Fast-casual restaurant Brown Bag will return to Bethesda this spring after more than a year away from its birthplace.
The chain opened its first location in 2002 at 7272 Wisconsin Ave. The shop closed near the end of 2017 when its building was torn down to make way for a 290-foot office tower.
Brown Bag has since expanded into Virginia and the District, with five brick-and-mortar locations and two catering outposts, but only recently found a spot to make it back to Bethesda.
“We’re going back to our roots,” said Trish Fuldner, who founded the restaurant with her husband Erich.
The new location will be at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda building at Bethesda Metro Center.
Brown Bag makes all of its food from scratch in-house, sourcing from area farms and bakers. The menu features soups, salads and sandwiches along with seasonal and build-your-own bowls.
The chain had an Earth Day promotion on Monday offering a free omelet or breakfast sandwich to customers who rode their bikes to the restaurant and often gives out complimentary items through social-media promotions.
Construction was initially expected to be completed at the end of April, but an opening near the end of May seems more likely, Fuldner said.
She added that while there are no firm plans for additional locations in Montgomery County, “we’re always expanding.”
