Sense of Thai applies for liquor license in Bethesda

Sense of Thai, opening soon at 5314 Zenith Overlook at Westbard Square in Bethesda, has applied for a liquor license from Montgomery County. A hearing on the application has been scheduled for May 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM, which means the Thai restaurant is unlikely to open before then. Signature Southern Thai dishes will include Chumphon Pad Thai, Crispy Whole Fish, Seafood Volcano, and Chili Soft-Shell Crab.

Pop Mart opening store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Pop Mart will soon be opening a full-blown store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Chinese toymaker first entered the property with a vending machine in February of last year. Pop Mart is most famous for its Labubu dolls. That has become a double-edged sword for the company recently. Revenue remains strong, but the stock price has suffered drops as investors fret that Pop Mart doesn't have a second act if the Labubu fad wanes.

Maryland Governor candidate Ed Hale puts skyrocketing electric bills in spotlight

Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ed Hale speaks with
supporters about their high electricity bills in Baltimore 

Baltimore businessman Ed Hale, a Republican candidate for governor of Maryland, used the backdrop of Geresbeck's Food Market at the Hawthorne Plaza shopping center in Charm City today to demonstrate the devastating impact of the state's skyrocketing energy bills on businesses and residents. During a press conference, he noted the grocery store's electric bill had nearly doubled in only the last 30 days. Its latest monthly electric bill? A whopping $57,000.

"I don't know how you survive this," Hale said of the crushing additional cost burden on businesses. Such costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers, adding to the already absurdly high prices that are pummeling Americans from coast to coast. Hale warned that demand for electricity will only increase during the heat of summer, and that will come with enormous cost to every consumer.

Hale showed a second electric bill, this one from his own grandson. His grandson's monthly bill increased from $185.80 to $528.51. "This is a huge, huge, huge issue affecting everybody in our state," Hale said.

Alluding to current Maryland Governor Wes Moore's non-stop national TV appearances, as Moore pursues a presidential campaign, Hale asked why Moore isn't answering questions from his constituents instead of from TV personalities. "Who's in charge here? He's on Meet the Press or Face the Nation, but who's facing Marylanders, you know? Where is he? And he's just not here. He's running for president of the United States."

"People are moving out of the state," Hale continued. "Businesses are moving out of the state. And we're going to have fewer people retiring in our state." He again cited a recent poll that found that over 60% of Marylanders are either in the process of leaving the state, or are seriously considering such a move.

"We just can't stand this," Hale said. "We need to replace this man as fast as possible." Arguing that Moore sees the state as a mere stepping stone for his national and world power aspirations, Hale drew a comparison with his own campaign's political goals. "Maryland is not a stepping stone for us. Maryland is where we all live, and we can't stand to have this anymore."

Moore and Democrats who control the state legislature have recently tried to divert attention away from the policies and laws they passed that are largely responsible for the spike in energy costs. They ordered the closure of eight power plants across the state, mandated expensive purchases of "clean" power, and implemented a literally-Communist EmPOWER Maryland surcharge on electric bills, an extra tax that Moore hiked further last year. Now they are attempting to seize on the astroturf anti-data-center movement, by falsely blaming AI for the financial destruction they themselves have wrought on communities and businesses statewide.

"I'm going to make sure that we reopen the plants that have been closed," Hale vowed. "We need to get this state reopen for jobs."

Signage installed at The Velvet Room speakeasy in Bethesda

The sign is up at The Velvet Room at 8020 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. It's another "sign" of work on the speakeasy now proceeding at a much faster pace, after over a year of delays. There is now a website for the establishment, where you can get on their mailing list ahead of the opening. With the demise of Turncoat in the ongoing Friendship Heights crashout at the hands of our bumbling, stumbling Montgomery County Council, The Velvet Room will be the only dedicated speakeasy in Montgomery County.

Redevelopment proposed for 4719 Hampden Lane, 4720 Montgomery Lane in Bethesda

A proposal to redevelop 4719 Hampden Lane and 4720 Montgomery Lane will be put forward at a virtual public meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. See the announcement sign pictured below for full information on how to participate. The proposed apartment tower would include up to 250 residential units, a parking garage, "private amenities," and public open space. No mention is made of retail or restaurant tenants on the ground floor.

Mobile billboard prowls the streets of Bethesda

Montgomery County's Draconian sign regulations include a total ban on billboards. Longtime residents may recall some of the locations that once sported them, such as Burton's gas station alongside the Chessie System railroad trestle over Bradley Boulevard near Arlington Road (now the Capital Crescent Trail bridge). As usual, businesspeople have to figure ways to evade all the Marxist totalitarian red tape of Montgomery County's moribund centrally-planned economy. One is now tooling around downtown Bethesda: a mobile billboard. Can one of the few ultra-wealthy residents who remain in Bethesda and Chevy Chase hire this truck and have it loop through statistics like "Zero major new corporate headquarters attracted to Montgomery County in over 25 years," current homicide and violent crime totals, County Council annual salaries and total taxpayer dollars outlaid to fill their cars with free gas (did you know they get free gas at your expense?), "Number of Olive Gardens and Cracker Barrels in Montgomery County: Zero," a list of highways canceled by the County Council, among others? Heckuva job, Brownie!

Consider It Done building for sale in Bethesda

The retail building at 7806 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda has been put on the market for sale. Currently occupied by luxury dinnerware boutique Consider It Done, the 1933 structure is 1,054-square-feet in size. The asking price is not posted in the online listing. Friend Commercial Real Estate of Millersville is the broker handling the listing.

Masked men casing vehicles in Massachusetts Avenue corridor of Bethesda

A group of men wearing masks has been seen testing door handles on vehicles in neighborhoods along Massachusetts Avenue in Bethesda, according to Montgomery County police. At least one theft has been reported, in the 5300 block of Albemarle Street in Westmoreland Hills. Two of the masked suspects were observed entering a vehicle there, and removing items from the interior. Be sure to lock your vehicle and remove any visible items from the interior.

Shake Shack signage installed in Bethesda

Signage has been installed at Shake Shack, opening soon at 7535 Old Georgetown Road in the ground floor of the Element 28 apartment tower. The restrictive sign regulations and slim font lettering of the Shake Shack logo will inhibit visibility for the burger restaurant to drivers passing by. But the location and visibility could not be better for high volume foot traffic emerging from the Bethesda Metro station at night, making it an easy takeout dinner stop for commuters between the station and their apartment or condo downtown. It's been a long road since I was writing about our chances of getting a Shake Shack downtown way back in 2012, but it's finally happening.

Indigo Octopus closes at Bethesda Row

Indigo Octopus has closed at 7126 Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. The women's boutique, which opened this location about a year ago, carries a curated collection of designer women's clothing, denim, jewelry, accessories, and swimwear. While they have closed here, the good news for those who travel to Ocean City and the Delaware coast is that their Fenwick Island shop opens for the season tomorrow, April 4, 2026. You can also continue to shop from home on their website at indigooctopus.com.

Prato Italian restaurant "coming soon" to Bethesda Row

Prato, a newly-expanding Florida-based Italian dining concept, has posted coming-soon signage in the windows of its future space at 7278 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. It replaces Matchbox on the prominent corner at the Federal Realty development. The signage promises a late fall 2026 opening date, indicative of the major remodeling planned for the interior. After 14 successful years in Winter Park, Florida, Prato calls its impending arrival in Maryland "our biggest milestone yet."

Marine Layer closes for "refresh" at Bethesda Row

Marine Layer has temporarily closed at 4803 Bethesda Avenue at Bethesda Row. The beechwood pulp apparel boutique is beginning a "refresh" of the store's interior. A reopening date has not yet been announced. Customers are being directed to email ohhey@marinelayer.com for inquiries about orders, exchanges, returns, "or anything else." Marine Layer opened here in 2019.