Renovations are underway at the former Union Jack’s restaurant in Bethesda and it appears workers are turning the space into a beer-focused pub called Tapp’d Bethesda.
A worker at the St. Elmo Avenue restaurant said Wednesday morning the pub will offer more than 40 draft beers on tap and that the owners of Union Jack’s are behind the new concept.
The description of the concept seems to align with an ad posted on Craigslist Tuesday, which says Tapp’d is hiring. “We are Tapp’d Bethesda, a sleek tap house with 40 drafts and over 100 bottles in Woodmont Triangle, all with a unique menu and great, fun atmosphere.”
The post says the pub is hiring for both wait staff and cooks and that group interviews will be held within the next two weeks.
A construction permit posted Wednesday at the former location of Union Jack’s also lists the name Tapp’d on it and permits demolition to the dining area.
Union Jack’s co-founder Johnny “Nitro” Natoli told Bethesda Beat in February after the British-themed pub closed that the closing was “bittersweet,” although he didn’t provide a specific reason as to why the pub had closed. Natoli did not respond to repeated attempts by Bethesda Beat since Union Jack’s closed to confirm whether he and/ or his partner Gary Ouellette were behind the new concept moving into the space.
Local blogger Robert Dyer first reported that Ouellette registered a domain name for the restaurant—tappdbethesda.com—last month. There is currently no website at that address, however. An employee at the Rio Center Union Jack’s in Gaithersburg said Ouellette and Natoli are 50-50 partners in the restaurant, which also has locations in Columbia and Annapolis.
