Toolbox leases former Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle space in Bethesda

Toolbox, a Pilates and yoga studio with a Dupont Circle location in Washington, D.C., has leased the former Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle space at 4844 Cordell Avenue. Why such a large space? Maybe because the D.C. location doubles as an upscale event space after business hours. 

Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Iva Gotzev, the original Toolbox can host everything from corporate events to weddings, in a space that combines warm, natural surfaces with displays of art. If the same model is followed at the Bethesda location, it would be the second dedicated event venue to open in downtown Bethesda in as many years, following The Cordell at 4865 Cordell Avenue. A third, Bonvenue at 7615 Wisconsin Avenue, remains in limbo for now.

Flanagan's closed in 2020 after decades as a fixture in downtown Bethesda. What triggered the demise of a business that had weathered so many economic downturns of the past? The anti-business policies of the Montgomery County Council, and the Council's 2012 Nighttime Economy Initiative, delivered stiff body blows to every hospitality business in the County, with the latter leading to the closure of over 25 nightspots in downtown Bethesda over the ensuing years. At the time of the closure, the owner cited the County Council's Bethesda Streetery street closures, and the County's pandemic ban on live music, as the straws that broke the camel's back. The exit of Flanagan's saw Bethesda become one of the few towns in America without a single Irish pub, adding to its existing notoriety as one of the few towns in America without a St. Patrick's Day parade.