Bethesda Coffee Republic opening Sunday, March 22

Coffee Republic will open at 7629 Old Georgetown Road in the Bethesda Place apartments this Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 7:00 AM. The first 100 customers in line will receive a free drink of their choice, and the first 300 will get a swag bag. Every customer Sunday and Monday will enjoy one free hot-drip coffee all day long, if they download the Coffee Republic app. According to a new sign in the window, the coffee shop's menu includes all-day breakfast. Outdoor patio seating is in place; all that's needed is for the weather to cooperate.

Sneak peek: Coffee Republic in Bethesda (Photos)

Coffee Republic looks like it could open any day now at 7701 Woodmont Avenue in the ground floor of the Bethesda Place apartments. Seating is in place, or stacked in some cases. In terms of decor, neon artworks join a painting of Jesus Christ as Superman on the interior walls. No opening date has been announced yet for the coffee shop, which connects to the Lidl grocery store in the building. Coffee Republic has two locations in Washington, D.C. and one in Rockville. Their Crystal City shop abruptly closed on March 5, but the chain told ARLnow that it is finalizing a deal to move into another space nearby. Back here in Bethesda, here is a sneak peek inside:

Coffee Republic "coming soon" to downtown Bethesda (Photos)

Coming-soon signage has been installed in the windows of the future Coffee Republic coffee shop, which will be in the ground floor of the Bethesda Place apartments at 7701 Woodmont Avenue. The shop be connected to the adjacent Lidl grocery store. All of Coffee Republic's globally-sourced beans are roasted at its flagship Mooresville, North Carolina location. In addition to signature coffee drinks, their shops also serve a variety of baked goods, wraps, quiche, and breakfast burritos. Construction is now underway, as evidenced by the Tyvek wrap on the storefront.

The Goldsmiths to close at Bethesda Place

The owner of The Goldsmiths in Bethesda is retiring, and the jewelry design and sales boutique is holding a retirement sale. Located at 7700-N Wisconsin Avenue in the Bethesda Place apartments, The Goldsmiths has been a "dealer in dreams" for over 50 years, and in Bethesda since 1977. The boutique has offered custom jewelry design services, as well as redesigning of estate jewelry pieces. Prices on inventory are 40-60%-off. Please note that the business will be closed from today through January 1, 2026, and will reopen on Friday, January 2.

Coffee Republic opening in Bethesda

Coffee Republic is expanding to Bethesda. It will be in the ground floor of the Bethesda Place apartment building, and connected to the new Lidl grocery store. The Coffee Republic chain currently has nine locations across the Washington, D.C. region and North Carolina. "We’re on a quest to make coffee cool again," the company says on its website. "Coffee culture got snobby and bright white and we are the antithesis of that. Our shops are known for their unique feel, colorful appearance, pop art paintings, and one-of-a-kind baristas who dress to express themselves."

All of Coffee Republic's globally-sourced beans are roasted at its flagship Mooresville, North Carolina location. In addition to signature coffee drinks, their shops also serve a variety of baked goods, wraps, quiche, and breakfast burritos. Construction is expected to begin soon.

Bethesda's new Lidl grocery store now a selling point for apartments

The new Lidl grocery store at 7625 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda has very quickly become a selling point for nearby apartment buildings. It's only natural that Bethesda Place, which stands atop the store at 7701 Woodmont Avenue, has added a picture of it to its website. But the Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown apartment tower right next door is also getting in on the action. A sign placed on the sidewalk in front of the building asks passersby to "imagine carrying your groceries this far home," and provides a QR code for the property's website. 

Some rental buildings in close proximity to Lidl have some catching up to do. Element 28, two doors up from the store on Old Georgetown, is still only listing the new Trader Joe's store in the 8001 Woodmont apartments. The Metropolitan, right across Old Georgetown from Lidl, doesn't mention the new store on its website yet, either.

Looking toward Lidl from the
Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown

Lidl opens in Bethesda (Video + Photos)

Lidl has opened at 7625 Old Georgetown Road at Bethesda Place in downtown Bethesda. There were free German pretzels in the bakery, and many Supermarket Finds-worthy products to be found in the store's middle aisle area. T-shirts, underwear, and even $12 sneakers can be acquired there, as well as an outdoor projector and a screen to project onto. A comparison chart shows that you could save over $20 shopping at Lidl over Giant, based on the basket of common items they selected. Of course, the trade-off is that the selection of brands and food items is much larger at Giant. Low prices, a tight inventory, and seasonal German items are the top draws at Lidl, now finally here in Bethesda.

More signage installed at Lidl in Bethesda (Photos)

A number of additional exterior signs have been installed for the future Lidl grocery store at 7625 Old Georgetown Road at Bethesda Place. They include new logo signs on the curved facade at the corner of Old Georgetown and Woodmont Avenue, and above the parking garage entrance on Woodmont. One thing you will notice is how small they are. As Joe Jacoby once said, "Everything's so small!" 

The anti-business Montgomery County sign regulations strike again! Good Lord, let me get my binoculars out. If the taxes aren't high enough, and the profit margins slim enough, let's make it hard for anyone driving past to know your business is even there! Heckuva job, Brownie! Lidl is scheduled to open at 8:00 AM on July 30.

Lidl opening July 30 in Bethesda

Achtung! Lidl's new downtown Bethesda store at 7625 Old Georgetown Road at Bethesda Place has finally been added to the German grocery chain's Grand Openings page. The grand opening is now scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 8:00 AM. What's in it for you? "Score free samples, Lidl swag and more," the company promises. "Come early—the first 100 customers in line will get Lidl gift cards ranging from $5-$100."

Depending on how fast shipping from the UK to America is, you could be wearing an official Lidl by Lidl jacket when standing in line that morning. A cross-promotion with the Oasis reunion tour, the coat will be available for 30 pounds at 10:00 AM British Standard Time on July 9. The jacket features "drink-cooling pockets, a bottle opener for a zipper, a ‘Lidl By Lidl’ badge and an accompanying tambourine." Croissants sold separately.

Bethesda Lidl update (Photos)

The new Lidl store at 7625 Old Georgetown Road at Bethesda Place still doesn't appear on the German grocery chain's "Grand Openings" page, and the shelves are still empty. But the recently-restarted work to complete the store's preparations for opening have continued apace over the last week. The most-noticeable addition is the first exterior signage, which is currently unlit. Another big step is the first shopping carts having been rolled into place inside the store's Old Georgetown vestibule, where a sign now labels the elevators to the parking garage. And another new sign promises fresh butter croissants for forty-nine cents.