With less than 60 days left for Westwood Shopping Center tenants in Bethesda, one of the larger ones has signed on to make the transition to the new Westbard Square development on the same property at 5400 Westbard Avenue. Many have wondered if Montgomery County would continue to operate a government-owned liquor store at this location after the shopping center closes at the end of November. It turns out that not only will the County make the switch to Westbard Square, but it do so using its new Oak Barrel & Vine store model.
The Oak Barrel & Vine store concept features a large tasting room and event space, a handpicked selection of items with an emphasis on locally-produced products, an improved selection of small format items, a dedicated non-alcoholic products section, queue lines for faster checkout, wayfinding signage, and "enhanced customer accessibility." This branding format is designed to present the County's government liquor sales monopoly through the aesthetics of a private retail business. Introduction of the Oak Barrel & Vine store model was cited by Stateways Magazine when it gave Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services its Best Practices Award in 2022.
Also making the leap from the soon-to-be-demolished Westwood Shopping Center to Westbard Square will be Kumon Math & Reading Center. The Japanese afterschool tutoring and education center opened at Westwood Center II in 2020, and relocated to the Westwood Shopping Center when the mini-mall was demolished. Now it will relocate ahead of a wrecking ball once again.
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| Stretch Zone |
Joining Oak Barrel & Vine and Kumon in the new Giant-anchored retail building at Westbard Square will be Stretch Zone. The practioner-assisted stretching studio represents what appears to be one of the latest trends in fitness and wellness. There is a Stretch Zone at Cabin John Village, and Stretchlab is one of the newest tenants to join the Chevy Chase Lake development. Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees is a business partner in the Stretch Zone company.
The three new tenants coming aboard brings the roster of Westbard Square up to seven. Current Westwood Shopping Center tenants to agree to leases at Westbard Square are Giant, Voorthuis Opticians, the Westwood Barber Shop and Starbucks. Of the remaining tenants in the old strip mall, Anglo Dutch Pools & Toys (closing November 30) and Frame World have confirmed they will permanently close rather than lease spaces at Westbard Square, and the others still have several weeks to decide. Regency Centers owns the shopping center property, which it is redeveloping as the mixed-use Westbard Square.
Top two photos: Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row; bottom photo via Stretch Zone
2 comments:
I have visited the Oak store in Cabin John Village. Better selection, more discounts, and a fresher look than typical MoCo liquor stores.
But, the aisles were narrow and the organization of products was haphazard. I won’t go back.
Why does MoCo continue to run liquor dispensaries? The obvious answer is that the State wants to employ more people. What’s next, MoCo grocery stores? Don’t laugh, it’s been suggested for Dem run cities where, because of crime, there are food deserts.
You should definitely try one of the big Republican run cities. Your choices are Dallas, Ft Worth, OKC and Fresno. No crime or food deserts in any of those! Bon Voyage!
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