Kidville — a national chain of children’s play spaces, camps and preschools — closed in Bethesda Row over the weekend after the company filed for bankruptcy.
In an email to members, Co-Founder and CEO Rammy Harwood wrote on Saturday that the Bethesda location at 4825 Bethesda Ave. closed on Saturday after 16 years in business.
Kidville hasn’t been open for in-person operations since the spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, Harwood wrote.
He wrote that he closed the Bethesda location for a number of reasons, including a loss of revenue and the “general uncertainty of the coronavirus.”
“Despite our herculean efforts to stay afloat during the past four months, we can longer weather the storm,” he wrote.
The email went on to say that the company has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which is when a company sells off its assets to pay debts.
According to the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Kidville Bethesda has between 1 and 49 creditors and its assets are less than $50,000.
The bankruptcy filing lists claims from 39 individuals throughout the D.C. area, many in Montgomery County. The claims range from as little as $65 to as much as $1,557.
The email to Kidville Bethesda members states that a Chapter 7 trustee will administer Kidville’s assets and handle all future communication about the company.
“If you are owed money by Kidville you should receive communications directly from the Bankruptcy Court by first class mail about any next steps,” the email stated.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@bethesdda-remix.newspackstaging.com