I didn’t shop here much but did go to a Corniellsen tasting there and get to meet Frank. It sounds like they haven’t decided what’s next just yet. The email isn’t 100% clear.
Wait are they closing or not? If not, you should change the post title, damn.
They’re closing on melrose. New location TBD.
“Dear Friends,
This is a hard email to write, so it’s a good thing I’m doing it in the privacy of my home because I’m likely to get emotional as I try to express myself. First, I want to say how grateful I am for your support over the last seventeen years. Nearly two decades! When I opened DomaineLA in 2009, there was a good chance that it wouldn’t survive a year. But with each additional neighbor, California Chicken Cafe customer, blogger, food industry colleague, and out-of-town visitor sent by like-minded shops around the country and world, slowly but surely I built a business that was financially viable, but more importantly, intellectually and personally gratifying.
But all good things must come to an end – or, perhaps, a pause. With the lease coming to a close this year, I had to do a lot of thinking about whether this specific space made sense right now. My conclusion, for a whole variety of factors, is that the footprint and overhead is just too large for the natural scope of the business. In order to make the economics work, I’d have to sell more and more items that I cared less and less about. The spirit of the enterprise would have been too compromised. And so, I’ve decided to take a moment to figure out how future operations might evolve.
What this means in the short term is that Domaine LA will be closing its doors at 6801 Melrose Avenue sometime in the next several months. On Wednesday of this week, a sign will be going on the door to announce the in-process license transfer, to another liquor shop, Sipsy. While they have a different focus and philosophy from me, I believe in their mission to serve the neighborhood well, and I know they are excited to put their own stamp on the space Domaine LA has inhabited for so long.
The license transfer process is one that is a bit open-ended. It might take 60 days for the transfer to happen, but it also might take 180. It’s really up to the powers that be in Sacramento. Business will remain as usual during this transfer process, and we’ll continue to buy inventory, stock the shelves, and hold tastings. When the transfer happens, the wine club will continue to operate, with pick-ups happening at Bar Etoile on Western Avenue (more on that in the coming weeks).
In the meantime, Genna, Remi, Princie, Sierra, Jack, Christoph and I hope to see as many of you as possible. Domaine LA wouldn’t have been here this long without you, and we’d all love the chance to say thank you in person.
With love and gratitude,
Jill”
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