Silver Diner closes at Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg

Silver Diner has closed at Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg. "There was simply not enough business to enable the location to be successful," co-founders Robert Giaimo and Ype von Hengst said in announcing the closure. 

The local restaurant chain says it is providing severance pay and recommendation letters to its Lakeforest employees, and offering them positions where available at other Silver Diner locations. New Silver outposts are opening in the future in Waldorf, Bethesda and Frederick.

Negotiations with the mall were ongoing to renew the restaurant's lease, but ultimately the owners had to make the call to close in recent days. They said they have not ruled out a future return to Gaithersburg.