Lidl, a German supermarket chain with stores along the East Coast, announced in a release Wednesday that it will open its long-awaited Bethesda location on July 30.
The grocery store is at 7625 Old Georgetown Road, a three-minute walk from the Bethesda Metro station, and was initially slated to open at the end of last year.
When asked by Bethesda Today about the delayed opening, Lidl spokesperson Kailey Kiss said Wednesday in an email that “the opening of our Bethesda store was adjusted to ensure we’re providing customers with the best possible shopping experience.”
The 43,227-square-foot supermarket will replace the former Safeway at Bethesda Place Apartments, a mixed-use apartment building. After 27 years in Bethesda, the Safeway closed in March 2018 due to underperformance, Bethesda Today reported at the time.
The store will hold a grand opening July 30, starting at sunrise, according to the release. Coffee and croissants will be available ahead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:40 a.m., which is outside of the store’s typical daily hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the release.
The grocery store chain highlighted some of its popular items in the release, including 49-cent butter croissants, Angel Hair Chocolate (Turkish cotton candy, rich raspberry chocolate and creamy pistachio filling), frozen tiramisu, chilled Italian pasta and pizzas. Lidl also has its own private label meat brand called Butcher’s Specialty, which includes “high-quality, affordable” beef, chicken, pork, lamb and veal, the release said.
The Bethesda store will also have a Midl of Lidl aisle, which will feature new items and limited-time offers every Monday.
Lidl is known for stocking nearly 80% of its products from private label companies, its bring-your-own-bag policy and keeping items still in their delivery boxes as a means to save time and money, according to the Lidl website. Also, customers can download the MyLidlApp for deals, including a welcome coupon and rewards program, the release said.
The store also partners with local and regional farms and imports foods from Europe. In addition to food, Lidl sells clothing, home decor, kitchen gadgets and more.
The company also has stores in Takoma Park, Wheaton and Montgomery Village, among the 20 it operates in Maryland and 150 on the East Coast.
Freelancer Courtney Cohn is a former Bethesda Today reporter. Bethesda Today reporter Elia Griffin contributed to this story.
