Dunkin’ will offer free coffee to all educators as part of the World Teacher Day celebration, on Thursday, October 5th, Dunkin’ announced this week. Educators can pop into any participating Dunkin’ location for a free medium hot or iced coffee, with no additional purchase required. It is limited to one free coffee per customer, and does not include Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew. The deal is also open to all educators, from pre-school teachers and college professors to principals and counselors.

“Teachers are the backbone of our communities, educating the next generation of leaders to help keep our communities runnin’,” said multiple Field Marketing Managers via press releases across the country. “We’re excited to offer our dedicated educators a free coffee to recognize their passion and hard work.”  We recommend reaching out to your local Dunkin’ to ensure they’re participating: https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/locations. Below you’ll see the instagram story from the National Dunkin’ account, posted on Wednesday, October 4th.


Cafe Hong Kong, located at 13038 Middlebrook Rd in the Germantown Commons shopping center, is available for sale for an asking price of $250K. According to the business listing, the 3,150SF restaurant has a lease that expires in September of 2028 and has been in business for 45 years.

Per the listing, the “Chinese Restaurant for Sale – 45 Years in Business! Great Opportunity. Fully Equipped Turn-key Chinese Restaurant for Sale in Germantown Priced to Sell. Opportunities are endless when you have the high traffic counts and tenure this location has provided the nearby community.”


La Speranza is coming soon to Rockville, opening at 806 Baltimore Rd. in the location that was most recently home to Tia Ochi in the Burgundy Park shopping center that has been the longtime home of Jonathan’s Sports Pub.

While an exact opening date is not yet available, the restaurant had its alcohol license hearing with Montgomery County’s ABS last month and expects to open this month. La Speranza will feature both Tex-Mex and Italian cuisine, with a menu created by executive chef Neptali Mendoza, according to the restaurant’s website. Additional information from its website below:


With deals to open up shop in Germantown and Rockville falling through, and last year’s Burtonsville store not coming back, many Montgomery County residents are relying on the recently opened Rio location in Gaithersburg for their Halloween costumes and decorations. A nearby store has opened in nearby Laurel, just outside of the county, that can better-serve those who are closer to that area than Gaithersburg.

The Laurel store has taken over the former Total Wine storefront, located at 3221 Corridor Marketplace, for the Halloween season. We are told this is a larger Spirit Halloween location with more items and additional animatronics for customers to enjoy or purchase.


Bagels & Grinds is coming to 9812 Falls Road in the Potomac Village shopping center. The New York-style bagel spot will be located in the space that was previously occupied by The Potomac Village Deli. Bagels & Grinds is owned by Adam and Courtney Greenberg, owners of Potomac Pizza and the recently acquired Hunter’s Bar and Grill,  both of which are also located in Potomac Village. Bagels ‘n Grinds is expected to open mid-2024. In a press release, the company also announced plans to renovate the original Potomac Pizza location, which includes adding a full bar. Full details below:

“Adam and Courtney Greenberg, owners of Potomac Pizza, Bagels ‘n Grinds, and the recently acquired Hunter’s Bar and Grill, today announced plans to further transform the Potomac culinary scene by bringing Bagels ‘n Grinds to the Potomac Village. The Greenbergs, who took over full operations of Hunter’s Bar and Grill on Wednesday, September 27th with longtime manager and partner Daniel Seaman and Corporate Chef Tennille Middleton (Chef Tee), additionally announced the renovation of the original Potomac Pizza.


The 31st annual Taste of Bethesda takes place this Saturday, October 7th from 11am – 4pm, and will feature Bethesda’s best restaurants, five stages of live entertainment, an activity area for kids and more.

Admission to the Taste of Bethesda is free. Taste tickets are sold on-site in bundles of four tickets for $5. Food servings cost one to four tickets. Restaurants serve delectable dishes from 11am-4pm. Ticket sales end at 3:30pm. The event is held along Norfolk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and Auburn Avenues in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle. Taste of Bethesda is located just three blocks from the Bethesda Metro. Participating restaurants and entertainment schedule can be seen below:


The Jolly Shows Carnival will be at Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda) from Wednesday, October 4th until Sunday, October 8th. The carnival was previously scheduled to take place from September 20th-24th, but was postponed due to inclement weather.

There will be over 30 attractions, including carnival rides, games, and food wagons. According to their website, “We are a new generation of carnival operators who strive to be more progressive and professional. We realize that we must produce a premium product for our customer’s hard earned money. We won’t forget our proud traditions, but we are committed to overcoming the stigmas which have hindered our industry for far too long.”


Wiseguy Pizza is holding a grand opening party on Tuesday, October 3rd from 3-6PM for its new location in Wheaton Mall. The event will feature free slices of pizza for the first 500 customers, games, and prizes. The restaurant is located in the space that was previously occupied by Angel’s Pizza in the food court (preview video available below).

“Wiseguy Pizza recently the opened its 5th location here at Wheaton Mall, Maryland. They’re best known for their pizza-by-the-slice and their standout 18-inch “Big Apple Sized” pies, which are 65% larger than the typical 14-inch pizzas. Their menu also boasts of offering a wide variety of flavors such as classics like Pepperoni and Cheese, alongside unique flavors like Korean Chicken, Mushroom Truffle, and more.


Items from The Eleanor, which was located at 932 Ellsworth Dr in Downtown Silver Spring,  are currently being auctioned off by Capital Online Auctions. Items include a five lane mini bowling system and a bowling pin chandelier, as well as restaurant, bar, and office equipment.  The restaurant closed back in June. The auction begins closing October 5.


Dim Sum & Bubble Tea replaced Class 520 at 4941 Elm St in Bethesda earlier this year. Now the new restaurant’dessert spot is available to purchase for $150K, according to a business listing. According to the listing, the space was renovated in March 2023 (when the switch was made from Class 520 to Dim Sum & Bubble Tea) and the restaurant is “Located in Landmarks Bethesda MD, The Shoppes of Bethesda, facing cobblestoned, pedestrian Bethesda Lane in Bethesda Row.” The space is 852SF, with a lease that expires in April of 2025, and the reason for selling is listed as “Owner has other priorities for business.”

Class 520, which was previously in the space, opened in May of 2017 and served “Thai-inspired” ice cream that is made by pouring a milk-based liquid onto nearly freezing metal circle. The liquid is then spread out and rolled as it freezes into ice cream. The ice cream is served as rolls in a bowl/cup. The Rockville Class 520 location, which opened in October of 2016, was also recently made available for sale.


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