The building that housed Woodmont Grill for more than 30 years has a new owner, and Bethesda diners will soon be trading steak frites for boozy milkshakes. Steve Salis, the entrepreneur behind Ted's Bulletin, paid $7 million for the former restaurant property at 7715 Woodmont Avenue and plans to turn it into what he calls a flagship location for the retro diner chain.
Salis, who was himself a regular at Woodmont Grill, told Axios he understands the neighborhood's attachment to the spot. “I understand the grief. I appreciate that grief. It was a cornerstone,” he said, according to the outlet. He added that he plans to preserve elements of the building's history, and is even considering keeping Woodmont Grill's distinctive outdoor clock as a nod to the site's past.
The property has deep roots in downtown Bethesda's dining scene. It first opened in 1992 as a Houston's, then was rebranded as Woodmont Grill in 2008 while keeping its American menu and live jazz nights, according to Washingtonian. The restaurant abruptly closed its doors on October 28, 2025, after parent company Hillstone Restaurant Group cited a long-term reduction in nearby parking access and ongoing staffing difficulties as its reasons for leaving.
A Void Left By a 33-Year Anchor
Woodmont Grill was owned by Texas-based Hillstone Group, and its exit left a hole in the Woodmont Triangle that locals felt immediately. With the closure, Phoenix-based Hillstone Restaurant Group — founded in 1977 by George Biel — no longer operates any restaurant locations in the state of Maryland, according to the same Washingtonian report.
The roughly 6,300-square-foot building will undergo a full renovation, with Catalogue targeting an opening in 2027, per UrbanTurf. The Axios report notes Salis plans to invest several million dollars into the Bethesda restaurant, which will receive a major interior overhaul. Salis said of the project, “it will be the best Ted's that we have built to date.”
Years in the Making for Bethesda
This is not Salis's first attempt to crack the Bethesda market. He previously established a footprint downtown in March 2021 with Ensemble at 4856 Cordell Avenue, a digital-only delivery and pickup food hall that packaged items from Ted's Bulletin, Federalist Pig, and Sidekick Bakery. Salis has tried to enter Bethesda for years, and this brick-and-mortar flagship represents his most ambitious swing yet at the neighborhood.
Salis first acquired the Ted's Bulletin brand in November 2017 from Matchbox Food Group, back when the retro diner concept comprised five locations in the D.C. area, according to Washingtonian. He later unified his hospitality and retail brands — including Ted's Bulletin, Kramers, Federalist Pig, Honeymoon Chicken, and Sidekick Bakery — under a single parent umbrella named Catalogue in June 2022, per PR Newswire.
What's on the Menu
Ted's Bulletin first debuted on Capitol Hill in 2010 and built its reputation on all-day breakfast, homemade pop-tarts, and boozy milkshakes. The Bethesda location will lean into that identity while adding new dishes, including ahi tuna tots, steak frites, and halal-friendly options, according to the Axios report.
The Bethesda flagship will mark Ted's Bulletin's second location in Montgomery County, following its first county outpost at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg in 2015, according to The MoCo Show. The chain is also opening a ninth DMV location in Alexandria in November, and once Bethesda opens, Ted's Bulletin will have 10 DMV locations total.
A Bigger Bet on the Region
Salis, who co-founded &pizza and previously raised $155 million in November 2021 through an initial public offering for Sizzle Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company formed to acquire consumer, food, and hospitality businesses, is expanding his food and real estate portfolio well beyond this one property. He owns the Bethesda building housing the new Ted's Bulletin outright and told Axios he is looking for more acquisitions, adding, “we're going to be opportunistic.”
He also indicated Catalogue may grow other brands under its umbrella. Federalist Pig is being considered for expansion, and Honeymoon Chicken plans to open more locations. Meanwhile, Kramer's — another Catalogue property — will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a party in October.
Despite the company's growth, Salis struck a note of caution about resting on past success. “We have to earn it every day. Because we have a good business doesn't entitle us to anything,” he said, per Axios. For now, Bethesda residents will have to wait until the 2027 target opening to see whether Ted's Bulletin can fill the space Woodmont Grill left behind.
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