Cheesy Pizzi for sale in Bethesda

Your dream of owning your own pizza parlor can now come true. Cheesy Pizzi at 8021 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda is being offered for sale. The asking price for the business, which includes equipment but not inventory, is $80,000 according to the online sale listing. Cheesy Pizzi remains open for business.

Bethesda Row Nike store burglary suspect arrested

The Nike store at 7117 Arlington Road at Bethesda Row has been repeatedly victimized by thieves and robbers during operating hours since it opened last May. One suspect allegedly took a more-subtle approach to acquiring expensive Nike gear by breaking into the store oyutside of business hours. It did not pay off. 

At 6:17 AM on March 5, 2024, a burglar forced entry into the store. Montgomery County police have had a stepped-up presence around Bethesda Row in recent months, and arrested a suspect at the scene.

Jonathan Winfield, 34, of Laurel has been charged with 2nd-degree burglary, misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor malicious destruction of property. A preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for March 29.

Corner Slice closes in Bethesda

The Corner Slice has permanently closed at 7901 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda. It had been dark for a couple of weeks, but sporadic closures have been as much a part of the pizzeria's M.O. as New York-style pizza by-the-slice in recent times. A reader bumped into an employee who informed him that The Corner Slice was no more. The closure was confirmed last night when an Out-of-Business sign was posted on the restaurant's door. It's a sad day for pizza lovers in Bethesda, even as they celebrate the arrival of highly-rated competitors like Andy's Pizza and AP Pizza Shop.

Mussel Bar returning to Bethesda in new location

Mussel Bar & Grille is making good on its promise to return in downtown Bethesda, even if it took a couple of years longer than expected. Local chef-owner Robert Wiedmaier vowed to reopen the Belgian restaurant at a new location "in the near future," when its Bethesda Row outpost shuttered in April 2022. He's found the spot at 4903 Cordell Avenue, below Tommy Joe's, and next to Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins.

The new location is one that has suffered from frequent turnover, from maiden voyager Smashburger to the recent échec of Paris in Town. Wiedmaier's name recognition in the D.C. area could be just the thing needed to lure diners here. Mussel Bar's arrival means the Woodmont Triangle is now stacked with local celebrity chefs, with Wiedmaier joining Jeff Black and Yannick Cam.

Bethesda construction update: 4909 Auburn apartments (Photos)

Here's an update on the 4909 Auburn apartments on the former site of the Auburn Professional Building at 4909 Auburn Avenue in Bethesda. The development finally has a marketing website. It touts the apartment units' Scandinavian-inspired interiors, a glass-wrapped fitness studio, a yoga studio, and "private steam and sauna rooms." The 11-story building houses 167 apartments, 6408-square-feet of ground-level retail/restaurant space, 3 levels of underground parking, and a pass-through that creates a new pedestrian connection between Imagination Stage and Battery Lane Urban Park. Developer Greystar, which took the lead on the project from Potomac Development Group, forecasts a mid-2024 delivery for 4909 Auburn.

Montgomery County rolling out rat-resistant trash cans in downtown Bethesda

New, rat-resistant trash cans have begun appearing in downtown Bethesda. The first I have seen are on Cordell Avenue in the Woodmont Triangle - you can see an existing can to the left of the new one in the photo above for a comparison. Rodents are not a new phenomenon in Bethesda, but seemed to get a noticeable population boost with the increase in outdoor dining during the pandemic. There are two issues beyond the food, rubbish and dog waste that attract rats: the furry devils getting into open-top cans from above, and gnawing their way in from underneath.

The new cans address both weaknesses. They seem to be cutting-edge, as I don't see these pop up when I search for a similar product online, and they aren't shown in news reports about new trash cans being deployed in other cities. The cans are sealed, and are opened to receive refuse via a pedal or handle. Secondly, the material appears to be chew-proof. For the final test, we fly in Pizza Rat from New York.

Hanaro is now Kusshi Sushi in Bethesda

Hanaro has been rebranded as Kusshi Sushi at 7820 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda. The ownership is still the same, so there won't be any reduction in the quality or service you have come to expect from Hanaro, or from the original Kusshi at Pike & Rose. New operating hours here are 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. See the menu below, and their website for delivery orders.

Norfolk Ave. Starbucks temporarily closes again in Bethesda

The Starbucks at 7700 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda has temporarily closed again due to construction. It is expected to reopen for normal business hours tomorrow, Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 4:30 AM. Renovations in the Woodmont Crescent building have impacted operations at Starbucks in recent months. The renovations include the installation of an elevator and elevator lobby, which have taken space from the interior of the Starbucks, as shown in the diagram at bottom.

Wind storm causes partial power outage at Bethesda auto dealership

The wind storm that buffeted the area on Sunday and Monday caused a partial power outage at a downtown Bethesda auto dealership. Chevy Chase Cars' Pre-Owned Supercenter had to temporarily close yesterday, after the building lost power. Operations were able to continue elsewhere on the property. Customers were directed to the facility's adjacent Acura showroom, which still had power.

Pink Chicken New York opening in Bethesda

Pink Chicken New York is opening a Bethesda location at 4925 Elm Street, at the Shoppes of Bethesda. Signage has been installed over the storefront, which was recently vacated by Claire de Lune. Pink Chicken sells vintage-inspired apparel for women and children. It's the latest arrival in the Gotham-to-Bethesda pipeline that has brought many NYC brands to the area in recent years, and from Levain Bakery to Tacombi, they've generally done extraordinarily well. Employees were stocking the store last night, and it appears just about ready to open.

Founded by Stacey Fraser, Pink Chicken celebrates the relationship between mothers and daughters. With a focus on sustainability, the clothing is designed to last so that pieces can be handed down from one child in the family to the next. Excess inventory is donated to clothing banks. 

This will be Pink Chicken's first Washington, D.C.-area location. The brand has boutiques in the Hamptons, Raleigh, Charleston, and Santa Monica, in addition to its namesake Big Apple locations. We'll soon find out if the latest arrival from the City That Never Sleeps also does well in the Town That Goes To Bed At 9:30.

 

Rooted3 applies for liquor license in Bethesda

You soon could be enjoying an adult beverage with your meal at Rooted3 in Bethesda. The organic vegan restaurant and market at 4916 Cordell Avenue has applied for a liquor license from Montgomery County. A Class-D license will allow Rooted3 to sell beer, wine and cocktails. The restaurant's liquor board hearing is scheduled for March 21, 2024 at 10:30 AM.

Scorpio Tattoo Studio opens in Bethesda

Scorpio Tattoo Studio has opened at 4929 St. Elmo Avenue, in the St. Elmo's Cove shopping center in downtown Bethesda. This is in the former candle store space. Artists on board include the owner, Carlos Escobar, Henry Hernandez and Andrea Ardon. Operating hours are 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM seven days a week.

Mysterious tower crane appears behind Bethesda McDonald's

Tower cranes haven't been seen for decades in the Westbard area of Bethesda, and now there are two. One has a publicly-announced purpose, to assist in construction of the Kensington Senior Living apartment building on the former Westwood Center II site. But the second, which just appeared days ago behind the McDonald's on River Road, does not. 

The crane does not reach far enough to assist the KSL project. A long-delayed self-storage project behind the McDonald's is nearly six years behind schedule, but tower cranes are not used to construct self-storage buildings. The self-storage building here will be only three stories tall when completed. Very strange!

View of both tower cranes from
Westbard Avenue

New public benches installed outside Solaire Bethesda 7607 Old Georgetown apartments (Photos)

New public benches have been installed on the sidewalk outside of the new Solaire Bethesda 7607 Old Georgetown apartment tower. They are backless, and include a mid-bench divider to discourage rough sleepers. You can also see the new landscaping and street tree that have been planted behind the bench in the photo above. The Solaire will begin welcoming residents in "early 2024."

Marriott International HQ cafe already renovating in Bethesda

The MI Cafe at the Marriott International corporate headquarters at 7750 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda has been open for less than two years. But it has been closed for two days for "upgrades and repairs." Hopefully the upgrades will include adding the Mighty Mo burger to the regular menu - it's a crime that Marriott's most-famous dish is not currently served at its world headquarters. MI Cafe will reopen for normal business hours at 7:30 AM on Monday, March 11, 2024.