A reopening may be imminent for downtown Bethesda’s Mon Ami Gabi. The website for the French bistro—which closed temporarily nearly seven months ago for remodeling and renovations—now says that the restaurant will open in “early 2025.”
“We’re excited to enhance our space and provide an even more exceptional dining experience upon the reopening,” the website states.
A spokesperson for Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, the restaurant group that owns Mon Ami Gabi, told MoCo360 in an email Thursday that they “don’t have any concrete details to share” about the reopening yet. A date for the reopening is also not yet set.
The bistro opened in Bethesda in 2002 and served French dishes, including escargot, steak frites and profiteroles, according to the restaurant’s website. When MoCo360 reported the closure in February, the restaurant also did not share any details about what the remodeling efforts encompassed or the reopening date.
Bethesda’s PLNT Burger turns to crowdfunding to expand plant-based fast food
PLNT Burger, the vegan fast-casual chain, recently launched a crowdfunding campaign that aims to tap into the eatery’s fanbase. For $27.50 per share with a minimum investment of $299.20, fans of plant-based fast food can back the Bethesda-based eatery and support plans for expansion, according to the campaign.
In December, the eatery known for its plant-based cheeseburgers and milkshakes, launched an equity crowdfunding campaign with StartEngine. The restaurant’s vision for growth is centered on adding more brick-and-mortar locations and food kiosks in Whole Foods including a new one in New Jersey in 2025, according to the campaign website.
PLNT Burger currently has 13 locations, two of which are within Montgomery County Whole Foods in Silver Spring at 833 Wayne Ave., and in Rockville at 11355 Woodglen Road. Recently, the eatery opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Chris Treloar, CEO of PLNT Burger, told the Washington Business Journal that the crowdfunding effort is an opportunity for the restaurant to “democratize ownership.”
“People who wouldn’t necessarily be able to invest, and now, they have the opportunity to invest in something that they believe in wholeheartedly,” Treolar said.
Dominican restaurant opens in Silver Spring
Punta Cana Tropical Grill, a Dominican restaurant in Silver Spring, opened earlier this month. The restaurant at 9324 Georgia Ave., opened in the former space of Tropics Ice Cream & Jerk, which closed in October 2023, and joins Southern-inspired eatery Milk & Honey and Goldberg’s New York Bagels in the small Georgia Avenue shopping strip.
The MoCo Show first reported the eatery’s opening.
The quick-service restaurant offers Dominican staples such as Mofongo, a mashed plantain-based dish; Sopa de Mondongo; chicharrón, fried pork skin or belly; pastelitos; and seafood dishes. In addition, the eatery serves signature and create-your-own bowls, pupusas, quesadillas and burritos.
The restaurant is open Monday to Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
