This post was updated March 4 at 5:01 p.m.

BruinDining, a student-developed app that helped students navigate UCLA’s dining options, was initially taken down around Jan. 15 because of policy concerns but will likely continue under new ownership.

While BruinDining was initially taken down, Marius Genton, the app’s developer, said in a written statement that he has received multiple inquiries from founders interested in acquiring or partnering on the app’s development.

He added in the statement that he may have found a promising match and is still in the process of finalizing what the deal would look like.

While details are not yet confirmed, Genton said the app is at least partially back up.

“I’m happy to share that it’s almost guaranteed to continue existing,” Genton said in the statement.

Since its launch in January 2023, the app – which provided opening hours, menus and nutritional information for UCLA Housing’s dining options – garnered over 20,000 daily users, Genton said.

Genton, a third-year computer science and engineering student, said UCLA’s branding team recently contacted him, saying multiple aspects of the app – including its icon, color scheme, swipe market and integration of UCLA Dining’s website – were noncompliant with university policies.

[Related: Student-led BruinDining app offers easy access to UCLA dining information]

Genton said he developed the app to make UCLA dining information more accessible, as he found the official websites inconvenient and frequently arrived at closed dining halls because their hours were unclear. He added that he updated the app weekly, incorporating food truck details and a notification system that alerts users when a specific dish becomes available at a dining hall.

Genton said the university requested that he make significant modifications to BruinDining in order to continue its operation.

“A lot of them would either not make the app as good as before or would just require an immense amount of work to make something that works as well as what I had previously,” Genton said.

He said that after careful consideration, he originally decided to shut down the app instead of making the changes.

“I’m also a student,” Genton said. “I’m just not able to dedicate enough time to make something that’s as good as what I think the users deserve.”

A UCLA spokesperson said in a written statement that while the university cannot comment on situations that involve individual students, policies regarding UCLA trademarks and intellectual property are outlined on the UCLA Marks website.

Mark McKenna, a law professor, said in an emailed statement that students developing apps using university-related branding or data should be aware of potential legal risks, including trademark violations and privacy concerns. 

McKenna, who specializes in trademark law, added in the statement that while universities typically do not claim ownership of student-created work – unless it is developed in a university lab or with substantial university resources – they may intervene if an app uses branding elements in a way that could create questions about its relationship with the corresponding university.

Genton said that UCLA did not force him to shut down the app and that he believed the university’s requests were reasonable.

“I understand that a lot of UCLA’s value is in its brand,” Genton said. “They’re going to do what they have to to protect that, and I think they’ve made completely fair arguments.”

Although policy compliance was the primary reason for the app’s initial shutdown, Genton said maintenance costs also played a role. He added that, initially, he funded the app out of pocket, but user donations helped him break even for the past few months – a gesture he said he was very grateful for.

Genton said he originally created the app for personal use, but its popularity grew quickly through word of mouth and social media. He added that he was surprised by the overwhelming response to its shutdown and received many messages from disappointed users.

Sharokina Williams, a first-year political science student, said she used the app five or six times a day and ranked among the top 10% of users. She added that she downloaded it upon recommendations from many other students.

“He really did something that benefited everyone, and everyone did appreciate it,” Williams said.

Genton said he is currently working with a social media startup affiliated with the Carrot Man – a man who frequently walks through Bruin Walk wearing a carrot costume – and has developed an app for it. Genton added that while the project is different from BruinDining, he remains committed to developing apps that benefit UCLA students.

[Related: What is at the root of the Carrot Man’s campus visits?]

Genton said he never could have imagined the app’s widespread use.

“I really loved working on this project – the coding aspect and seeing so many people use something that I love,” Genton said.