Rockville distillery contents to be auctioned off

Twin Valley Distillers has closed at 1029 E. Gude Drive in Rockville. The contents of the business will be auctioned off later this month. That auction will begin to close on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Equipment up for grabs includes a beer filling machine, tanks, fermenters, a still with sight glasses, a hot liquor tank, a kegerator, and wooden barrels. To see the full item selection, and to place bids online, check out the auction listing. Recent times have been devastating to adult beverage production operations in Rockville, with the demise of Twin Valley and True Respite.

Socks to Be You, Native Arts close at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Two recent additions to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda have closed. Socks to Be You and Native Arts were seasonal pop-ups, and have departed to possibly return next year. The socks retailer has been a perennial tenant since at least 2022. I thought socks and native arts were year-round things, though.

See's Candies closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Lucky gift recipients have barely opened their See's Candies boxes, and the candymaker has already departed Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. They seem to close their seasonal holiday store earlier each year, and it doesn't get much earlier than Boxing Day. The curtain has fallen at See's Candies - literally, as you can see below - but the beloved California candy brand will almost certainly be back for the 2026 holiday season.

Roy Rogers closes in Rockville (Photos)

Devastating news from Rockville Pike: Roy Rogers has permanently closed at 718 Rockville Pike in Rockville. It seemed like Roy Rogers had just returned to Montgomery County, and now it is retreating before even opening a location in every town in MoCo. There's no question the lack of a drive-thru was a very poorly thought out plan, when drive-thrus account for over 70% of sales at fast food restaurants, and it certainly significantly reduced the number of times I did business there. But if they can't make it on Rockville Pike, it raises serious questions about the brand's future. Customers are being redirected to the Lost Knife Road location, one of the highest-crime streets in the County, and definitely not "nearby."

Buffalo Wild Wings closes in Rockville

The lights are on, but nobody's home. While the signs are lit outside of Buffalo Wild Wings at 33-C Maryland Avenue at the Square at Rockville, prospective diners pulling the front door handles were dismayed to find the restaurant has permanently closed. The nearest alternative location is Buffalo Wild Wings GO at 16256 Frederick Road at the Rock Grove shopping center. The departure of B Dubs leaves a sizable space vacant at The Square - I'm casting my early vote for Olive Garden. And Texas Roadhouse for the "half smoke coming soon" vacancy across the street.

Marble Slab Creamery closes in Rockville (Photos)

Marble Slab Creamery has closed at 100 Gibbs Street at The Square in Rockville. The closure is permanent, according to a sign posted at the ice cream parlor. Marble Slab opened here in 2011, so they had quite a successful run, especially for the Town Center area. Another vacant storefront.

Menu screens removed at closed Donutchew at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A quick update on the closure of Donutchew at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda: The mochi donut shop at the edge of the Dining Terrace food court remained closed Saturday. Another sign that the closure appears permanent is the removal of the menu screens from the stall, which were gone as of last evening. Who will fill the donut vacuum at Montgomery Mall?

Donutchew closed at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Donutchew was closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall during business hours last night. Their stall at the end of the Dining Terrace food court appeared to have been cleared out. The mochi donut shop has relocated in the mall once before, from a kiosk to this spot, but no signage or message was posted with any information for customers Thursday evening. Donutchew first opened at Montgomery Mall in November 2023.

Fashion Q closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Fashion Q has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Their space has been totally cleared out inside. The Los Angeles-based fashion wholesaler lasted less than a year at the mall after its November 2024 opening, despite its trademark super low prices. Fashion Q is the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy.

IT'SUGAR closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

IT'SUGAR has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The candy store's windows have been covered, and signage has been removed from above the entrance. Montgomery County's moribund economy and the County Council's anti-business policies, have turned the shop's sweet profit margin sour. Heckuva job, Brownie! IT'SUGAR's Rockville location closed several years ago.

In contrast to the closures here, IT'SUGAR is currently in a major expansion mode elsewhere, opening "15 to 20 stores a year," according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce article touting the chain's success. Openings so far in 2025 include Poughkeepsie and Middletown in New York; Salem, New Hampshire; Mercedes, Texas; and Braintree, Massachusetts. Something for the County Council to ponder: what are we doing wrong, that Braintree is doing right?

Miniso closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Miniso has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It turns out that even popular concepts from rapidly-growing companies are not immune to the moribund Montgomery County economy. Miniso's revenue grew 9.1% in mainland China, and 30.3% overseas during the first quarter of this year, the Chinese company announced in May. Employees are boxing up the contents of the store. The anti-business Montgomery County Council never met a slim profit margin it couldn't shrink even further. Heckuva job, Brownie!

GAP closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

GAP has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Strange things have been afoot at the store in recent weeks, namely the store frequently - if not nightly - closing early, and posting a sign stating that it was due to the air-conditioning being out. The floor inventory had also been dwindling. Now the reason for all this is clear, as the clothing chain announced in an email to customers yesterday that "Gap Montgomery Mall has closed." Customers are being directed to the GAP at 11820 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose in Rockville. The Montgomery Mall GAP is the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy, as its parent company's downsizing plan of closing 350 GAP and Banana Republic stores shuttered those locations between 2023 and early 2024, and the Montgomery Mall store was spared the axe in that culling.

Darband Restaurant replacing Taste of Kabab in Rockville

Taste of Kabab has closed at 765-H Rockville Pike at the Ritchie Center in Rockville. But fans of kababs and kabobs don't have to worry. Their space has been leased by Darband Restaurant, a Persian kabob restaurant. Workers cleared out the interior, and then had tables and chairs set up in the dining room by evening Monday. That would still leave any additional decor or new kitchen/counter equipment to be installed. Taste of Kabab opened here about 21 months ago.

Merlo Point, Chocolate Moonshine officially close at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Merlo Point and Chocolate Moonshine have officially closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Merlo Point's closure was expected and announced in advance, while Chocolate Moonshine made a quiet exit. Chocolate Moonshine had begun clearing its shelves and filling packing boxes as the month of May began. It was also removed from the mall's online directory. As of last evening, signage had been stripped from its space in the Dining Terrace food court. Chocolate Moonshine can still be found online.

Compared to Chocolate Moonshine, which had been a tenant at the mall for nearly a decade, it was a super short run for Merlo Point. The furniture store opened right before Christmas 2024. Although attorneys for regional furniture giant Marlo were no doubt thrilled by the name Merlo, the latter was operating in a niche of Italian and Turkish furnishings and home decor. Last evening, Merlo Point was sealed shut, the windows were covered over, and its signage was also gone.

The demise of Forever 21 at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Forever 21 has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Their two-level space has been cleared out. The surveillance camera and monitor are still running, though. Forever 21 is closing all stores after filing for bankruptcy; most were due to close by May 1, likely depending on how quickly a store was able to liquidate inventory.