The Abridged version:
- Delta of Venus has closed after 33 years in Downtown Davis, its owner announced on social media Wednesday morning.
- Lee Walthall, who had owned the business since 2001 and played music there beforehand, has retired, he said.
- Delta of Venus’ low-cost vegetarian options and proximity to campus made it popular with UC Davis students.
Delta of Venus, a student-friendly café and live music space in Downtown Davis, has closed after 33 years, its owner announced on social media Wednesday morning.
The bohemian business at 122 B St. served as a gathering spot for an array of groups, from weekend morning brunchgoers to UC Davis clubs to low-key concert attendees.
Lee Walthall, who had owned the business since 2001 and played music there in its earlier days, has retired. He thanked those many communities in his social media post.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to build community with you all,” the post read. “From the first moments to the last, it has been an amazing, magical ride.”
“Delta of Venus has always been about the people who come together and share this space. Thank you all so much for filling our lives with love, laughter and memories that will last forever.”
Audrey Park and Ruth Fankushen opened Delta of Venus in 1993 with a limited coffee bar and a health-focused food menu. Decades later, it remained a Davis vegetarian favorite for low-cost dishes such as Adam’s scramble (sun-dried tomatoes, melted jack cheese, pesto, serrano chilis and bell peppers).
Delta of Venus changed hands a couple of times throughout the 1990s before Walthall purchased the business. He gradually built out the live music program and established it as a bar as well, with beer on tap and weekend mimosas.
