The venerable Giant grocery store at the Westwood Shopping Center closed January 25, 2024, and moved next door to its new Westbard Square location on the third floor at 5320 Zenith Overlook, opening there the next morning. Inside the new store are several new amenities for shoppers, including a pharmacy, a sushi bar, a Ledo Pizza counter, a Ben's Chili Bowl kiosk, and a Starbucks. There's also a special section of locally-produced products. Here is a photo tour of the new supermarket, as well as a look at the final moments of the original store from the evening of January 25:

Final customers on the night of
January 25, 2024

January 25

Giant trucks lined up the night of
the big move

Mobile clinic

Regency Centers would be smart to
keep and just update this sign, which
couldn't be erected under the
current sign regulations

These shelves have now been ripped out

Last look at the old store

Mummified Giant logo

Now, let's go next door to the new
Giant at Westbard Square, where
the police are already looking out for
retail thieves

You can enter the store directly from the 
3rd level of the parking garage

Signage is rather understated and small
outside the store on the 3rd level

Sushi bar

Ledo Pizza kiosk

Less square footage than the old store, but
a more-spacious produce section

Ben's Chili Bowl kiosk

Starbucks

Sodas - don't tell the County Council!

"Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful little cup"

Mega Meats: definitely not 
County Council-approved!

Banquet dinners

Hungry-Man dinners

Snack cakes

Local products

Pharmacy

Meet the pharmacy staff

It's three, three seasons in one!

"I need me gold!"

Rooftop parking

Tiny signage - is it due to
anti-business
County sign regulations?

Bethesda apartment building wants to turn office space into more apartments

The Seasons apartment tower at 4710 Bethesda Avenue is seeking to modify its decades-ago development approval to allow its second-floor office space to be converted into 18 additional residential units. This will require a Preliminary Plan amendment. I am sure the residents on the third floor are simply delighted at the prospect of this happening. 

Such a change will have to be approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board. No public hearing on the matter has been announced yet, as of this writing.

Demolition permit requested for old Westbard Giant in Bethesda

Demolition permit request notices have been posted at the former Giant grocery store at 5400 Westbard Avenue in Bethesda. The supermarket has relocated to the new Westbard Square development directly next to it at 5320 Zenith Overlook. A town square and new apartment building with ground floor retail and restaurant space will be constructed where the Giant and rest of the strip mall stand today. The former bank and Drug Fair spaces next to Giant were previously demolished to make way for the new Giant building. 

Larry Hogan announces run for U.S. Senate in Maryland

Larry Hogan, with wife Yumi,
files for U.S. Senate race at the
Maryland Board of Elections office in
Annapolis Friday

Former Maryland Larry Hogan (R) has finally come to his senses, and is running for the one office he might have a chance to win in 2024, the Maryland U.S. Senate seat of the retiring Ben Cardin (D). The question that will be answered in November: Did Hogan's decision come too late? Hogan announced his entry into the race Friday afternoon. Since leaving office in January 2023, the former governor has been exploring a potential run for U.S. President - - initially as a Republican, then as part of a bipartisan ticket under the No Labels platform.

Hogan is the strongest candidate for the U.S. Senate the Maryland GOP has been able to muster in decades. He might have even been the favorite in the race, had he segued directly from being a popular governor with bipartisan support to the Senate campaign. But Hogan's presidential ambitions have enraged both the Donald Trump-loving base of the GOP, and Democrats and independent voters who fear a No Labels ticket will end up sending Trump back to the White House in 2025. 

Once praised by Democrats for his willingness to trash Trump on the national stage, Hogan has received more jeers than cheers on social media for his No Labels adventure and U.S. Senate announcement. And Trump supporters, who still remember Hogan verbally pummeling Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox throughout the 2022 election season, were already lashing "Lockdown Larry" online within minutes of his announcement Friday.

The initial raw feelings will likely give way to a suddenly serious race for the U.S. Senate in Maryland. One big winner after Hogan's announcement: local broadcasters, who are going to enjoy an infusion of cash from the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee and GOP dark money groups. MAGA Republicans may not be enthused to vote for Hogan, but the multinational corporations behind various superPACs suddenly see a Senate seat that could be flipped from blue to red by an establishment Reagan Republican.

The biggest losers from Hogan's entry? Democratic candidate Angela Alsobrooks, as national and Maryland Democratic strategists grapple with the fact that only David Trone will be able to dominate the money race in a contest with Hogan. And Republican Robin Ficker, who was the frontrunner in the GOP primary race until yesterday afternoon. Ficker had the most money, and greatest name recognition, among the GOP candidates prior to Hogan's announcement.

Trone vs. Hogan would likely be a premier matchup this fall, with money and national surrogates pouring into the state. The advantage has to go to Trone at the moment. He not only has unlimited funds from his own pocket, but his friends include Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Trone has even hosted fundraisers with Obama and Bill Clinton -- in person -- at his home.

Another big problem for Hogan: abortion. The word you will hear the most from summer to fall in 2024: Abortion, abortion, abortion. It will be coming from your television speakers during every commercial break. The abortion issue could provide Democrats with a clean sweep of the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in November. It's been a winning issue for Democrats in blue and red states alike, since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. It's an issue Hogan will have to skillfully navigate, as in that context, few Democrats will want to help tip the Senate back to the GOP by voting for Larry Hogan.

Still, even Trone hasn't been able to buy a seat in Congress every time he's run, losing his first primary contest to Jamie Raskin. Trone doesn't have much support among Republicans, except when compared to more-progressive candidates in his party. On balance, Hogan is remembered by independent and moderate voters in both major parties as a popular governor who ran the state well for eight years. He has much more name recognition statewide than Trone. But he doesn't have the razor-thin advantage he might have had, if he had gone directly into the race from Government House in 2023.

Photo courtesy Hogan for Maryland

Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week returns February 16-25, 2024

Save the date(s) and make plans to take advantage of Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week 2024, starting Friday, February 16 and running through Sunday, February 25 in downtown Bethesda. More than 30 restaurants are participating this year, with lunch, dinner, and special treat menus priced at $10, $20 or $35 for dine in and take-out customers. See the full menus here. The following restaurants are participating, with more potentially to be added:

Alatri Bros., 4926 Cordell Avenue

Barrel and Crow, 4867 Cordell Avenue

Caddies on Cordell, 4922 Cordell Avenue

Casa Oaxaca, 4905 Fairmont Avenue

CHIKO, 7280 Woodmont Avenue

Cubano's, 4907 Cordell Avenue

Delhi Spice, 4925 Bethesda Avenue

Dog Haus Biergarten, 7904 Woodmont Avenue

Fialova, 8120 Wisconsin Avenue

Guardado’s Restaurant, 4918 Del Ray Avenue

Hanaro Kusshi, 7820 Norfolk Avenue

Jetties, 4829 Fairmont Avenue

La Catrina Lounge, 4935 Cordell Avenue

Levain Bakery, 4844 Bethesda Avenue

Lilit Café, 7921 Old Georgetown Road

Luke's Lobster, 7129 Bethesda Lane

Maman, 7140 Bethesda Lane

Moby Dick House of Kabob, 7023 Wisconsin Ave.

Mon Ami Gabi, 7239 Woodmont Avenue

Nothing Bundt Cakes, 8209 Wisconsin Avenue

Pho Viet USA, 4917 Cordell Avenue

Pizzeria da Marco, 8008 Woodmont Avenue

Planta Bethesda, 4910 Elm Street

Poke Dojo, 7110 Bethesda Lane

Purée Juice Bar, 4903 Elm Street

The Red Bandana Bakery, 8218 Wisconsin Avenue

The Salt Line, 7284 Woodmont Avenue

Seventh State Restaurant and Lounge, 7707 Woodmont Ave

Silver New American Brasserie, 7150 Woodmont Avenue

Smoke BBQ, 4858 Cordell Avenue

Spanish Diner, 7271 Woodmont Avenue

Tacombi, 4749 Bethesda Avenue

Tikka Masala Indian Cuisine, 4929 Elm Street

Tout de Sweet, 7831 Woodmont Avenue

World of Beer, 7200 Wisconsin Avenue

ZAO Stamina Ramen, 7345 Wisconsin Avenue

Spanish Diner

Tout de Sweet Bakery

Smoke BBQ

Tacombi

Photos courtesy Bethesda Urban Partnership

First look: Janus et Cie sets opening date in Bethesda (Photos)

Janus et Cie, a retailer of luxury furniture and decor for the outdoors, has set an opening date for its new showroom at 7101 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. It will open on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. Initial operating hours for the showroom will be 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Wednesday and Friday, and 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Thursdays. This will now be the company's only location in the Washington, D.C. region; it previously had a showroom in Georgetown.

Indecent exposure at Bethesda gas station

Customers at one Bethesda gas station saw more than high fuel prices early Monday evening, February 5, 2024. Montgomery County police were called after an individual exposed themselves at the Liberty gas station at 4972 Bradley Boulevard in downtown Bethesda. The incident was reported at 6:08 PM Monday.