Below is a list of several businesses that have recently opened and closed at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, as well as others that are coming soon.
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Businesses
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Based on the Consumer Price Index for all urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) for the Washington-Baltimore region, the Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer has set the rate for the increase of minimum wage for July 2022 for large employers (those with 51 employees or more) at $15.65 per hour. After hitting the $15 minimum wage rate last year, the law now requires the Chief Administrative Officer to adjust the rate each year. The change is based on the previous calendar year. Previous years were based on rate of increase determined by the Montgomery County Council to get to $15.
“This is an important next step to ensure that the minimum wage keeps up with inflation,” said County Executive Elrich. “For too long, the minimum wage was stagnant and did not change based on inflation. I was proud to champion the increase in minimum wage when I was a County Councilmember and pleased to see it finally reached $15 per hour for large employers last year, and under the law, once the minimum wage hits $15, it is then increased based on inflation so that low wage workers are not left behind. A decent wage is the path to more opportunity and improved equity.”
Briana has worked in luxury retail for nearly 10 years, first starting in corporate but soon transitioning back to the intimate small-business setting that she missed most. Briana’s passion for childrenswear grew long before her professional career began. Her family owned several luxury children’s clothing boutiques and a children’s shoe store throughout the DMV. She regularly visited all stores, helping out on weekends and developing back of house skills from a very young age. Briana resides in the area with her family and their sweet Cavapoo, Rue!
Maddie has worked with small businesses locally and nationwide as a Marketing and PR Director. With her extensive knowledge in ecommerce, advertising, social media strategy and more, she has aided in such companies’ exponential growth. On a personal note, Maddie is familiar with the hard work it takes to run a successful small business as her husband is a fourth generation jeweler, with a store in Potomac, Maryland. Together they reside in the Lakelands community with their rescue dog, Moo, and their two young daughters, Rosie and Lucy.
Located at 4853 Cordell Avenue, the new space will be housed at the previous Unity Woods Yoga Studio, which stopped operating at the location in summer of 2020. Owned and operated by Maryland native Jen Dobbins, Unity Dance & Movement is the in-person outgrowth of a virtual dance space she’s operated since 2020.
“When COVID closed many area dance studios, several parents and students approached me, asking that I teach virtually,” Dobbins says. “I started offering instruction, via Zoom, in my living room. Word gradually got around and I eventually hired some of my former colleagues to keep up with demand. Now, as the region transitions beyond the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to bring back in-person dance instruction to Bethesda.”
Permanent signage is up at the upcoming Five Below at 516 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg, the former location of Chuck E. Cheese. No opening date has been announced but […]
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Teen accessory chain Claire’s new location in Gaithersburg Square is scheduled to open Tuesday, May 31. It is taking over the former Grog’s Beer and Wine location between AT&T and Ashley Furniture Homestore. The Claire’s located a quarter of a mile away inside of Lakeforest Mall is now closed. As malls across the nation are closing, Claire’s is opening more locations in strip malls, as well as “store-inside-store’s” at Wal-Marts.
Claire’s has been the go-to spot for teen ear-piercing, jewelry, and accessories since the 60s. The company has experienced some rocky years, declaring bankruptcy, which it emerged from in 2018. Claire’s also has MoCo locations inside of Montgomery and Wheaton malls, and at the Clarksburg Outlets.
Bacall & Bogie, an “experiential, luxury fashion boutique” that is part art gallery, part sustainable clothing shop, is now open at 8001 Wisconsin Ave Suite 202 in Bethesda. According to the store, “We offer an edited selection of chic, versatile, and sustainably produced garments and accessories from Spain, France, Portugal, Denmark, and more. Committed to quality over quantity, we’re on a mission to make our clientele’s closets easier to shop by providing new, interesting designs for every role they play: the Momtrepreneur, the Traveler, the Artist, the Trendsetter, et., ALL. And we work with brands that respect people and the planet. These choices are simple, but significant. Additionally, Bacall & Bogie is a place to gather. In the post COVID-world we wanted to return to a better and stronger community than we had before, so we created it. Whether it’s an art exhibit, artist workshop, you name it, we want this to be a place for you to come and experience something new.”
“When asked why I started Bacall and Bogie, the answer is pretty straightforward: I am different than I was before. During that first spring of COVID, I remember seeing the cherry blossom blooms brighter than they ever have been. The sky was bluer. The Venetian canals ran clear. It became even more apparent that the way we treat the environment needed to change, and if it did, we could reap the benefits. Our purchasing power and the decision to support sustainable and ethical brands has a major impact on that,” said owner Laura Genova.
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On Friday, May 20, employees of the Starbucks at 16806 Georgia Ave in Olney voted 9-4 in favor of unionizing, according to a tweet by Starbucks Workers United. In April, employees of the store sent a letter to Starbucks President Howard Schultz announcing their intention to unionize, saying they had attempted on numerous occasions to communicate with management regarding their grievances but believe their concerns fell on deaf ears. The letter went on to say that the employees had, “grown increasingly exhausted and stressed, not to mention faced with constant, inconsistently enforced changes.”
Olney is the third Maryland Starbucks location to unionize, joining stores in Baltimore and Linthicum Heights. On Friday Council Vice-President Evan Glass tweeted support for the Olney Starbuck’s, saying he was “really proud that the Starbucks on Georgia Ave in Olney is officially the first Starbucks in Montgomery County and 3rd in Maryland to unionize. Stopped by today to support the workers as they voted. Congrats and thank you.”
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Airpark Towing and Auto Repair has reached an agreement to lease the former Midas shop at 204 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg. According to a post by the company, “This will allow for much needed space at our Body Shop! It will be our first shop outside of the Airpark! You will see our famous logo as you drive though 355! We want to thank everyone for all your support on this crazy journey. Airpark has become one of the highest rated repair shops in our area! Our towing service has grown to be be the largest in Gaithersburg, and undisputedly the best!” The company hopes to have the location up later this spring.
The company was founded in 1983 with one tow truck in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It grew through Mario’s relationship building efforts with many mechanic shops, body-shop owners, and auto dealers in the Montgomery County, Maryland area. We owe much of our success to the shops who currently have accounts with us and have recommended Airpark Towing for all these years.
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A previous version of this article stated that OmniFun was closed. The business remains open until May 23rd
After three years in business, OmniFun Indoor Play Center at 831 Russell Ave Gaithersburg, which boasted having “one of the largest ball pits in Montgomery County,” is closing. The location’s assets, including a three-level indoor jungle gym, arcade machines, toys and general household items, are up for auction through Capital Online Auctions. Owner Mike Tian says the business could not recover after the coronavirus pandemic brought his business to a standstill. “The business was a success on the first day we were open,” he told Capital Online. “It served as a sweet spot for kids to socialize with others and for parents to relax and have a chat. We were very well received and recognized by the community. We had parents traveling hours to OmniFun every weekend. Our birthday parties were fully booked every weekend.”
Coming soon signage is up at the upcoming Five Below at 516 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg, the former location of Chuck E. Cheese. No opening date has been announced but but according to the sign it will be opening this spring and the store is currently hiring.
Five Below has additional Montgomery County locations in Gaithersburg (Kentlands), Germantown, Rockville, and Silver Spring. A representative from the Kentlands location told us last year that the new Gaithersburg store is not replacing the current Gaithersburg location.