The popular restaurant Food Wine & Co. on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda closed Sunday night to make way for new development.
In a Facebook message posted Sunday evening, the restaurant wrote, “We regret to inform you that after 6 wonderful years in Bethesda we have closed our doors for business due to the future planned development of the existing space. We thank you for your patronage and look forward to seeing you at our other concepts, Don Pollo and Fish Taco.”
A partnership group that includes Francis Namin owns Food Wine & Co., Don Pollo and Fish Taco.
The fine dining restaurant is in the ground floor of the Apex building, which was recently purchased by Carr Properties for $105.5 million. Carr plans to demolish the building and build a 935,000-square-foot office, housing and hotel project at the site. Carr received preliminary approval for the project from the Montgomery County Planning Board in February. As part of the construction, a new Purple Line station will be constructed below ground.
The existing Apex Building. Credit: Aaron Kraut
Last week, Carr formally announced its plans for the building, saying in a press release it would “incorporate the new Bethesda Purple Line Station, a new entrance to the Metro Red Line and a below grade tunnel for the Capital Crescent Trail” into the building.
“We believe the Apex site, as redeveloped, will be the new commercial hub of the Bethesda market with unparalleled access to public transportation, bike trails and the thriving restaurant and retail of Bethesda Row,” Oliver Carr III, Carr Properties’ CEO, said in a statement. “We could not be more excited about this opportunity for our company.”
Carr has not yet detailed a timeline for the Apex building’s demolition or the construction project.
