Business Notes: Mall Dining Terrace to Open Next Month

Plus: Special deals at Lebanese Taverna, Bethesda tech company gets boost, McDonald's officially out at downtown building

July 29, 2014 11:36 a.m.

Westfield Mall Plans to Open New Dining Terrace in August

Westfield Montgomery mall will open its new dining terrace mid-August, according to a mall spokesman. The dining terrace is part of the mall’s $90 million-plus renovation, which also includes new retail space, an ArcLight movie theater and two family lounges. The dining terrace will double the current food court seating capacity and feature restaurants such as Blaze Pizza, Cava Grill, Chipotle, Naples 45 Ristorante E Pizzeria and MET Bethesda. Although the dining terrace is expected to open officially on Aug. 15, the new restaurants will not open until the fall, according to Diego Gonzalez-Zuniga, Westfield Montgomery’s marketing manager

Lebanese Taverna to Celebrate 25 35 Years of Business with 1979 Menu and Prices

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Lebanese Taverna, the Middle Eastern restaurant that got its start in Arlington in 1979 and later expanded to a total of eight restaurants in the region, will kick back its prices to celebrate the business’ 35th anniversary next month. The 1979 menu and prices deal will be in effect at the Bethesda Row location on Aug. 20 and 21. If you can’t wait that long, the Silver Spring location will offer the deal on Aug. 13 and 14. Small plates such as hummus, tabouleh and grape leaves will be priced between $2 and $3 (normally $8 to $10), while entrees such as shish kabob and shawarma will be $6.95 (normally $18 to $20).

 Bethesda Tech Company Receives $145,000 Investment from Maryland Venture Fund

A Bethesda-based tech company received a large investment from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s Maryland Venture Fund. The $145,000 investment will be used by Synapsify to grow and develop data software that can analyze text on the Web to evaluate its quality and credibility. Currently, the program is used by marketing companies to analyze written feedback from customers, according to The Washington Post. The state’s investment is part of an $850,000 fundraising round, which included investments by private venture capital firms. 

 

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The Parva Undergoing Renovation

The Parva Restaurant and Lounge has begun renovations and a rebranding process at its Woodmont Avenue location. The restaurant posted on its website that it’s undergoing construction at the location, but that the lounge portion will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The post says the restaurant is changing its name to Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar. Local blogger Robert Dyer reported that the restaurant at 7904 Woodmont Ave. is renovating its dining room. The restaurant has not announced when it will reopen the dining room.

McDonald’s Officially Done at Former East West Highway Location

It doesn’t look like McDonald’s will return to Bethesda anytime soon. Carr Properties originally said it would like to bring back the fast-food giant to the building under construction at 4500 East West Highway. Now that plan is officially out, and the restaurant chain has sold back to Carr for $1.5 million the space it bought in the building for the same amount last year, according to the Montgomery Newsletter (a subscription-only real estate newsletter). Bethesda Beat first reported in June that Carr Properties was looking for a different restaurant tenant for the first floor of the new office building, rather than reopening a McDonald’s at the location.

The Carr building itself is continuing to have trouble finding tenants, according to Bethesdanow.com. As of last week, Carr hadn’t signed any tenants for the nine-story, 220,000-square-foot Class A office building, according to the report. The building is expected to be completed in September.

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Picture: Rendering of the Carr Properties office building being constructed at 4500 East West Highway

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