Recent business updates in La Jolla include several closures and new ventures preparing to launch. Peet's Coffee and other establishments have shut down, while cafes, skin care services, and plant shops are set to open soon. These changes reflect ongoing commercial shifts in the coastal community.
La Jolla's business landscape is evolving with a series of closures and anticipated openings, as detailed in the latest monthly roundup.
Peet's Coffee at 7910 Girard Ave. closed on January 30 amid corporate restructuring, following its parent company's acquisition by Keurig Dr Pepper in an $18 billion deal in August. The location, occupied since 2017, will be replaced by Cala La Jolla Cafe, targeting an April opening. According to La Jolla Realtor Amy de Leon, the new spot plans a menu featuring coffee, matcha, eats, and treats, with local musicians performing on select dates. This will be Cala La Jolla's first brick-and-mortar location; updates are available on Instagram at @calalajolla.
Two Rooms gallery at 5560 La Jolla Blvd. ceased operations on February 21, three years after opening in January 2023. It hosted 15 projects, starting with the inaugural exhibition 'Stone Soup' in March 2023, featuring artists from San Diego and Tijuana. Founder Lizzie Zelter described the closure as 'going on hiatus,' stating in a release: 'Two Rooms became an external framework for me to learn from, operating as a brick-and-mortar alter ego. I used Two Rooms as an excuse to ask strangers in San Diego and Tijuana for studio visits... It connected me to special souls whom I otherwise would have never met.'
Red O, a Mexican restaurant opened in 2017 near Westfield UTC mall, is scheduled to close on April 20 due to lease expiration. A layoff notice indicates it will release 91 employees. The closure aligns with landlord Irvine Co.'s redevelopment plans for The Plaza campus, including demolishing 1980s-era office buildings for apartments, with construction starting this spring and lasting three years. Owner and CEO Rick Teasta said: 'We are deeply grateful to the community for its unwavering support... We look forward to continuing to welcome our guests at our other Red O locations in Newport Beach, Santa Monica and Westlake Village.'
New arrivals include Face Foundrié, an all-inclusive facial bar opening this month at 7855 Girard Ave., marking its first San Diego site. Locally owned by Monika Garratt, it offers 40- and 50-minute facials, chemical peels, LED light therapy, waxing, and skin care products. Garratt noted: 'Face Foundrié embodies the skin care experience I spent years searching for... Bringing this concept to La Jolla felt like a natural fit.' Pop-up events are planned locally, with future expansions eyed for Del Mar, Point Loma, and Mission Valley; follow @monika.facefoundrie on Instagram.
Planted by Roam, a sister to Roam Homeware, had a soft opening and will hold a grand opening on March 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 945 Pearl St., featuring food, drinks, a DJ, and giveaways. Co-owners Elyse Clark and Trevor Longmore describe it as offering 'a curated collection of globally sourced planters and distinctive plants,' combining design with landscape services. It replaces Ogden’s Cleaners, which closed in 2024; visit @plantedbyroam on Instagram, with plantedbyroam.com launching soon.
Additionally, Dora Ristorante near La Jolla Playhouse is serving a three-course pre-theater dinner menu inspired by the play 'The Recipe,' running through March 29. Priced at $65, options draw from Julia Child's recipes, such as vichyssoise, insalata nizzarda vegetariana, coq au vin, and crepes suzette gelato. Reservations are at doralajolla.com/pretheater.