Giorgio DeLuca, a school teacher turned cheese merchant, and Joel Dean, a publishing business manager, opened the first Dean & DeLuca in September 1977 in SoHo, an area in lower Manhattan, at the corner of Prince and Greene streets. In October 1988, a new flagship market was opened at the corner of Broadway and Prince Streets. Smaller retail outlets followed in Manhattan's Rockefeller Plaza and the Paramount Hotel. Espresso bars were also located around New York and in Washington, D.C. Dean & DeLuca at one time operated locations in New York City, Napa County, California, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, North Carolina, Leawood, Kansas, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Manila, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Macau. Dean & DeLuca uses a license structure in foreign markets. Dean & DeLuca opened its first international location in Tokyo in 2003 with Itochu Dean & Deluca Japan, followed by MahaNakhon in Bangkok in July 2011 and Orchard Central in Singapore in June 2012. In 2007, they signed their second license with M.H. Alshaya Co. Middle East. In 2010, Dean & DeLuca signed additional license agreements with Pace Development Thailand, Shinsegae Korea, and Mekassa Turkey. On July 11, 2019, Dean & DeLuca announced the closing of many of its U.S. locations, bringing the number of stores down to six locations. As of September 9, 2019, DeanDeluca.com listed four locations. As of October 25, 2019, the website listed two remaining locations, both in Honolulu. According to the company's CRO, the company ceased operating in mid 2019; the remaining stores are franchisees which paid the franchisor $1.5 million in royalties annually. On April 1, 2020, Dean & DeLuca filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors with liabilities of as much as $500 million and assets of no more than $50 million. Its owner, Thailand’s Pace Development Corp., defaulted on a total of 9.5 billion baht of debt in 2019. The primary case is Dean & Deluca New York, Inc. which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Six affiliated companies also filed bankruptcy. The company has indicated that it intends on continuing operations after the bankruptcy reorganization is completed.
