Longtime MoCo Eatery To Permanently Close This Weekend — But There's A Catch

BETHESDA, MD — A family restaurant that's operated in Montgomery County for nearly 30 years will close this weekend, but not forever.

Located at 226 E. Diamond Ave., Old Towne Cafe Bar & Grille will permanently close Sunday after the owners behind the eatery faced financial hurdles when the building came under new ownership.

Shahab Aliakbar, owner and head chef of the Gaithersburg restaurant, previously told Bethesda Today that the new building owners were making significant changes to lease terms that included a price hike.

The family launched a GoFundMe campaign over the summer to collect donations, raising less than $4,000 of its $75,000 goal.

Now, while the restaurant's Gaithersburg site is permanently closing, the family isn't entirely disappearing off the food scene.

OTC will be operating from a new location in Bethesda, according to Aliakbar.

The exact location of the new eatery has not been revealed but Aliakbar said in a statement that the opening was being targeted for 2027, either in late spring or early summer.

"It’s difficult to leave the place that has been our home for so many years, but our story is not over," Aliakbar wrote.

"Donations will help our family through this transition as we work to continue our 26-year legacy and support the people who have helped make OTC what it is."

The restaurant saw its early beginnings as a breakfast counter before ultimately growing into an 80-seat restaurant after expanding into the former home of Diamond Drugs, which closed in 2021. It was started by Aliakbar's parents, Afi and Ali.