share this Hank Dietle's Tavern on Rockville Pike could reopen later this month, more than three years after it was destroyed by a fire. Photo by Dan Schere Hank Dietle’s Tavern in North Bethesda could reopen later this month, more than three years after the bar was destroyed by a fire. Dietele’s, a roadside bar that opened in 1916, became engulfed in smoke and flames on Valentines Day 2018 due to a discarded cigarette that was still lit. The bar was the first in Montgomery County to receive a beer and wine license. After the fire, many in the community said they wanted to save Dietle’s. In September 2019, former band booker Thomas Bowes, his wife Sarah Bonner and photographer Alan Kresse signed a 10-year-lease on the property along Rockville Pike in North Bethesda. Since then, they have been coordinating the efforts to rebuild the tavern.