Strosniders Hardware burglarized in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at Strosniders Hardware at 6930 Arlington Road in the Bradley Shopping Center in downtown Bethesda in the "early morning hours" of July 3, 2024. Officers responding to the scene found evidence of forced entry to the store. The burglars escaped with an unspecified amount of cash.

Police describe the suspects only as "two males." If you have any information about this incident, or can identify either of the suspects, you are asked to call police at (301) 279-8000.

Smoke Out BBQ Festival this Saturday at Strosniders Hardware in Bethesda

The annual Smoke Out BBQ Festival at Strosniders Hardware in Bethesda is this Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Attendees will enjoy live barbecue demonstrations - and free samples of the results, raffles and giveaways. The festival is also known for being the best time of the year to buy a grill at Strosniders.

Deals on grills will be the best of the year at Strosniders during this Saturday's event. And every qualifying grill purchase will earn you a free goodie bag. The Smoke Out is being held at all three Strosniders locations this Saturday - Bethesda in the Bradley Shopping Center at 6930 Arlington Road, Potomac at 10110 River Road, and Kensington at 10504 Connecticut Avenue.

Strosniders Hardware to return to full business hours tomorrow in Bethesda

Strosniders Hardware at 6930 Arlington Road in the Bradley Shopping Center will expand back to its normal business hours tomorrow, January 30, 2021. Those hours are Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Saturdays 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM, and Sundays 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.

The store was forced to briefly close earlier this month after a coronavirus outbreak among employees. When the store had been sanitized, and all other employees tested and cleared for the virus, Strosniders reopened with limited hours, and has been gradually expanding towards the resumption of full hours.

Strosniders closes temporarily after employees test positive for coronavirus

It's not often you see no activity at Strosniders Hardware in Bethesda during the popular store's operating hours. But the store was indeed closed Monday evening. A sign on the door says multiple employees at the store have tested positive for Covid-19. According to the sign, the Bethesda location will remain closed until all employees can be tested, and the store sanitized. 

Strosniders' Kensington and Potomac stores remain open for business. This is one of the rare times since the pandemic began that a private business in Montgomery County has publicly acknowledged an outbreak. 

Montgomery County has not conducted any significant contact tracing, and outside of honest businesses like Strosniders who look out for the safety of their customers, there have been few public announcements to alert shoppers or diners that they have been exposed. The only public announcements made by the County government have been when employees at their own monopoly liquor stores have tested positive, raising the question of why the same information has not been traced and announced for private businesses.

BRADLEY PARTY & VARIETY OPENS IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Bradley Party & Variety had its long-awaited opening yesterday, in the legendary Bruce Variety space at Bradley Shopping Center.

The revamped interior - by the Bethesda architectural firm of Bruce Lawson - retains a retro atmosphere, but is brighter and more colorful and spacious. Most notably, exposed hardwood floors play an integral part in the design.

New automatic front doors are a nice touch, as well as being practical when carrying large shopping bags out to the car.

Bradley Party & Variety's hours are:

Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Regular readers will recognize the new BP&V logo, chosen in a design contest sponsored by the owners, which I gave you an exclusive preview of months ago.

Now the competition begins in earnest. With the original Bruce Variety open at 8011 Woodmont Avenue, both stores will compete for your business.

Feel free to post your opinions in the comments below. Have you visited both stores? Which one comes out on top for interior design, prices, customer service, and inventory? Or is it a draw?

BRUCE VARIETY OWNER SPEAKS OUT ON RIVAL BRADLEY PARTY & VARIETY

EXCLUSIVE!

Local residents have been taking sides, and gossip and rumors have been popping up online, regarding the contentious rivalry between Bruce Variety and new competitor Bradley Party & Variety.  Conspiracy theories about Bruce's being "forced out" of the Bradley Shopping Center have been posited, and some have suggested the whole dime store showdown has its origins in a family feud. One popular rumor is that BV's former next-door neighbor, Strosniders Hardware, wanted to take over Bruce's space. Strosniders has vigorously denied this, and says it was unaware Bruce Variety would reopen across town.

Now, Bruce Variety owner Richard Dimock is speaking out, in a statement posted here on Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row.

"For Strosnider's to say that they didn't know, and then try and manipulate the community's thinking to believe that they were trying to 'save the day' by putting another variety store in," said Dimock, "is simply not factual."

As proof, Dimock pointed to the sign Bruce's posted on their former storefront announcing their pending reopening on Woodmont Avenue, which he believes was removed by the landlord or new tenant after they vacated the premises.

Regarding the rumors of Strosniders having a role in Bruce Variety's rent being increased, Dimock asserted that "Strosniders wields influence in that shopping center, and there is no question that they have wanted that space for years."

Dimock accused a member of the Strosniders family of "plying" one ex-employee "with money" to gain information about which vendors Bruce's utilizes.  He added that "we discovered that they reserved their new business name for Bradley Party and Variety, within five days after we moved to our new location."
***

It seems that this competition is quickly growing personal. I personally find this unpleasant, as I and others in my family have been loyal customers of both Strosniders and Bruce Variety for decades.

In fact, I was just shopping at Strosniders a few nights ago.

And I plan to shop at the new Bruce Variety location when it opens. At the same time, given the excellent customer service I've experienced at Strosniders over the years, I would also shop at the new Bradley Party & Variety. I wish all 3 stores the best, and would not want any of them to fail.

Let's hope the competition moves to prices, service and selection sooner, rather than later.

STROSNIDERS HARDWARE RECOGNIZED BY MD COMPTROLLER PETER FRANCHOT FOR 60 YEARS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE (PHOTOS)

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot paid a visit to Bethesda institution Strosniders Hardware yesterday. Franchot presented them with an official Certificate of Recognition for the company's 60 years in business, and outstanding customer service to the community.

The comptroller demonstrated impeccable timing, as Strosniders is the place Bethesda residents head for the large selection of snow and ice-fighting supplies.  But Strosniders is the place you can also get expert advice on those everyday home and condo problems, from plumbing to gardening to painting.

Strosniders' Bethesda location is in the Bradley Shopping Center at Bradley Boulevard and Arlington Road.

SNOW, ICE REMOVAL SUPPLIES AT STROSNIDERS IN BETHESDA

What little snow there is won't be going anywhere for awhile. Freezing temperatures make snow and ice removal a real chore.

Strosniders Hardware in the Bradley Shopping Center has what you need to tackle the job.  Ice scrapers, ice melting pellets and snow shovels are all there.

But they also have heated stair and front walk mats that will melt away snow and ice without chemicals being left behind for kids or pets.