Indigo Octopus opens at Bethesda Row

Indigo Octopus has opened at 7126 Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. It's really a move south, as the beach lifestyle apparel boutique's Wildwood Shopping Center location has closed. For those still wanting the full beach shopping experience, their Fenwick Island store at 101 Coastal Highway remains open for business from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM seven days a week. Operating hours at the Bethesda Row boutique are 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays. Indigo Octopus carries women's dresses, denim, tops, jewelry, swimwear, shoes and accessories from labels like Anine Bing, Free City, Byredo, Frankies, Spell, and Mother.

Simona Cafe opens in Bethesda

Simona Cafe has opened at 4520 East-West Highway in downtown Bethesda. They are initially in a soft-opening mode, so hours and days of operation will temporarily be limited. The restaurant will be open today, August 14, 2025, and tomorrow from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It will then be closed on Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17. They will reopen next Monday through Friday, August 18 to 22, again from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Regular hours, and the addition of beer and wine, will be announced in the near future.

Rheinmetall chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. corporate HQ

Montgomery County and Maryland are experiencing another total humiliation on the economic development front. While both have failed to attract a major new corporate headquarters this century, Fairfax County and Virginia have just beaten them once again in the high-stakes contest for yet another major defense firm HQ. This time it is Rheinmetall, the German defense giant that is experiencing off-the-charts boom times, as it is arguably the biggest winner in Germany's push to rearm and create Europe's largest and strongest military. It is also one of the companies producing the most equipment for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Rheinmetall has just leased 10,000-square feet at Metro Place II at 2600 Park Tower Drive in Merrifield in Fairfax County, where it will not only locate its U.S. hub, but also one of its U.S. subsidiaries, American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc.

Beyond the lighter tax and regulation burden of Northern Virginia, a look at the 2600 Park Tower Drive site itself tells much of the tale of Montgomery County's loss. Metro Place II sits directly beside the highway interchange of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 66, along both of which Virginia has invested enormously in tolled Express Lanes. The Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station is directly across the street from the new Rheinmetall HQ. Just south of the site are US 29 and US 50, as well as the enormously-successful Mosaic District with its retail, restaurants, and movie theater. 

A short drive southeast of the new Rheinmetall HQ in Fairfax is perhaps Montgomery County's biggest and most-humiliating economic development loss to Northern Virginia of this century, the Northrop Grumman headquarters. And zooming out on the map, we find one of the biggest factors that brought both defense firms to Fairfax County: direct access to Dulles International Airport. It's the only airport in the region to boast the variety of essential global business destinations - and the frequency of direct flights to them - demanded by international business executives.

One can only shake one's head, and wonder what could have been, had Montgomery County and Maryland had smarter and more-competent leadership this century. Imagine if we had built the new Potomac River crossing, to give all of our increasingly-empty office parks in the I-270 corridor the same kind of direct access to Dulles that Virginia has. Imagine if we had built the Rockville Freeway through North Bethesda, White Flint, Aspen Hill, and Layhill, connecting I-270 with MD 355 and the InterCounty Connector, and passing directly by the many Executive Boulevard area office parks and Pike & Rose. Imagine if we had made our tax and fee burden more competitive with our rivals in the region, and our leaders had used the time they spend opining on national politics on attracting business to our county and state.

Virginia doesn't have to imagine. It's where economic development dreams regularly come true, thanks to the humiliatingly-weak and bumbling efforts on our side of the river. Montgomery County? It's where business goes to die - or flee to nearby jurisdictions before it does.

"We are proud to welcome Rheinmetall to Merrifield in Fairfax County," Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay said in a statement. "Our community is a place where groundbreaking innovation, national security, and global collaboration intersect, and this investment represents a powerful statement about the future of defense and technology in our region. Rheinmetall brings a bold vision and cutting-edge capabilities that align with our community’s commitment to supporting mission-driven industries and advancing solutions that keep our nation secure. We are deeply honored that Rheinmetall has chosen Fairfax County as the hub for their continued growth, as this investment will not only strengthen the strategic national security partnerships that are so vital to global progress, but also the resiliency of our local and regional economies."

"Rheinmetall’s decision to establish significant presence in the Merrifield area of Fairfax County reinforces our position as a premier destination for global defense leaders seeking proximity to federal partners, a deep bench of tech talent, and a collaborative business environment," Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Victor Hoskins said. "The opening of our new Washington, D.C., region office spaces underscores our rapid growth and committed investment in Rheinmetall’s U.S. operations," American Rheinmetall Defense CEO Stephen Hedger added.

Auto thieves prowling River Road/Massachusetts Ave. corridor in Bethesda again

Auto theft activity is picking up again along one of the criminals' favorite corridors in Montgomery County, River Road and Massachusetts Avenue near the Washington, D.C. line. A vehicle was stolen from a home in the 5300 block of Allandale Road in Green Acres on the evening of July 28, 2025. Montgomery County police say that the vehicle had been left unlocked, and with the keys inside. Fortunately, detectives were able to locate and recover the vehicle the next day.

Thieves returned the very next evening to steal a second vehicle in the 5200 block of Worthington Drive in the Westgate neighborhood off Massachusetts. That vehicle has not yet been recovered. 

Remember to lock your vehicle, and remove all visible objects from the interior. Park in a garage or well-lit area if possible, and do not leave keys or key fobs in the glove compartment or ignition.

Tasty Grills opening this week in Bethesda

Tasty Grills & Catering will open this week at 7816 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda. The Afghan restaurant posted signage in the window Monday that is somewhat contradictory. It states that the restaurant will open in "2 days" (which would technically be August 13, when this was posted August 11), but then prints "August 15" directly underneath that, so we are going to have to play it by ear. You can check out their menu in advance here. It is mostly Afghan cuisine, but there are "American fried chicken" and "New York style" cheesecake on there, as well.

Paris Baguette Bakery Cafe opens in Bethesda (Photos)

Paris Baguette Bakery Cafe is now open at 4925 Fairmont Avenue, in the ground floor of the Sophia Bethesda apartment tower. Operating hours will be 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week. Here is a photo tour of the bakery, showing many of the menu items you can choose from. Paris Baguette is a South Korean-based French bakery chain.

Montgomery County Council votes to increase impervious surfaces days after new flood risk was revealed

The Montgomery County Council speaks loudly and often about climate change and the environment, but their warmed-over Reaganomics policies betray their true values. This has been revealed once again as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has commissioned new flood zone maps that show much more of Montgomery County's land area to be at risk of flash flooding than the standard U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps. Several of the areas highlighted on the new maps experienced significant flooding during an unusually-heavy rain event last month. But just four days after MWCOG released its new flood danger maps to elected officials in MoCo and elsewhere in the region, the Montgomery County Council went ahead and approved new zoning rules that will increase the amount of impervious surface area in many of the very neighborhoods identified as now being at high risk of flash flooding.

Under the Reaganesque Thrive 2050/"More Housing N.O.W." zoning text amendment approved by a majority of the Council on July 22, 2025, the allowed increase in impervious surfaces are almost entirely permitted in the downcounty areas like Bethesda and Silver Spring. That is where the greatest flooding risks are located. Despite having access to this new flood danger report and maps on four days earlier on July 18, our "green" County Council bulldozed ahead, and voted to approve a massive increase in impervious surfaces in the very areas at highest risk. Single-family home neighborhoods where houses are currently surrounded by soil and grass lawns will now be open to four-story apartment buildings.

Just in the River Road corridor of Bethesda alone, the properties where the greater impervious surfaces will be allowed are within the flood zones of at least three major streams. Of course, the increased flooding we have already been experiencing in Montgomery County over the last decade is in large part due to the massive development approved this century by the County Council. This is the same reason we have an overpopulation of deer and even wandering bears in the downcounty, as these animals have been forced out of their forests that have fallen to the chainsaws and bulldozers of our supply-side, trickle-down, voodoo economics County Council. The same Council that swears by the Laffer Curve - but only when it applies to their developer sugar daddies.

The reckless decision by the Council could have ramifications in the 2026 elections. Councilmembers Evan Glass and Andrew Friedson voted for the ZTA to increase impervious surfaces in flood danger zones, and they are both running for County Executive. One of their opponents in the Democratic primary is their colleague, Councilmember Will Jawando, who did not vote for the ZTA. Jawando could now use this scandal as another point to differentiate himself from his Reagan Democrat rivals. And Councilmembers running for reelection will have to answer to voters who might raise the topic on the campaign trail, to explain why they voted to put their current and future constituents at greater risk of flood damage and death. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Menu screens removed at closed Donutchew at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A quick update on the closure of Donutchew at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda: The mochi donut shop at the edge of the Dining Terrace food court remained closed Saturday. Another sign that the closure appears permanent is the removal of the menu screens from the stall, which were gone as of last evening. Who will fill the donut vacuum at Montgomery Mall?

Renovations planned for Montrose Crossing Chick-fil-A

The Chick-fil-A at 12001 Rockville Pike at the Montrose Crossing shopping center is planning a renovation of the building's interior. A new ceiling will be installed, and the indoor seating furniture will be updated. Work is expected to begin by fall. It's hard to believe, but this Chick-fil-A location is already nearly twelve years old.

Internal street signs installed at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

Street signs for internal roadways have been installed at the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda. Signs are now in place for Zenith Overlook - which runs from Westbard Avenue back to the rear parking garage driveway - and Topaz Lane, which runs parallel to Westbard and will be behind the "Canal House" building and future apartments. Neither name has any local significance. While most of the historic names in the Westbard sector plan area are more related to River Road than Westbard Avenue, there were possibilities such as "Posey," for the farm of Peter Posey that made up most of the area around the Westbard Square development, or "Tauber," for the late Dr. Laszlo Tauber who developed the original Westwood Shopping Center.

Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall late Wednesday afternoon, August 6, 2025. The assault was reported at a clothing store in the mall at 4:58 PM. Police have not yet identified the name of the store. The assault occurred amid a shoplifting incident at the business.

This is the sixth assault reported at the property so far this year. It had been a relatively quiet summer up to this point at the mall, however. There were 11 assaults reported at the popular retail center in 2024, 5 in 2023, and 12 in 2022.

Donutchew closed at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Donutchew was closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall during business hours last night. Their stall at the end of the Dining Terrace food court appeared to have been cleared out. The mochi donut shop has relocated in the mall once before, from a kiosk to this spot, but no signage or message was posted with any information for customers Thursday evening. Donutchew first opened at Montgomery Mall in November 2023.

Fashion Q closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Fashion Q has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Their space has been totally cleared out inside. The Los Angeles-based fashion wholesaler lasted less than a year at the mall after its November 2024 opening, despite its trademark super low prices. Fashion Q is the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy.