Talbots closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Talbots is closing at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Large signs announcing the pending closure were posted in the now-empty display windows of the store Thursday evening. Talbots opened here in June 2014, a refugee from White Flint Mall. The women's apparel chain's Village of Cross Keys location near Baltimore closed January 6, 2024. That store was much older than the Bethesda Talbots, opening there in 1996, and had existed even before then at a previous location.

Contents of Rockville restaurant to be auctioned off

A Rockville Chinese buffet restaurant "is shutting its doors and making a complete liquidation," according to Capital Online Auctions. The contents of Bamboo Buffet at 2010 Veirs Mill Road in the Twinbrook Center will be auctioned off online beginning Thursday, March 28, 2024. If you are a current or aspiring restaurateur, just about everything you would need will be available to the highest bidder, from kitchen equipment to buffet tables and seating. Some items, like chairs and tables, are being auctioned off in lots of 2 to 12 pieces, for example. There's even some impressive decor for display in your home or office.

Contents of Rockville restaurant to be auctioned off

Freshii, a fast-casual restaurant at 9613 Medical Center Drive in Rockville, is closing, according to an online auction listing. The contents of the restaurant will be auctioned off beginning February 21, 2024. Among the items available is a still-in-sealed-package soup warmer. 

The Freshii chain was acquired by Canadian firm Foodtastic in 2022. Freshii was already based in Canada, where the majority of its restaurants are located. It hasn't fared as well in the United States, where many locations have shuttered since 2017. QSR Magazine has a good analysis of the financial pressures Freshii franchisees in the U.S. have been struggling under.

7-Eleven reportedly to close at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A source tells me that the 7-Eleven at Westfield Montgomery Mall is closing. They report that the lottery machine had already been removed from the store Monday. An employee told them the convenience store would close tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Employees will reportedly be offered jobs at other local 7-Eleven stores. 7-Eleven opened at the mall in July 2020, after a 19-month construction process. 

Eko House to close in Rockville

Eko House, the African restaurant and lounge at 150 Gibbs Street at Rockville Town Square, will cease operations "effective Sunday, January 14th, 2024." The business is citing "misalignment with our landlord" as the reason for closing. Owners Yomi Ajao and Francis Odiase say they are actively seeking a new location for Eko House, and hope to reopen soon in that new space. Eko House opened two years ago at the struggling Rockville Town Square, which has a number of vacant storefronts.

Furniture & Rug Depot closing in Rockville

Furniture & Rug Depot is closing at 5230 Randolph Road at Loehmann's Plaza in Rockville. A "wall-to-wall" closing sale is underway. "All must go. Nothing held back!" reads a sign in the window. But the showroom still appears to be loaded with merchandise as of last evening. Furniture & Rug Depot has been in business for 25 years.

PacSun closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

One of the longest-tenured tenants at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda will soon close its doors forever. PacSun is now winding down operations. Everything in the store is on sale, and many shelves are already bare as a result.

The California-inspired casualwear store is also offering a Buy One, Get One Free promotion. We probably can't blame this particular closure on Montgomery County's moribund economy, or on the County Council. PacSun has been struggling as a chain for most of this century. Despite filing for, and successfully emerging from, bankruptcy nearly a decade ago, PacSun is repositioning itself in the market with a new women's activewear store concept.

Last 4 days of Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby in Rockville

The final countdown to closure is on at Bed Bath & Beyond at 1519 Rockville Pike and Buy Buy Baby at 1683 Rockville Pike. Both stores will close forever in just 4 days. As you can see from the signs in these photos, the savings are at the maximum now, with both stores touting 70-90% off the entire store. Just don't expect fully-stocked shelves overflowing with merchandise at this point.

Both brands may still have a future ahead: Overstock.com bought the Bed Bath & Beyond brand, and will rename itself...Bed Bath & Beyond. New Jersey company Dream on Me won the auction for the Buy Buy Baby IP - and then proceeded to acquire the leases of 11 Buy Buy Baby stores. But no word yet if we'll finally learn what the "Beyond" is.

Buy Buy Baby, Bed Bath & Beyond closing in Rockville

Buy Buy Baby is closing its Rockville store at 1683 Rockville Pike, in the Congressional Plaza shopping center. A store-closing sale is underway. Savings are currently listed as being 20-40%-off storewide. All 122 Buy Buy Baby stores are closing as a result of parent company Bed Bath & Beyond's bankruptcy filing. 

Bed Bath & Beyond just happens to be a neighbor of Buy Buy Baby at 1519 Rockville Pike at the Congressional North shopping center. It's having its own closing sale. The savings are - surprise! - 20-40%-off storewide, as well.

Altar'd State closing today at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Altar'd State is closing permanently at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, at the close of business today, May 21, 2023. The Christian women's apparel boutique opened here in April 2018. This closure we can blame on Montgomery County's hostile business climate and County Council, as the brand is neither going bankrupt, nor closing stores elsewhere in the country. In fact, a company press release exactly one month ago described Altar'd State as "a rapidly growing women's fashion brand with 123 Altar'd State stores, 25 Arula boutiques, six Vow'd boutiques and two Tullabee boutiques in 38 states."

Tuesday Morning closing stores in Rockville and Aspen Hill

Tuesday Morning will close its stores at Congressional Plaza in Rockville, and at Northgate Plaza in Aspen Hill, the company announced. A closing sale is underway, that includes all merchandise, the company said in an announcement. The Dallas-based home goods retailer said it is closing more than half of its stores, but the closures will have to be approved by a bankruptcy court, Business Insider reports. Tuesday Morning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas on...Tuesday morning.

Rockville Regal Cinemas to close

Rockville Regal Cinemas will close as part of the bankruptcy restructuring of Regal parent company Cineworld, Variety reports. A closing date has not been announced, but the company said in a bankruptcy filing that it will begin to reject leases for the closing theaters on February 15, 2023. This will be another economic cannonball to the gut for the struggling Rockville Town Center area, where the Rockville Town Square development has many vacant storefronts. 

Parking continues to be an issue, but the theater closure will eliminate a significant amount of foot traffic on evenings and weekends. A study last decade showed that a cineplex can draw 20,000 additional people to an urban center per weekend than an area without a multi-screen theater might attract.

Kids2Teen Bedrooms store closing in Rockville (Photos)

You might save a few bucks on back-to-school bedroom makeovers at Kids2Teen Bedrooms at 1052 Rockville Pike, in the Edmonston Crossing shopping center. Unfortunately, it is because the store is closing. A closing sale is now underway. The sale includes mattresses, platform beds, futons, sofa convertibles, and Murphy cabinets. Everything must go!!

Rockville Town Square CVS to close

The hits just keep on coming at Rockville Town Square. Another major tenant is on the way out. CVS Pharmacy "will be going out of business April 27th 2022," a sign in the elevator reads. The sign is directing customers to the Ritchie Center CVS at 799 Rockville Pike, once the Town Center location has closed. I suspect residents of the Town Center may consider switching to the Walgreens less than a block away.

CVS has been showing an increasing will to close locations in recent years, aiming to trim 900 stores, even as it vies with Starbucks for ubiquity across America. It's certainly possible that property owner Federal Realty could bring in another drugstore tenant to this space, although having that Walgreens really whittles down the options. The real estate firm has been trying to increasingly add resident-focused amenities and services like markets, spas, and home decor retailers to its properties, shops that can provide more practical necessities without requiring a car to go outside the development.

Color Me Mine to close at Rockville Town Square

You hate to see another vacant storefront on Maryland Avenue, but Color Me Mine is closing permanently at 33-F Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square. It looked like work had begun on breaking down the interior of the space yesterday. The ceramic art studio says that you have until Sunday, March 6, 2022 to pickup any outstanding orders from the store. Pickup hours will be 12:00-6:00 PM daily through Sunday. 

Slice of Rockville closing tonight - last chance!!

Slice of Rockville at 1111 Nelson Street in the Woodley Gardens shopping center, will close permanently at the close of business (9:00 PM) tonight, June 25, 2021, according to the pizzeria's Facebook page. The pizza parlor has had a good 11-year run in challenging times, but is sure to be missed by the neighborhood and the nearby Rockville Senior Center. A new restaurant tenant will take over the space in the near future, but today is your last chance to stop by for a Slice of Rockville! 🍕

Rockville GameStop closing at Fallsgrove was home store for Bethesda Softworks

The GameStop store closing soon at the Fallsgrove Village Center in Rockville has a special significance for the area. It's far from the only GameStop location to close in Montgomery County, or even Rockville. But it has a historic place for fans of Fallout, Skyrim and other classics - and for the creators of those games themselves. That's because the Fallsgrove store was the home GameStop for Bethesda Softworks, (a.k.a. Bethesda Game Studios) whose headquarters has for many years also been in Rockville, only a short distance away.

Among the Bethesda gaming memories at this spot: In 2011, Bethesda employees appeared in the store for the midnight launch of Skyrim. Employees of Bethesda handed out donuts and Dovahkiin face masks that night at the store. Four years later, Bethesda staff again appeared to sign copies of Fallout 4 at this GameStop. I'm still a bit steamed that there wasn't any Nuka Cola left at Target on launch day! 

Which GameStop will be the new home store when Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI are released? Stay tuned!

IT'SUGAR closing at Rockville Town Square

IT'SUGAR, the candy store at 130 E. Gibbs Street at Rockville Town Square is closing, the company confirmed this morning. A closing sale is now underway, although a closing date has not yet been announced. The IT'SUGAR company filed for bankruptcy in September.

Rockville GameStop closing

Devastating news for gamers and those trying to pass the extended time at home in Rockville with the diversion of video games: GameStop is closing its store at the Fallsgrove Village Center at 14929 Shady Grove Road. 

A closing sale is now underway. As you can see, many of the shelves are starting to look sparse as popular titles are snapped up.

Rockville's ABC's & 1-2-3's teacher supply store closing

A rare teacher educational-supply store in Rockville is sporting a sign that has become ubiquitous in store windows countywide in recent years: Going Out of Business. ABC's & 1-2-3's at 825 Rockville Pike in Wintergreen Plaza is now holding a closing sale. A sign in the window advertises a 50%-off sale.