Woodmont Grill abruptly closed in Bethesda this week after more than 30 years in business.
Why it matters: Woodmont was one of the most popular and bustling Bethesda restaurants — loved for its spinach dip, Hawaiian steak and icy martinis — so its shutter came as a shock.
What they’re saying: The owners, Hillstone Restaurant Group, tell Axios that dwindling parking and staffing challenges led to the decision.
- “We continually deliberate on where best to place our focus and resources. For Woodmont Grill, some of the considerations have been a diminishment of parking over time and the challenge to keep the restaurant adequately staffed to our service standards. While Woodmont Grill has represented us well with a beautiful building and many valued guests over time, we feel it is best to focus our efforts on our other restaurants.”
Zoom out: Hillstone opened the high-end grill in 1992 as Houston’s. It operates over 35 upscale American restaurants from New York to Santa Monica, a rare chain lauded by celebs and food media (cue Bon Appetit: “Welcome to Hillstone, America’s favorite restaurant)…