Strong-arm robbery at Bethesda convenience store

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery at a downtown Bethesda convenience store Tuesday morning, October 22, 2024. The robbery was reported at Tobacco & More Mart at 7809 Old Georgetown Road. It occurred at 9:39 AM Tuesday. This is approximately the fourth time the store has been targeted by robbers since it opened last year. 

Brick wall destroyed again at 7-Eleven in Bethesda (Photos)

Oh, no, not again! Someone accidentally or intentionally smashed into the brick wall along the property line separating 7-Eleven at 7820 Wisconsin Avenue from the vacant EagleBank property behind it in downtown Bethesda. The same thing happened last May, but the damage from yesterday's crash is even worse than last year's. About half of the wall is completely destroyed, just 13 months after it had been rebuilt. It looks like a guardrail or bollards are needed to prevent this recent surge in poor or malicious driving.

Dippin' Dots now available at Tobacco & More Mart in Bethesda

Dippin' Dots are now available at Tobacco & More Mart at 7809 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. The flash-frozen ice cream treat can't be sold just anywhere, as it must be stored at −40 °F or colder. For some local residents, Dippin' Dots were a bigger part of life in Bethesda during the 1990s than they probably should have been. We are definitely experiencing Dippin' Dots weather in Bethesda this week.

Former convenience store space being cleared out at Gallery Bethesda (Photos)

The ground floor space at the Gallery Bethesda apartment tower at 4800 Auburn Avenue that was home to a convenience store for a decade is now being emptied out. Aria Beer Wine & Deli closed this past January, and was the anchor retail tenant when the building opened in 2014. The store had been ordered closed and secured by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the State of Maryland. Business entity Prosperity Partners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 2, 2023. Reminders of some of the most popular features of the store can still be seen inside, such as the signage for "gourmet sandwich," and the dry cleaning area.

7-Eleven cleared out at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

7-Eleven closed in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda at the end of last month, as I reported January 30. Inventory was mostly cleaned off of shelves by February 7, but a lot of equipment and displays remained inside the darkened space. Now it has been cleared out and sealed off, in addition to the retractable metal barrier that could still be seen through last week. It's unclear why this location closed, as many have noted it was well-patronized during its short run at the mall, but the convenience store chain did close 184 stores nationwide last year.

February 7, 2024

February 7

February 7

Now sealed off

Assault at Bethesda convenience store

Montgomery County police were called to a convenience store in downtown Bethesda early Friday evening, January 26, 2024, after a 2nd-degree assault was reported there. The incident was reported at 6:05 PM Friday at the 7-Eleven at 7820 Wisconsin Avenue. Police reported that there was also damage to property there.

Police respond to shoplifting incident at Tobacco & More Mart in Bethesda (Photos)

Two Montgomery County police cruisers pulled up in front of Tobacco & More Mart at 7809 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda Monday night, October 30, 2023, around 9:22 PM. It turns out there was a shoplifting incident at the convenience store, which opened earlier this year. Thefts of merchandise and burglaries at businesses have been a significant part of the current crime wave in Montgomery County, and smoke shops have been among those targeted. Smoke Island, located a few blocks away in the Woodmont Triangle, was broken into in August. Those burglars were caught by police a short time later.

7-Eleven Slurpee Day 2023 means a free small Slurpee today, July 11

Today is July 11, and 7/11 is...no longer 7-Eleven Day. The convenience store chain has rebranded today as Slurpee Day, because it is running the promotion across three different chains it now controls: 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes. Despite the new name, the game is still the same: You can get a free small Slurpee today at all three stores, which in the case of Montgomery County really just means 7-Eleven.

7-Eleven is offering two other bonuses for Slurpee Day this year. Select fresh food items will be sold for $1 through the 7REWARDS program, including pizza slices, STUFDCAKES cupcakes, and the legendary Big Bite Hot Dog. And, if you are lucky, your nearest 7-Eleven store will also have three limited-edition Slurpee flavors: Sprite Lymonade Legacy, Summertime Citrus, and Fanta Dragon Fruit Zero Sugar. 

Bethesda 7-Eleven's smashed brick wall repaired (Photos)

Even Donald Trump might be impressed with the wall-building job at the 7-Eleven at 7820 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The brick wall between the convenience store's parking lot and the former EagleBank property behind it was smashed by an unknown perpetrator last month, leaving about half the wall in a pile of bricks on the ground. Workers have now rebuilt the wall brick-by-brick, but the metal fence topper that was also knocked off was not yet restored at the point these photos were taken. As the old TV ad used to say, "If you can see it in your mind, you can build it out of brick."

Armed robbery at Bethesda convenience store

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a convenience store in Bethesda early yesterday morning, October 5, 2022. The robbery was reported at a store in the 5100 block of River Road at 2:49 AM Wednesday. 7-Eleven is the only convenience store on that block open at that hour.

Assault with knife at Bethesda 7-Eleven store

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault at the 7-Eleven at 7820 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda Monday night, August 8, 2022. The assault was reported at 9:15 PM. MoCo PG News on Twitter reported that a knife-wielding man attempted to attack a store employee, and was taken into custody by officers. No serious injuries were reported, but the store was forced to close for a short time.

DoorDash to bring DashMart convenience store service to Montgomery County

DashMart items awaiting orders via
virtual convenience store service

Montgomery County DoorDash users will get access to the company's DashMart convenience store service in the coming months. Much like the "ghost kitchens" that serve a variety of menus from one restaurant - or a remote kitchen that isn't in a restaurant at all - DashMart functions as a ghost convenience store. DoorDash drivers will pick up your order from a central warehouse in Rockville, including anything from milk and eggs to ice cream, soda and potato chips. DashMart also partners with local businesses who wish to sell their packaged food items, artisan wares and home goods through the delivery service.

Photo courtesy DoorDash

Ege Market opens in Bethesda

Ege Market, an international convenience store, has opened at 4923 St. Elmo Avenue. They carry products from Europe, Russia and the Middle East. See pictures below for a socially-distanced sample of the available products, and the store's operating hours.

Ege Market international convenience store coming to Bethesda

Ege Market, an international convenience store, is coming to 4923 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The owner says they will carry a wide variety of products from Europe and the Middle East. They expect to open the last week of September.

7-Eleven sets opening date at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The epic delays in the construction of the new 7-Eleven store inside Westfield Montgomery Mall appear to finally be reaching an end. The store now has an official grand opening date of March 27, 2020. Let's face it - timing is not their thing.

Perhaps the only thing worse than opening a store in the middle of a pandemic - from a business standpoint - would be opening a movie theater or restaurant. But once things get back to normal, this is going to be an interesting venture to watch. It is either rare or unprecedented for a 7-Eleven to open in a mall food court. The layout of the store, and which products and categories are emphasized, will be intriguing to see.

Bethesda construction update: 7-Eleven at Montgomery Mall (Photos)

Construction on the new 7-Eleven at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda has been creeping along for months. Long past several expected timelines for opening, the future store now has a sharp 7-Eleven logo clock near the ceiling inside. You can also see shelving and counters in place, for self serve food and drink items. Refrigerated cases are visible in the background, as well. Stay tuned for an opening date.

7-Eleven still crawling toward opening at Montgomery Mall

It's been nearly a year since I first reported 7-Eleven would open a new Bethesda location at Westfield Montgomery Mall, and opening day doesn't seem much closer than it did back then. A peek inside the screens around the convenience store's future spot at the edge of the Dining Terrace finds little sign of any significant construction, aside from a 7-Eleven-esque bit of green paint near the ceiling.

All work done so far is still on the basic shell of the interior, as opposed to counters and shelving. At this point, I'm not expecting this store to open while they still have the Mountain Dew Merry Mash-up Slurpee for the Christmas season.

Bethesda Bazar opens on Norfolk Avenue

Bethesda Bazar, officially spelled with one "a," has opened at 8006 Norfolk Avenue. While still nominally a convenience store like previous tenants, the focus is strongly on craft beer and fine wine, as well as organic groceries. As you can see, they have a decently large inventory for the size of floor space available.

The Bethesda Bazaar to replace convenience store

What started off as a renovation is going to end as a new business at 8006 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The Bethesda Mini Mart convenience store closed about a month ago. Now I've learned it will be replaced by The Bethesda Bazaar this fall.

The new store will be an organic market. It will continue to offer beer and wine sales, but promises more upscale breweries and labels. They will also carry a selection of fine teas. Stay tuned for an opening date.

Bethesda Mini Mart closes for renovations

Mini Mart at 8006 Norfolk Avenue suddenly has paper over the front windows. A nearby business owner says the convenience store has temporarily closed for a remodeling, and will reopen in a few weeks. The store changed ownership last year, and earlier this year began selling a modest selection of beer and wine.