After our brief stint in Annapolis, we knew that we wanted to continue having a physical location for people to shop at, and had to decide on a permanent spot. As much as we enjoyed being in our state's capital, Montgomery County has always been home, and when shaping Green & Bean's brand into what it is, we always had Bethesda in mind as our 'target audience'.
Bethesda has a great mix. It's young and metropolitan, but also suburban and familial. Progressively conservative (occasionally conservatively progressive) mindsets that lend well to shopping with a purpose. Being a stone's throw from DC, there's always a significant population of tourists, but we can also serve the local populations of Maryland, DC, and northern Virginia. In terms of location, Bethesda can't really be beat.
We looked for months. It was still cold out when we started looking, and it's about to be the holidays again. Eventually, we found our spot, and here we are! It's equal parts exciting and daunting ~ exciting because a long term lease gives us the stability to grow the business and become a Bethesda staple. Daunting because we're going from a 13 month pop up where we could leave without any consequence, to a 10 year lease in a time where small businesses owners keep alluding to this era of retail as an 'apocalypse'.
It might be silly to be undeterred by that, but here we are. The plan is to open as soon as possible. The holidays are around the corner, and we have 10 years to make improvements. Right now we just need to slap a coat of paint on, move in the furniture and get to decorating! The first year, probably the first 2 years, are going to be filled with a lot of moving pieces. Figuring out how we want to run the shop, finding our footing within the community, and flourishing against all odds.
Our address is 4600 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814. It's accessible via Bethesda metro, and there's a parking garage about 100 feet from the storefront.
