Izola, considered one of the best bakeries in the United States, has temporarily closed its doors at its East Village site at 710 13th Street, Suite 300.
Co-owners Jeffrey Brown and Jenny Chen have created one of the most popular bakery spots in the country, even getting named the #1 in the United States by Yelp last year. Despite the success, the company has been operating for more than three years with only a Class B Cottage Food Operation food permit, which is usually for small business operations, usually operating out of personal kitchen spaces. Now, the bakery has closed, and owners must make changes.
“It is with an incredibly heavy heart that effective immediately, IZOLA will be temporarily closed,” Izola wrote in an email to its subscribers. “We’ve outgrown our Cottage Food license and must complete a planned renovation before we’re able to reopen again on our new license.”
Now that the company has outgrown its operations in East Village, the owners are forced to either scale back its operations or substantially upgrade the kitchen and restaurant space, according to SanDiegoVille. It appears the company is attempting the latter, as owners recently applied for a Type 41 Beer & Wine liquor license. For now, the bakery is closed and intends to reopen in about a month and a half, depending on renovation, permits, and approvals.
“At this time, our immediate focus is on our team of 33 incredibly kind, hardworking, compassionate people,” continued Izola. “We are putting plans into place to provide all the support that we can during this difficult time for them. If you or someone you know are looking to hire some of the hardest working, brightest people in the business, we would love it if you email Jenny so that she can share your opportunity with the team.”
The company has tried to expand for some time now, with plans to open a new 4,790-square-foot location in City Heights to meet demand. Izola was also hoping to expand to a food truck and to ship their breads and pastries to eateries around the city. The new development will likely push back these plans. Despite the many plans for the company, Izola owners have received more than $1 million in investment funds through crowdsourcing.
