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.
How often is that new club The Cordell being used? Much business or not... I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteA long time coming to lease that space. Barre3 is across the street, correct? A little competition ...
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember Cottonwood, the restaurant at that location before Flanagan's? Loved that place :-)
You keep blaming the county but it’s the rent that kills these places.
ReplyDelete5:18: Are there other places with cheap rents in Bethesda? I don't think so. It's the County that made it impossible for the business to generate sufficient revenue to afford the rent.
DeleteFirst our old mica schist post office, now the old Psyche Delly, why don't those yoga people just stick the knife in deeper and kill the memory of old Bethesda off once and for all?
ReplyDeleteYou sound like someone who really knows his (or her) schist.
DeleteNow that's what I call a really bizzare comment. Just blame anyone.
Deleteanother gym, great
ReplyDeleteA yoga studio that doubles as an event space? Dude, that's hilarious!
ReplyDelete5:18 it wasn't rent that killed Flanagan's...the owners pointed at county policies. The streetery drew traffic away. Live music ban was devastating.
ReplyDeleteI knew you wouldn't even try and defend your post. What a yuge loser you are, Bobby.
ReplyDelete11:27: I have a very large brain and the best words. Many people are saying your comment was absurd in falsely claiming Bethesda still has Irish pubs and holds an annual St. Patrick's Day parade. There are no pubs and no parade! Thank you for your attention to this matter!
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