DUNKIN' DONUTS TO CLOSE MAY 31 AT BETHESDA ROW - BUT RETURN ON ELM ST. THIS FALL (PHOTOS)

EXCLUSIVE!

We knew Dunkin' Donuts was going to close on Bethesda Avenue this summer, but now I have the exact date from the local franchisee - May 31. But Bethesda is still going to have 3 Dunkin' Donuts stores anyway: Dunkin' Donuts will move into a vacant spot on Elm Street early this fall (but they declined to identify which one at this moment). The two that are currently available are the other half of the former Ri-Ra, the other half of which was recently leased by Noodles & Co., and the former Kraze Burgers a block east.

Kraze Burgers seems a bit oversized for a Dunkin' Donuts, making Ri-Ra seem to be the frontrunner.

Dunkin' Donuts opened stores at Bethesda Metro Center, and in the Norfolk-Cordell II building on Cordell Avenue, just this year.

DUNKIN' DONUTS MAY STAY AT BETHESDA ROW THROUGH MAY 2014

There may be good news for those who wanted Dunkin' Donuts to remain on Bethesda Avenue. I received a tip last night from reader Diana Russell, who reports that the store manager said they now have a lease to remain in their current Bethesda Row location through May 2014.

I had been wondering about the Dunkin' Donuts situation in recent weeks, as it had been announced that they would be replaced by a mystery retail tenant at the end of May. But Dunkin' Donuts - thankfully - has remained open.

Secondly, the new location in the Clark Construction building has never materialized. I walk by there frequently, and nothing's happening donutwise. And the other new Dunkin' Donuts location, the under-construction Norfolk-Cordell II, is not ready for tenants yet.

Those (lack of) developments now make sense, with this word from the manager.

Tips from readers are always welcome here - they help immensely. So, if you have a tip, gossip, something suspicious going on in your neighborhood, etc., email me at robert [ at ] robertdyer.net.