First look: Paint Nail Bar in Bethesda (Photos)

The sign is up at Paint Nail Bar at 7928 Wisconsin Avenue, in the ground floor of the 8001 Woodmont development in downtown Bethesda. Last night, it was lit. Window coverings were also removed, giving us a sneak peek at the interior of the nail salon. Paint Nail Bar will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, August 18, 2023.

Nike by Bethesda May 25 opening date confirmed by Nike

The new Nike Store at Bethesda Row, Nike by Bethesda at 7117 Arlington Road (Nike is calling it 4827 Bethesda Avenue, which is incorrect), will officially open this Thursday, May 25, 2023. Nike confirmed the opening date in an email Monday; Google had posted the grand opening date last week. 

Nike advises customers to download the Nike app, and activate "location services," to get the most out of your grand opening day visit. Hours of operation for the store will be 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday - Saturday, and 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Sundays.

Organic Butcher of Bethesda to host grand opening event May 6

The Organic Butcher of Bethesda opened back on March 9, 2023 at 7925 Old Georgetown Road. It will mark a successful first two months in business this Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Guests will include wineries Artisans & Vines and Early Mountain Winery, and brewer Landmade Brewery, and there will be free meat, cheese and charcuterie samples.

“I have been eyeing Bethesda for years as a potential place for expansion and am so excited to be here in this awesome community,” owner Don Roden said in a statement yesterday. “Our new location is larger, and gives us the opportunity to stock more products and make prepared foods in-house. Our short rib Mac n cheese and lasagna have been big hits so far,” Roden added.

The Organic Butcher features house-prepared meats, sausages, prepared foods, produce and fresh bread delivered daily from A Baked Joint. You'll also find a wide selection of local craft beers, boutique wines, artisan cheese and unique grocery items. Select a perfect wagyu ribeye, a fresh fish, or even bison, venison and ostrich. Expert advice and cooking tips are always available from the experienced butcher behind the counter.

Photos courtesy The Organic Butcher of Bethesda

Orangetheory Fitness celebrates grand opening in Bethesda

Orangetheory Fitness held a grand opening event yesterday at its new Bethesda studio at 7955 Woodmont Avenue, in the 8001 Woodmont apartment building. This orange, inflatable tube man was welcoming new members and passersby alike. You can join and book classes using the Orangetheory Fitness app on your phone or tablet, or by calling 301.565.0366.

Cafe X-Press sets grand reopening date in Bethesda

A team of workers was busy completing the remodeling of Cafe X-Press at 8000 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda yesterday. The popular cafe and deli closed unexpectedly in July, but is now returning under new management. A grand opening is now scheduled for November 15, 2021, and the celebration will continue with a free cookie giveaway from November 15 through November 30. One per person, Cookie Monster!

Clove & Cedar to hold grand opening this weekend in Bethesda

Clove & Cedar Coffeebar will host a grand opening this weekend at 4918 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. They will be having Grand Opening hours June 8 and 9, 2019 from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM. 

There will be hourly prize drawings during the grand opening, and free samples. The coffee shop will officially open next Wednesday, June 12. Clove & Cedar is located in the ground floor of the Bainbridge Bethesda apartment tower.

The Halal Guys opening Sunday in Bethesda

The Halal Guys  have finally announced their long-anticipated Grand Opening date in Bethesda. They will open tomorrow, Sunday, August 19, 2018 at 11:00 AM. The Halal Guys is located at 4915 Elm Street.

Fish Taco grand opening today at Bethesda Row

Fish Taco will officially open its new downtown Bethesda location today at 7251 Woodmont Avenue. The restaurant held a soft opening lunch and dinner service last night to get ready. They'll be open regular hours today, from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM.

Training Ground to hold grand opening this Saturday, Jan. 6, in Bethesda

Training Ground, a new fitness concept located at 4940 Hampden Lane, Suite 200 in downtown Bethesda, will hold its Grand Opening this coming Saturday, January 6, 2018 from 1:00-3:00 PM.  Click here for free tickets.

The first 50 attendees will receive a free gift bag. Inside the bag will be snacks from Amazi, Noshbar and Territory Foods. Bag winners will also be entitled to a free personal training consultation at Training Ground, and a free physical therapy consultation from Cohen Health & Performance.

Everyone will enjoy free food and mimosas from Bethesda Row eateries Sweetgreen and Modern Market as they tour the facility. Training Ground's selling point is that they provide the large, modern space and world-class fitness equipment, but the various training options are provided by the independent personal trainers who use the facility as a shared workspace.

Photos courtesy Training Ground

Banana Leaves Asian Cafe sets opening date in Bethesda

Banana Leaves Asian Cafe, the new restaurant located at 7816 Old Georgetown Road, will have its grand opening next Wednesday, July 26. The venture is related to the existing Banana Leaves cafe in Rockviile, and will feature Malaysian, Thai and Chinese cuisine. Gluten-free dishes will be available. Banana Leaves replaces the venerable North China Cafe, which closed in June.

First National Bank grand opening today in Bethesda (Photos)

If you thought there weren't enough banks in downtown Bethesda already, today we get one more. First National Bank will open this morning for the first time in the Bethesda Crescent Building. This space at 7475 Wisconsin Avenue previously belonged to Monument Bank.

Toll Brothers sets opening date for Hampden Row in Bethesda

Big news from Toll Brothers City Living - The developer has set the Grand Opening of its Hampden Row ultra-luxury condominiums for Saturday, February 25 and Sunday, February 26, 2017, from 1:00-5:00 PM both days. Two model units will be unveiled for prospective buyers to tour during the grand opening event.

Hampden Row is located at 4915 Hampden Lane, at the corner with Arlington Road. Prices begin at $500,000.

Photos
Top: Robert Dyer
Bottom: Toll Brothers City Living

Tapp'd Bethesda grand opening Wednesday

Tapp'd Bethesda, which has been in a soft-opening mode since Saturday afternoon, will officially open tomorrow, May 4, at 2:00 PM. The first 50 guests through the door will receive a ticket for a free draft beer of the 42 available. 100 bottled or canned beers are also sold at Tapp'd.

Samples of menu items will be available between 4:00 and 6:00 PM, and Tapp'd signature drafts will be $4 all day. Many of those beers are from the state of Maryland.

A pre-Civil War reclaimed wood bar top caps off decor designed to recall "the golden age of Bethesda and the nation," according to a press release. While dropping the DJ and dancing of predecessor Union Jack's, Tapp'd is keeping the state-of-the-art sound system and televisions for sporting events.

The target audience has shifted from college and recent graduates to "playful adults," with skee-ball, air hockey, foosball and pool providing entertainment. Late night happy hours will occur nightly, and live acoustic music will liven things up on weekends.

Tapp'd's logo incorporates the colors of the Maryland flag, and that is part of the establishment's branding. "We are excited to blend Maryland and Bethesda pride with great brews and food," general manager Robert Cousins said Monday. It will be one of the few nightspots to take advantage of the new 3:00 AM closing time in Montgomery County on Friday and Saturday nights; Tapp'd will close at 2:00 AM on all other nights of the week. 11:00 AM will be the opening time daily.

Smoothie King grand opening this weekend

Don't forget about the Smoothie King grand opening celebration this weekend at their new Bethesda Avenue store. The shop has been open for a while, but the celebration starts today with a $5 medium smoothie special, and continues all weekend. Here are the details.

Smoothie King

4710 Bethesda Avenue

SMOOTHIE KING GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION MARCH 27-29

The new Bethesda Avenue Smoothie King, which opened last month, will officially celebrate its Grand Opening on March 27, 28, and 29. 

On all three days, kids can get a free Kids' Cup smoothie with the purchase of one Kids' Cup smoothie, all merchandise in the store will be 20% off, they'll be giving away balloons and t-shirts, and there will be raffles to win prizes from local businesses.

On the 27th only, there will be a $5 medium smoothie special to kick off the weekend.

ARCLIGHT CINEMAS BETHESDA OPENS TODAY (VIDEO)

Today is the official grand opening of the new 16-screen Arclight Cinemas at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. You may have attended already during the cineplex's "soft opening" over the last couple of weeks. If so, please post a comment on your experience below.

If you haven't gone, it's not too late to order tickets. Curious about what ArcLight has to offer compared to other theaters within driving distance? Watch my video review for a preview of the ArcLight experience, and hear about the concept and dining options directly from ArcLight employees themselves. See the largest-screen auditorium, learn some technical specs, and hear about the brand's selling points - like no advertising before the movie!

Interstellar is the big movie there this weekend, as well as Big Hero 6 - which is not a sequel, despite the title.

STEPHEN STRASBURG TO APPEAR AT MICROSOFT STORE OPENING IN BETHESDA #NATITUDE

Microsoft has just announced that Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be a VIP guest at the Saturday, November 22 Grand Opening of the Microsoft Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The first 200 customers in line at 10:30 AM that morning will receive a ticket for a chance to play Xbox One with the Nats ace, who will appear from 4:00-6:00 PM.

Grand opening attendees will also get special deals, including a Toshiba Encore 8-inch 32GB tablet for just $99, or an Xbox 360 for only $99.

Microsoft will present technology grants to community organizations during the 10:30 AM ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition to products, the store will also feature an Answer Desk where customers can receive expert advice on their Microsoft gadgets and software.

GALLERY BETHESDA RIBBON CUTTING AND ROOFTOP/SKY LOUNGE TOUR (VIDEO)

Travel vicariously with me 18-stories above downtown Bethesda, and see it as you've never seen it before, from the new highest point in town - the Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower, at 4800 Auburn Avenue.

Developer and builder The Donohoe Companies, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, building management firm Vantage Management, and a representative of Congressman Chris Van Hollen were among those celebrating the Grand Opening of the Gallery at a ribbon cutting last Thursday.

Here is video from the ribbon cutting, and then we take a high-speed elevator to the rooftop and Sky Lounge. There you'll see the posh indoor space, as well as the amazing views from the outdoor rooftop deck, complete with gas grills, fireplace and resort-style pool. Among the sights from the roof are Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, NIH, Tysons Corner (including a 30-story Donohoe residential building that just topped out, and can be seen from the Gallery), White Flint, Silver Spring, Glenmont and Sugarloaf Mountain.

GALLERY BETHESDA LUXURY APARTMENTS GRAND OPENING PHOTO GALLERY!

Did you stop by the Grand Opening of the first new residential building to open in Bethesda in years yesterday? If not, I have photos from the opening here for you. And rooftop views that are not possible from any other vantage point in Bethesda. Video is coming soon!

Fortunately, the weather turned perfect just in time for the event, as representatives of Donohoe Development, Vantage Management, Monument Bank, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, and other VIP guests celebrated the opening of the state-of-the-art Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower. As always, click on any photo to blow it up for greater detail:

Getting ready to cut the ribbon

Rooftop pool, complete with
artworks and a lifeguard on duty

Since I was last up on the roof at
The Gallery, Roof - the restaurant - has
opened (upper left corner)

18 stories above downtown Bethesda;
that road going straight into the
distance in the upper right corner?
Arlington Road

For those who can't decide whether
they want to lay out in the sun, or
be in the pool - you can multitask
on the roof at Gallery Bethesda

It won't be this easy to get a chair
after the building fills up

The outdoor fireplace is on the
other side of the fencing by the pool

Take in the skyline of the Bethesda Central
Business District from here

Not a cloud in the sky. Well...

VIP guests

More VIP guests

This outdoor fireplace will be
fantastic during the winter

I hope you're not afraid of heights

Walter Reed National Military Medical
Center

The Mormon Temple

Inside the rooftop Sky Lounge

Rack 'em up

I should have grabbed that
Bud Light Straw-Ber-Rita
before it disappeared

The late James A. Donohoe III at
the Gallery's topping out party
(sorry for the blurry photo, but
this photo was part of the slideshow
running on the big screens)

Indeed it is!

The photo booth

You have to spend time in the Sky Lounge to pick
up all of the little interior design details

Tables with views include this
one by the pool

Chill out after work in front of the big screen

There's the screen

Another poolside view

I've named this the
Walter Reed table

The elevators to the rooftop

There was a scavenger hunt to
win prizes

Appetizers by 4935 Bar & Kitchen
on Cordell Avenue

More of the 4935 spread...

Perhaps something healthier?

With Gallery Bethesda's property manager,
Manuel Majano, in charge, the
entire event was well-orchestrated