Italian bakery Rosetta x Best Buddies opens in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle
Focaccia, sandwiches, pizza, tarts and pastries among the baked goods available
By
Elia GriffinMarch 31, 2026 5:48 p.m.
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Rosetta x Best Buddies, an Italian bakery that employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, opened Saturday in downtown Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle neighborhood.
The shop at 4901-A Fairmont Ave. offers a variety of Italian baked goods such as focaccia, crostatina (a small baked tart or pie), saccottino (a chocolate-filled pastry) and pizza. The Bethesda location is the Miami-based bakery’s first in Maryland.
In addition to baked goods, Rosetta features a coffee bar and offers other items such as prosciutto sandwiches, cream-filled pastries, fruit tarts and tiramisu. During various holidays, the bakery also offers traditional Italian desserts, including Colomba, a sweet bread that is eaten for dessert on Easter.
Store manager Jeavica Nemenio told Bethesda Today on Tuesday that the bakery is having a soft opening and hopes to have details soon about a grand opening event. Community members who stopped by the bakery over the last three days have been “very welcoming,” she said.
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“I am very excited that we are finally here,” Nemenio said.
The shop will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.
Rosetta x Best Buddies is located at 4901-A Fairmont Ave. in downtown Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle neighborhood. Photo credit: Elia Griffin 
Pastries and baked goods showcased in the bakery’s window. Photo credit: Elia Griffin 
The Rosetta bakery shop has a window view into the kitchen and indoor seating options. Photo credit: Elia Griffin 
Pizza, breads, sandwiches and pastries are available at Rosetta x Best Buddies in Bethesda. Photo credit: Elia Griffin 
Sandwiches at Rosetta x Best Buddies. Photo credit: Elia Griffin
The bakery is in the former space of Pitango Gelato & Coffee, which closed in September after four years. Chinese restaurant Bob’s Bethesda and Call Your Mother deli are also slated to open in the neighborhood this year.
The shop features a glass case showcasing focaccia, pizzas, sandwiches and pastries lined atop a wooden counter. A variety of seating in the 1,600-square-foot space includes tables with stools and cushioned chairs. A large window in the rear of the shop provides a view into the kitchen where bakers roll out dough and decorate sweets.
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As of Tuesday, the Bethesda shop was not offering bombolones — cream or Nutella-filled donuts — but the store is preparing to sell them soon, according to Nemenio. She noted customers have been asking for the classic Italian sweet since the opening.
Partnering with Best Buddies International
Beyond being a bakery, the business also represents a collaboration between the Italian bakery chain Rosetta Bakery and Best Buddies International, an organization focused on enhancing the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Best Buddies International was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, who grew up in Potomac. The organization will host its Best Buddies Jobs program at the bakery. The program focuses on providing employment opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Rosetta operates more than a dozen Italian bakeries in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Georgia. The Bethesda location is its second collaboration shop with the Best Buddies organization.
The Italian bakery is the second business in downtown Bethesda to open an eatery in collaboration with Best Buddies International. In June, Max’s Best Ice Cream also opened in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood.
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Nemenio said the Bethesda bakery plans to host a grand opening for the new shop and hopes to have Shriver attend.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine