Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel ready for Christmas

The Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 1 Bethesda Metro Center is ready for Christmas. LED accent lighting on the facade has been set to red and green Christmas colors. Meanwhile, Morton's Steakhouse in the hotel will be open for dinner on Christmas Day. Hours on December 25 will be 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Starbucks adds Cinnamon-Shaken Waffles to menu in Bethesda

Check out what's new at Starbucks for the holiday season. Cinnamon-Shaken Waffles are starting to pop up on menus at Starbucks locations across Montgomery County in recent days. Three bite-size Belgian waffles are shaken in a Cinnamon Dolce Shake Shake Topping, and served warm and golden brown. The waffles are available all day long, not just for breakfast.

Head2Toe Health relocates in Bethesda

Head2Toe Health & Aesthetics has relocated in Bethesda. They have moved out of their space on St. Elmo Avenue, and are now open at their new location at 7505 Democracy Boulevard in Suite A113. The wellness center first opened in downtown Bethesda in 2019. That building is expected to be demolished to make way for a new apartment tower.

Update on Dave's Hot Chicken in White Flint (Photos)

Dave's Hot Chicken has been in a slow-motion construction process over the last few months, but some significant effort has been put into the exterior facades of the former McDonald's building at 11564 Rockville Pike in recent days. In contrast to the blank walls found at most fast food chains' buildings, Dave's has now emblazoned its walls with graffiti-style art. The stylings are capped off with a huge "Rockville" mural that takes up an entire wall. It's also a nice touch that the orangeish red paint on the roof overhang matches the scorching color of the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich pictured on the sign out front.

Student arrested for carrying gun to school in Bethesda

Montgomery County police arrested a student at Northwood High School in Bethesda yesterday morning, after he was found to allegedly be in possession of a firearm at the school. Isaiah Gaunt, 17, of Silver Spring has been charged as an adult with possession of a firearm without a serial number, handgun on person, possession of a firearm by a minor, and loaded handgun on person. Police say he was carrying a loaded 3D printed privately manufactured firearm (PMF) in his waistband. 

Gaunt was arrested without incident, police say. The alleged firearm came to light during an altercation between Gaunt and another student earlier Friday morning. Police officers were then dispatched to the school, located at 11211 Old Georgetown Road, at 8:23 AM.

Andy's Pizza opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Andy's Pizza is now open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. One reason this is exciting news is that they serve award-winning, authentic New York-style pizza. The second is, you can buy it by-the-slice if you prefer. As much as I revere Sbarro as a classic denizen of American mall food courts, this is a much higher quality product. Look for Andy's Pizza on Level 2 of the mall, in the Dining Terrace food court by CAVA and Chipotle.

Gorjana confirmed to be opening boutique at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gorjana is now confirmed to be a future tenant at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Laguna Beach-based jewelry retailer has been pursuing an aggressive expansion plan this decade. However, its growth is strategically targeted to areas where it has identified an existing customer base for its products, and the company previously cited Bethesda as one of those. Gorjana continues a retail trend, particularly among fashion brands, of opening stores at Bethesda Row and Montgomery Mall to operate simultaneously.

Cheesecake Factory closing in Friendship Heights

The Cheesecake Factory is closing in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase, Washington, DC. "After extensive review and analysis, the company made the difficult decision to discontinue operation of our restaurant in Chevy Chase," Cheesecake Factory, Inc. Senior Director of Public Relations and Global Branding Alethea Rowe told Fox 5 producer Allison Papson in a statement. "Our last day of service will be January 24, 2026." This will be a devastating loss for nearby residents, as well as for Chevy Chase Pavilion. Everything around that mall is being redeveloped as residential housing, and this will only increase the pressure. Fortunately, we still have The Cheesecake Factory at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda.

Water issue shutters several businesses at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A damaged water pump in the Old Navy wing of Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda forced several businesses to temporarily close last night. Kapow Buddy and Yogi Castle were among the restaurants impacted. The Cheesecake Factory in the same wing still had water service, and remained open for business, and the Dining Terrace food court was unaffected. Water could be seen in the parking lot outside the Old Navy wing, where the entrance by The Cheesecake Factory was cordoned off with tape. A plumbing crew was on-site last evening attempting to repair the damage so the affected restaurants could resume operation today.

Dolcezza has new sign, new Holiday Menu at Bethesda Row

Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee has a new sign and a new Holiday Menu at its Bethesda Row location at 7111 Bethesda Lane. The new neon-look sign has been installed above the storefront. Inside, their largest Holiday Menu of gelato flavors and beverages is now available.

Holiday Gelato Flavors:

• Coffee & Xmas Cookies – Rich coffee gelato folded together with chocolate covered biscoff cookies and a touch of xmas sugar

• Hot Cocoa –  Holiday spiced milk chocolate gelato with fresh marshmallow and warming notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Sugar Cookie Dough –Vanilla Bean Gelato, bits of dark chocolate chips and morsels of sugar cookie dough.

• King Leo Peppermint – Crushed pieces of King Leo peppermint candy folded into mint gelato and ladled with melted dark chocolate. 

Holiday Hot Drinks:

• Gingerbread Latte

• King Leo Peppermint Mocha 

• Coconut Spiced Coquito Latte – a nod to Puerto Rican coquito, the island’s festive twist on eggnog.

Coming soon to the Bethesda shop will be new soft-serve gelato and sundaes. These are available now at the local chain's H Street NE and Hirshhorn locations in downtown Washington, D.C.

Colonial Opticians won't reopen in Bethesda after fire

Colonial Opticians has announced its store at 4942 St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda is now permanently closed. The store was heavily damaged by an electrical fire Sunday night, November 30, 2025. Customers are being directed to the chain's Rockville location at 1776 E. Jefferson Street at Federal Plaza. Colonial Opticians has not ruled out a return to Bethesda in the future, but an expensive repair of its fire-damaged space makes little sense, as the building is expected to be demolished for a new apartment tower.

2 assaults in 2 days at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police on patrol at the mall Saturday 

Montgomery County police responded to two reports of assaults last week at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A 2nd-degree assault was reported at the retail center on November 25, 2025,  at 5:26 PM. Just over 24 hours later, an aggravated assault was reported at the property. That assault was related to a shoplifting incident. These were the eighth and ninth assaults reported at the mall this year. At this pace, Montgomery Mall is likely to have fewer assaults this year than last, when eleven were reported. 

Montgomery County police had a more visible presence at the mall this past weekend. Officers were wearing the new back patches that identify they are with the County police. These were demanded by the Montgomery County Council to distinguish them from ICE officere working in the County.

Bethesda Bazar temporarily closed until December 5

Bethesda Bazar at 8006 Norfolk Avenue is temporarily closed until this Friday, December 5, 2025. The craft beer and fine wine shop is taking a short break, as many small businesses in downtown Bethesda do in the summer or winter. When the store reopens, it's a great place to pick up the right bottle for your holiday meals, parties, and gifts. There is also a selection of teas and snacks.

Fire at Colonial Opticians in Bethesda (Photos)

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded to a fire at Colonial Opticians at 4942 St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda at 9:45 PM last night, November 30, 2025. The fire occurred in the store's lab area, and is currently believed to have been caused by an overloaded or malfunctioning power strip, MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer said. Over 50 firefighters were ultimately dispatched to the scene.

The electrical fire caused $300,000 in damage to the building, and $200,000 in damaged or destroyed merchandise or equipment, Piringer said today. No injuries were reported.

Brick work high above Bethesda at Triangle Towers

Maintenance work is underway on the facade of the Triangle Towers apartments at 4853 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. A crew was seen on scaffolding high above the streets of the Woodmont Triangle. The contractor, Genco Masonry, just happens to be a tenant of a penthouse in the building. New building management has been making some overdue upgrades to the property in recent years.

Za'Atar Shawarma & Pizza opens in Bethesda

Za'Atar Shawarma & Pizza is now open at 8021 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Their menu features Middle Eastern cuisine and artisanal pizza. The restaurant replaces Cheesy Pizzi, which closed in August. It has already earned rave reviews on Google, and has been reviewed once on Yelp, where the customer gave it a positive four-star appraisal. Operating hours are 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM on Friday and Saturday.

Gold Bunny Donut a smash success among Black Friday shoppers in Bethesda

Selling out is bad when you're a punk band, but fabulous when you are a new vendor on your first day in the mall food court. Gold Bunny Donut made its debut in the Dining Terrace at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda yesterday, and the Black Friday mobs literally ate it up. Before the end of the shopping day, Gold Bunny had sold out of donuts. These rich, filled fresh donuts really hit the spot for manic shoppers trying to keep their blood sugar up and their holiday shopping costs down on Black Friday.

Mallwalkers also got their first look at Gold Bunny's eclectic menu. Alongside familiar flavors like vanilla and raspberry were options you won't have at Dunkin' Donuts or Krispy Kreme, such as ube - a nutty vanilla-cotton-candy flavor experience derived from the Filipino purple yam, Earl Grey tea, Everything Bagel, and Black Sesame. Bombolone-style Jumble Donuts can be ordered with Apple Pie, Biscoff, Black Sesame, Chocolate, Oreo, Peanut, or Red Velvet filling. Finally, there are Asian tea beverages and a Dowich sandwich with sliced meat and greens.

Latest Little Falls Parkway road diet opens to traffic in Bethesda

The latest of several road diets on Little Falls Parkway implemented - or, more accurately, inflicted upon the public - by Montgomery County has opened to vehicle traffic. In the newest iteration, a grass median has returned between a single travel lane in each direction between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue. The latest road diet was overwhelmingly opposed by the surrounding communities, and by 73% of residents who took valuable time to testify before the Montgomery County Planning Board. Public input was thrown aside by the board, Montgomery Parks, and the Montgomery County Council, who put the steamroller in gear and floored the accelerator over the people who pay their salaries.

JOOLA opening today at Pike & Rose, Ben Johns to appear at pickleball flagship Saturday

 

The world of pickleball is about to get a lot bigger in Montgomery County. JOOLA, the world's leading pickleball paddle manufacturer, is celebrating a major milestone with the grand opening of its signature retail store at 917 Meeting Street at Pike & Rose. The doors officially open today, Black Friday, November 28, 2025, solidifying the connection of the global brand with its local roots and the burgeoning pickleball community.

JOOLA's presence in Montgomery County runs deep. The flagship opening follows the brand's relocation of its U.S. headquarters from Gaithersburg to Pike & Rose in March 2025, bringing its innovation, design, and community engagement under one roof. Now it will have a retail storefront at the same property along the busy Rockville Pike commercial corridor.

"Montgomery County has always been part of the JOOLA story, and opening our signature store here is a reflection of our deep roots and our future ambitions," JOOLA CEO and owner Richard Lee said in a statement. "This space is a celebration of how far pickleball has come, and a commitment to supporting the players and communities driving its growth worldwide."

The excitement of opening weekend is getting an extra surge of star power. World No. 1 pickleball player Ben Johns will be in attendance for a special autograph signing and meet-and-greet on Saturday, November 29, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. As a local, Johns says he understands the impact of this new hub on the pickleball community. "As a kid growing up in Montgomery County, I began with table tennis and eventually found my passion for pickleball. Back then, having a JOOLA store locally would have made a huge difference. Now, with JOOLA opening this first location, it’s exciting to know the next generation will have that exact opportunity right here at home."

Shoppers throughout the opening weekend will receive a complimentary gift with eligible in-store purchases, while supplies last.

Designed to be an immersive experience, the new retail space is a destination for players of all levels. Shoppers can get hands-on with the latest JOOLA paddles, apparel, and accessories, supported by a knowledgeable team of JOOLA experts. The JOOLA store is set to be an integral part of the local pickleball movement, which the company has championed, including helping Montgomery County become the first school district in the United States to introduce pickleball as a varsity sport in the fall of 2024.

The immersive pickleball hub features:

✨ Exclusive in-store-only product drops and limited-edition collections.

👕 Local Maryland, D.C., and Virginia-themed gear celebrating regional pride.

✍️ Pro-player appearances and autograph events.

🏓 A paddle demo program allowing players to “try before they buy.”

🤝 Interactive community events connecting pickleball fans of all levels.

Nordstrom unveils 2025 holiday windows at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Nordstrom had promised to keep its external holiday windows covered until Black Friday, but had dropped the curtains as closing time approached last night. Perhaps this was done to save time for employees today and tomorrow. Here, then, is a sneak preview of what you'll see tomorrow on Black Friday. It's definitely a solid Christmas theme, with the Christmas tree and wreath.

Gold Bunny Donut opening Black Friday at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gold Bunny Donut has set an opening date for its Westfield Montgomery Mall location in Bethesda. With impeccable timing, it will open tomorrow, Black Friday, November 28, 2025. Gold Bunny features fresh-baked donuts with rich fillings, providing plenty of carbohydrates to sustain your holiday shopping spree. Look for it in the former Donutchew space at the end of the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2 of the mall.