Montgomery Community Media

Guitar Center filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reduce company debt by approximately $800 million, according to a company press release last week. The California-based company entered a comprehensive Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA). However, all previous agreements, financial obligations to its vendors, suppliers, and employees to maintain the course as daily business operations continue. The […]

The popular seafood restaurant, PassionFish, permanently closed its Bethesda location on Nov. 15. five years after opening. A statement on the company’s Facebook account confirmed the decision a few days before the closing. The company explained that in the current environment, “many issues that were beyond our control have affected our ability to continue to operate […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has not hurt all industries. In Montgomery County, the life sciences sector, in particular, is expanding. “The pandemic has clearly taken a huge toll on not just our economy, locally, but also as you know, nationally as well. However we still continue to see pockets of growth, especially in the life sciences,” […]

Local leaders announced a pandemic Economic Roadmap to Recovery and Long-Term Success during the county’s weekly virtual COVID-19 media briefing on Thursday. The county’s Economic Advisory Group has been meeting since July and is a critical component of overall recovery plans from the COVID-19 health crisis. A diverse group of more than 30 business leaders […]

Pet Valu announced on its website that it’s closing all of its U.S. stores permanently. According to Maryland Department of Labor, there are six Pet Valu locations in Montgomery County, and 43 employees will be laid off as a result: Clarksburg location at 22750 New Cut Road — six employees affected. Damascus location at 9809 Main […]

Montgomery County’s Late-Night Alcohol Sales Program will be suspended Friday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. The program allowed some restaurants and bars to serve alcohol for on-premise drinking until midnight instead of 10 p.m., if they met certain public health and safety criteria. It went into effect Oct. 1, but after meeting two metrics for […]

Several Maryland and Montgomery County lawmakers gathered outside of Evita’s Bridal Shop in Takoma Park Monday, calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to provide funding for businesses along the Purple Line. Many of those businesses are immigrant-owned, and they face a unique financial challenge because of Purple Line construction and restrictions placed on businesses because of […]

A Gaithersburg company currently working on a COVID-19 vaccine announced it is expanding and expects to add 400 new jobs by the end of 2024, with most of the new positions added by March of 2021, according to a news release from Gov. Larry Hogan. Novavax, a late-stage biotechnology company, intends to expand into a […]

A $6.6 million investment was approved to fund the renovation of the Gaithersburg Square shopping center at 524 North Frederick Avenue, according to a City of Gaithersburg press release. During a Gaithersburg Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 7, Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) proposed significant property improvements, including a new plaza area featuring outdoor dining, […]

Ellen Grealish and Stacey Jungreis joined Kelly Leonard for Montgomery Community Media’s October episode of Small Business Network at Home. The series of monthly sessions facilitated by Leonard addresses topics of interest to small business owners in Montgomery County. October’s topic was “Hiring and Retaining Top Talent in a Covid World.” Watch a video of […]