Debt-Riddled Dean & DeLuca Is Closing Its Georgetown Store Next Week

Like a bottle of overpriced sea salt stuck on its spare shelves, the Georgetown location of Dean & DeLuca stayed put earlier this month when news broke that the storied chain of luxury markets was shedding stores in New York and San Francisco because it couldn’t pay its purveyors. Today, however, a representative for company writes in an email that the D.C. store will shut down next week.

“Dean & DeLuca will focus on its flagship store located on Prince Street in New York City while it reassesses how to transform its business model to address challenges that are facing many brands in the sector,” the representative writes.

The D.C. market’s last day will be Thursday, August 1. On July 11, the same representative told Eater that there was no plan to close the store “at this time.”

In the wake of the other closures, several visitors to Dean & DeLuca’s D.C. outpost noted that its inventory was low, with whole shelves and refrigerated cases appearing bare. Signs inside the store said it was preparing for renovations. In announcing the closure, the company says the building is set to undergo major renovations, and the market will not re-open once they’re complete.

According to the Washington Post, the Georgetown store (3276 M Street NW) opened in 1993, marking Dean & DeLuca’s first venture outside of New York. Before the rise of Whole Foods or Amazon, the store gave customers a place to splurge on spices, cheeses, cured meats, and wines that made them feel sophisticated.

Giorgio DeLuca and Joel Dean opened their first store in Soho in 1977. Thai real estate firm bought the brand in 1994, launching an overly ambitious expansion plan that contributed to its downfall.

• Dean & DeLuca Sold America Luxury but Couldn’t Pay Its Own Bills [E]
• Dean & Deluca’s Major Debt Issues Are Sinking a 30-Year-Old Brooklyn Bakery [ENY]
• Sunk in Debt, Dean & DeLuca Closes Its St. Helena Location [ESF]
• Dean & DeLuca’s future is bleak. But when it opened it was a game-changer. [WaPo]
• “Dean and Deluca at around 2:30 yesterday afternoon” [Popville]