D’Lush at Price Center

The University Centers Advisory Board released a statement Thursday announcing the closure of D’Lush, a juice bar and restaurant located in Price Center at UC San Diego. The “quick-casual restaurant” was unable to meet its rent obligations under the lease agreement with the university, resulting in the eatery’s eviction.

Opened Feb. 2014, D’Lush was selected by UCAB through a Request For Proposals process and offered an assortment of beverages and comfort foods including “open faced melts, salads, sandwiches, wraps, donut holes, pastries, fresh fruit cups, and parfaits.”

After repeatedly failing to honor their lease agreement, the university notified D’Lush that if it didn't pay its rent the university would take legal action. The restaurant’s failure to comply prompted UC Regents to file a lawsuit against D’Lush, and in May, the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego ruled in favor of the university, which repossessed the space on June 15, 2016.

While not immediately available for comment, Jeffery Adler, the owner and CEO of D’Lush, is no stranger to failed business endeavors. In 2001, Adler opened the first D’Lush location at Fashion Valley mall in San Diego, and before its closure in 2011 he opened eight other locations: UCSD, Rock Church in Point Loma, Los Angeles, Qatar and five stores in Kuwait.

With the closure of D’Lush at UCSD, all of Adler’s California locations are now closed, and it is unknown whether Adler’s international D’Lush locations continue to operate.

According to the statement authored by UCAB Chair Luke Wang and Vice Chair Ashley Awe, a retail committee will meet at the beginning of the Fall 2016 quarter to select a new tenant.

“Fourteen of 17 members of UCAB are students,” the statement reads, “and they are committed to making this [Request For Proposals] process student centered and student led.”

The committee will hold off on their selection until students return for the academic year.

“This is to be as transparent as possible and to get as much student input as possible,” said Awe.

While the decision of what will replace D’Lush’s space in Price Center will ultimately lie in the hands of the retail committee, the committee and UCAB will rely heavily on student voices.

“We encourage students to come to UCAB meetings to give their input on what they want to see in Price Center and what concepts they want us to pursue,” said Wang.