Jamba by Blendid kiosk closes following drain pipe burst
The Jamba by Blendid smoothie machine in Ackerman Union closed Wednesday afternoon after a drain pipe broke open. (Megan Cai/Assistant Photo editor)
This post was updated May 11 at 11:44 p.m.
The Jamba by Blendid smoothie machine in Ackerman Union closed Wednesday afternoon after a drain pipe broke open, leading to putrid smells and light spillage.
A hole burst in one of Ackerman Union’s drain lines that was connected to kitchens in the building, said Tony Mercado, a member of the Associated Students of UCLA maintenance department working on-site at Ackerman Level 1, where Jamba by Blendid is located. Maintenance staff on-site closed Jamba by Blendid following the burst.
The fully autonomous robot extension of Jamba Juice serves customizable fruit-based smoothies, which can be ordered at a digital kiosk or through the Blendid app. The kiosk opened on campus in the summer. A traditional Jamba Juice store had previously operated in Ackerman Union until its closure in 2021.
[Related: Ackerman union adds new dining options ahead of fall quarter]
The water in the pipe that burst may have contained waste from kitchens in the building, Mercado added. Panda Express on Ackerman Level 1 also closed Wednesday afternoon after the burst, which occurred around 3:50 p.m.
The pipe’s contents – which produced a pungent odor – were black in color and also spilled behind the letters of the University Credit Union sign on Ackerman A-Level, the floor below the machine. Maintenance staff on-site arrived promptly after the spill, said Madison Pfau, a fourth-year ecology, behavior and evolution student who said she witnessed the burst’s effects.
“Water just started … spreading to the whole panel of the whole ceiling,” said Pfau, an ASUCLA building manager who contributed to the Daily Bruin in 2021. “It smelled really bad. It was in puddles on the floor.”
ASUCLA employees declined to comment on when the closed venues might reopen.
An ASUCLA representative at Ackerman A-Level also declined to comment at the site.
The pipeline – which connects the kitchen of Panda Express to Jamba by Blendid – has been replaced, an ASUCLA spokesperson said in an emailed statement. They said the area has been cleared, and the ceiling panels have been dried, adding that the surrounding area will be cleaned once repairs are completed.
In an emailed statement Thursday, a Blendid spokesperson said the machine is now back to normal function and has been reopened.
