The building at 2000 Mt. Vernon Avenue has been one of the cornerstones of Del Ray since 1938. Starting in 1933, David Glassman, whose family owned the property, operated Potomac Hardware here in a building dating back to the turn of the century. By 1938, the family had accumulated enough wealth to tear down the original building and build the current structure intended to house two stores on Mt. Vernon Ave. and several apartments above and behind. Potomac Hardware reopened on the right, and Max Rumshin moved his grocery store from the 2200 block of Mt. Vernon Ave into the store on the left, renaming it the Mt. Vernon Food Center. Rumshin and the Glassman family occupied three of the apartments in the building.

During World War II, Potomac Hardware was replaced by the Del Ray Drug Store. Glassman passed away in 1972, and the Mt. Vernon Food Center closed shortly thereafter. Glassman's widow sold the property in 1975, ending the tenure of the Del Ray Drug Store. Despite a few efforts by the new owners, the storefronts were entirely vacant by 1979, a reflection of the economic hard times in Del Ray. Around 1987, The Snuggery Cafe found the right mix to be successful in a less affluent neighborhood. However, as the neighborhood's fortunes improved, The Snuggery became less popular, and its business suffered.

By 1997, the neighborhood was ready for a more upscale establishment, and The Evening Star Cafe replaced The Snuggery Cafe. The new owners turned Mr. Rumshin's old apartment into The Majestic Lounge, located behind the restaurant. When this proved popular, they expanded by converting apartment No. 9 upstairs into the No. 9 Lounge, which has since absorbed the adjacent apartment as well. The bathroom of the No. 9 Lounge still has the original shower tiles, betraying its past as a residential apartment.