Kefa to Leave Library Location, Bump ’n Grind to Take Over

Kefa Café will leave its location in the Silver Spring Library and open a café in the new Wheaton Library, while Bump ’n Grind will take over the Silver Spring spot. “We have been honored for the past five years to operate the coffee shop located on the grounds of the Silver Spring Library,” said Kefa’s co-owner Lene Tsegay in a statement, “and we are proud to have established a precedent for creating a welcoming and supportive community space for library customers.”

Next Day Blinds Ceases Operations, Closes Stores

Next Day Blinds, based in Jessup, Md., has ceased operations and closed all of its stores, including one across from Whole Foods in Downtown Silver Spring. The company’s website now redirects visitors to a page on the site of 3 Day Blinds, a company founded in California in 1978.

Locavino Honored with Award from Wine Spectator Magazine

Locavino, the wine café that overlooks Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring, has been recognized with a 2020 Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator magazine. The award “recognizes thoughtfully chosen wine lists that offer quality and diversity, as well as compatibility with the restaurant’s style and menu,” according to the announcement.

Hair Cuttery in Ellsworth Place Shuts Down

The Hair Cuttery in Ellsworth Place has permanently closed, joining other salons shut down by its parent company even as others are preparing to reopen. Creative Hairdressers Inc. announced in January it intended to close more than 80 stores due to financial issues.

Silver Spring Arts Groups to Offer Virtual Summer Camps

Several Silver Spring arts organizations will offer virtual summer art camps for youth from pre-K to 18 years old, according to an announcement from the Silver Spring Arts & Entertainment District. “Many children have been away from their classmates, family members and friends for several months,” said Silver Spring Regional Services Center Director Reemberto Rodriguez in the press release. “The arts organizations in our Silver Spring Arts & Entertainment District are bringing to life summer offerings that fill an important need within our community.”

County Board Approves Expanded Area for Downtown Planning Study

The Montgomery County Planning Board yesterday unanimously approved a Scope of Work for the Silver Spring Downtown Plan that adds portions of adjacent neighborhoods to the study area. The decision at the virtual meeting adopted staff boundary Option D, an expansion within a half-mile/ten-minute pedestrian “walkshed” from the future Silver Spring Library Purple Line Station.

Willow Street Yoga Closes Silver Spring Studio

Willow Street Yoga is closing its downtown Silver Spring studio on the second level of 8561 Fenton St., according to an announcement on the company’s Facebook page. In a email to clients on June 3, signed “Joe Miller and the Willow Street team,” the company wrote, “Our biggest challenge in maintaining the studio has always been our high rent obligations.”

Planning Board to Consider Scope of Silver Spring Downtown Sector Plan Work

The Montgomery Planning Board will consider a proposed scope of work for a Silver Spring Downtown Sector Plan at a virtual meeting Thursday, June 4. The work, the first step in the planning process, is intended as an update to the 2000 Silver Spring Central Business District Plan. It includes consideration of the boundaries of the current CBD and whether expansion of the area into the downtown sector plan would be a part of the process.