The Brainchild of Two Retail Veterans, the Unique New Store Features;Top-of-the-Line Casual and Athletic Wear That’s Stylish Morning to Night
Amy Block and Wendy Abelman outside their new store Gym & Tonic.
Gym & Tonic, a new boutique featuring the best in luxury athletic and casual wear, has opened its doors at Park Potomac, and is celebrating in style today.
Gym & Tonic offers a unique blend of high-end athleisure apparel. It’s the brainchild and labor of love of two retail veterans and good friends – Amy Block and Wendy Abelman.
Block, a Miami native turned Bethesda-ite, wanted to open a store that she felt was lacking in the DC Metro area.
“We created Gym & Tonic to feature the kinds of fashionable, top-of-the-line clothes that we all love to wear,” Block said. “Everything we offer is stylish whether you’re at the gym in the morning or out on the town at night.”
Wendy Abelman (left) and Amy Block prepare for Thursday’s grand opening.
Gym & Tonic is located in the heart of Park Potomac, the premier destination in Potomac for shopping and dining just minutes from Washington. Created to be pedestrian-friendly, this mecca for retail and restaurants is packed with amenities and anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store, along and Addie’s, Gringos & Mariachis, and Founding Farmers restaurants.
Foulger-Pratt, the landlord and developer, is very excited to bring Gym & Tonic to Park Potomac. With the office space at Park Potomac leased up, Foulger-Pratt was focused on adding a strong athleisure wear store that complements the other retail and restaurant tenants. Gym & Tonic was the perfect fit.
Gym & Tonic is ideally situated between the Orange Theory Fitness Gym and the Life Time Athletic health club. The distinctively-designed store features a carefully curated selection of iconic activewear brands.
“Our customers are working to be healthier and more fit, and we want them to look as good as they feel,” Abelman said. “We love the idea of wearing the same stylish activewear whether you’re doing planks or drinking Prosecco.”
The debut of Gym & Tonic is a longtime dream for Block and Abelman. Block had owned Body & Soul, a fitness center with a retail component in Miami, before selling to raise her two children. Abelman had worked for Lucky Brands before teaming up with her friend to open Gym & Tonic at Park Potomac.
“We’re combining the best of Miami with the best of New York to offer something that’s truly new and fresh,” Block said. “We’re taking all that we’ve learned to create a wonderful store and satisfying experience for our customers.”
Gym & Tonic is capitalized by local real estate private equity investor Gary Block, Amy’s husband. “This is something that we all believe in,” he said.
The 1,000-square-foot store is conveniently located at the intersection of I-270 and Montrose Road, with plenty of onsite and garage parking.
“We wanted a place that is easy to reach and easy to park close by,” Abelman said. “We want to make life simpler, easier and nicer for our customers.”
Now open, Gym & Tonic will hold its “Liquid Opening Celebration” on from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday. The theme: “Meet Me at the Barre.”
“We have a lot to be celebrating at our grand opening,” Amy Block said. “We can’t wait for everyone to see our new store and all that we have to offer.”
About Foulger-Pratt
Established in 1963, Foulger-Pratt is a real estate development firm distinguished by its long-term investment focus and extensive experience executing successful mixed-use, transit-oriented projects throughout the Washington DC metro area. The firm’s intimate knowledge of virtually every submarket in this robust and stable regional economy has enabled it to develop more than 15 million square feet of commercial office, retail space, and multifamily residential projects. From acquisition to development, construction to asset management, the company’s fully integrated teams create value at all stages of an investment’s lifecycle.
Foulger-Pratt is privately owned, led, and staffed by many of the industry’s most talented professionals. The firm’s culture has been carefully cultivated for the last half-century through deliberate effort to operate consistently in accordance with specific Core Values. The result is a reputation of unmatched integrity, accountability and vision. For more information, visit www.foulgerpratt.com.
About Gym & Tonic
You can learn more about Gym & Tonic by following its Instagram account @lovegymandtonic or liking its Facebook page @lovegymandtonic.
