Maryland is losing one of its most nostalgic pizza names this month.
Armand’s Pizzeria & Grille in Rockville is set to close June 20, 2026, after 51 years of history tied to the brand. The closure follows other painful Maryland restaurant goodbyes, including a family-owned Maryland restaurant that closed after 45 years.
For longtime DMV diners, Armand’s was not just another pizza place.
Founded in 1975 by Lew Newmyer in Tenleytown, Washington, D.C., the restaurant became known for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza — a rarity in a region more often associated with thin slices, jumbo slices, carryout wings and neighborhood pizzerias. Newmyer was inspired by a business trip to Chicago, where he encountered deep-dish for the first time and was determined to bring the thick crust and heavy cheese recipe to D.C. He and his sons spent months developing their own dough and sauce recipe. At its peak, Armand’s expanded to 14 locations across D.C., Maryland and Virginia, becoming a perennial Washingtonian magazine “Best Pizza” winner.
Over the years, the chain’s customers included a remarkable list of political figures: President Jimmy Carter brought daughter Amy to Armand’s to celebrate her birthday in 1977, Chelsea Clinton hosted a friend’s birthday there, Kennedy Center actors became regulars, and Barack Obama also dined at the chain. The Newmyer family remained active in the business until about a decade ago.
The Rockville restaurant at 190 Halpine Road in the Shops at Congressional Village was the last local chapter for many fans. The original Tenleytown location closed in 2012, and the Silver Spring location closed in 2018, leaving the Rockville store as the chain’s final standing location. It was named WTOP’s “Best Pizza” in 2022 and won Taste MoCo’s 2021 pizza tournament.
In their announcement letter, current co-owners Chris Sappe and Jim Hrozencik said the decision came down to mounting financial pressures. “After much thought and consideration, we are forced to make the difficult decision with a heavy heart to permanently close Armand’s Pizzeria & Grille,” they wrote. Sappe told Bethesda Today the closing was driven by rising costs for food, wages and electricity. “The profit margin is so small it’s just too much work to continue at the current pace,” he said.
Customers from as far as Waldorf and Baltimore have been driving to Rockville for one last deep-dish before the closure. More than 150 people commented on the shop’s announcement posts, sharing memories of the heart-shaped pies and family birthdays. Even Maryland-based Ledo Pizza weighed in on Instagram: “This is terrible news. Good luck on your next chapter friends.”
Armand’s story also reflects how restaurant brands can shrink over time. What was once a 14-location regional chain became one remaining restaurant. Now, that final location is preparing to close.
For Rockville diners, the loss is not just about deep-dish pizza. It is about losing a name that felt tied to the area’s dining past.
Maryland will still have pizza. Rockville will still have restaurants. But Armand’s occupied a specific place in local memory.
When a restaurant survives for decades, customers stop thinking of it as temporary. It becomes part of the landscape.
That is why the final day will hurt.
After June 20, Armand’s will be gone from Rockville. For longtime fans, it will leave behind the memory of a pizza style, a family business and a DMV restaurant name that lasted far longer than most.
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