BN Cafe completed, Nook readers arrive at Barnes & Noble at Congressional Plaza

The Starbucks BN Cafe at the future Barnes & Noble bookstore at Congressional Plaza is complete, minus potential wall artwork. It's sure to stir cafe-envy in Bethesda residents stuck with the small and cafe-less Amazon Books as replacement for the shuttered Barnes & Noble at Bethesda Row.

First to hit the shelves at this relocating Rockville location? Nook e-readers. I'll take a hard copy book over one of those any day of the week, though.

Starbucks goes to delivery/drive-thru only; region on verge of coronavirus shelter-in-place lockdown

Montgomery County

coronavirus testing site

in the works

Starbucks announced Friday that it was moving sales at virtually all of its American stores to delivery orders and drive-thru service only. Deliveries are available through UberEats, the company said. Starbucks said locations in and near hospitals may be kept open to serve frontline health workers and first responders during the coronavirus crisis.

COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN

Leaks and statements from the District and Maryland suggest the region is nearing some form of a shelter-in-place order. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said his state is just one step away from declaring such an order. At least two journalists tweeted out yesterday that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser would order District residents to remain in their homes yesterday. Bowser's office quickly clarified such reports were false, but leaks from the DC government claim that the plans have been drawn up for implementation on short notice as needed.

National Guard units have been photographed on the move in many states across the country over the last week. A significant number of military vehicles were seen in the D.C. area Friday. As rumors began to spread online, the Maryland National Guard released a statement assuring citizens "there is not a threat of martial law." The Guard stated that the vehicles were headed to FedEx field, where troops are setting up a coronavirus testing site.

Military jets and helicopters were heard flying over Montgomery County early this morning, however.

ELRICH WANTS MONTGOMERY COUNTY

CORONAVIRUS TESTING SITE AT

WHITE FLINT MALL

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said at a press conference yesterday that the County hopes to establish a coronavirus testing site soon. MedStar would be the healthcare partner to staff and operate the site, he said. Elrich proposed using the site of the former White Flint Mall, of which only one store remains standing, for the testing location.

PIKE & ROSE RESTAURANTS

OFFERING TAKE-OUT AND DEALS

Restaurants at Pike & Rose are, like dining establishments countywide, rushing to adapt to the new abnormal of take-out/delivery only. Remember that they can also sell you beer and wine to-go under temporary alcohol sales rules.

City Perch in the iPic Theaters remains open for curbside pickup and delivery, even though the theater itself was forced to close under the sweeping statewide closures ordered by Hogan this week.

Here is a list of what other Pike & Rose restaurants are offering at this time:

• Kusshi Sushi is offering a:

• 50% discount to all medical and hospital workers
• $10 meal credit for students under 18
• 50% discount on wine
• 25% discount on beer and sake
• Must call to place order. Open until midnight!

• Julii is available on UberEats or call direct (301) 517-9090 for no fee delivery or curbside pick-up. They have also created a mini grocery with essential items currently hard to find in grocery stores: toilet paper, fruits, meats, vegetables, pastries, pasta, and sanitizer. Half price bottles of wine also available.
• Summer House Santa Monica created a similar mini take out market with such necessities.
• Stella Barra has “make your own” BBQ pizza-to-go kit for families to make family dinners at home
• Sweetgreen and &pizza are offering free meals to hospital workers

Starbucks warns of changes ahead as coronavirus panic accelerates

You could see coronavirus-related changes at your favorite Starbucks in the coming days and weeks - assuming American businesses remain open that long. Shortly after the Italian government shuttered all of that nation's businesses besides grocery stores and banks, and the governor of New York called in the National Guard to oversee a coronavirus "containment zone" in New Rochelle, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson emailed a personal letter to customers.

The coffee chain recently admitted what I said all along - that refilling dirty cups brought in by customers, and having them handled by the same people preparing your drinks, is unsanitary and a heightened risk to spread disease like the coronavirus - and axed that disgusting policy for now. Now Starbucks may go further. Johnson said that, based on the rapidly evolving situation, you might find your neighborhood Starbucks store only serving customers by delivery and mobile pick-up orders.

Stores that remain fully open could limit the number of customers seated inside, to facilitate "social distance" protocols. If the store has a drive-thru, that might alternatively be the only way to make an order. In the worst-case scenario, Johnson wrote, "we will close a store if we feel it is in the best interest of our customers and partners, or if we are directed to do so by government authorities. In any such situation, we expect store disruption to be temporary."

Johnson also added that the company is also watching out for its employees. Starbucks is now expanding catastrophe pay to cover employees who must miss work due to contraction of, or exposure to, covid-19.