Armand’s Pizzeria & Grille closes its last location

Armand’s Pizzeria & Grille celebrated its 50th anniversary serving the Washington, D.C. area last year, and now it is bidding farewell to its guests as it shutters its last location.

Armand’s first opened in 1975 in D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood and eventually grew to 14 locations across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. This week, the regional, Chicago-style deep-dish pizza chain announced on its Instagram account that its last remaining location, in Rockville, Maryland, will shut its doors on June 20.

For over 51 years, Armand’s Pizzeria & Grille has been more than a restaurant — it has been a gathering place, a tradition, and a second home for so many in our community. … It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Armand’s Pizzeria & Grille will permanently close …

This decision was not made lightly. While this chapter is coming to an end, we are filled with gratitude for the unwavering support you have shown us over the past five decades. Because of you, a neighborhood pizzeria became a community institution. Because of you, we were able to celebrate milestones, weather challenges, create lifelong friendships, and serve generations of families.

To every customer who walked through our doors, every employee who wore an Armand’s shirt, every family who made us part of their traditions, and every member of our community who supported local business — thank you. You are the reason our story lasted 51 incredible years …”

Sappe told Bethesda Magazine that the company made the decision because of sustained financial pressures, including food, labor, and electricity, as well as rent increases.

Because of the macroenvironment, several chains have experienced mass closures in the past couple of years, including Pizza Hut and Papa Johns, which are both shuttering hundreds of restaurants this year. Pizza, in particular, has had a rough go amid such stagflation, and was the only category to record negative sales overall in 2025, according to Technomic. Notably, 42% of all restaurant operators reported that they were not profitable last year, according to a survey from the National Restaurant Association.