- izolafoh
- Dec 19, 2025
This time of year is filled with so many meaningful moments of gathering and celebration. From Hanukkah to Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the turning of the New Year, the bakery hums a little louder, the ovens glow a little warmer, and we’re constantly reminded what an honor it is to be part of your traditions.
Whether you’re serving IZOLA sourdough at a holiday table, bringing croissants to a morning gathering, or carving out a quiet moment on our patio with the winter sun on your face — thank you for choosing to share these moments with us. It truly means everything.
We’re open every day from 7a–2p, except Christmas Day itself. And for the very first time, we’ll be open on New Year’s Day — come celebrate with us. Hot-from-the-oven pastries, laughter, and a whole lot of love to start the year right.
And a little insider tip: our croissants and sourdough freeze beautifully. With reheating directions right on the box, you can enjoy hot-from-the-oven croissants in your jammies — whether it’s a Hanukkah morning, Christmas breakfast, or easing into the New Year at home.
If you’re hosting out-of-town guests, we’d love to see you. Bring them by for a sunny San Diego morning on our patio, or make an afternoon of it with live music on Saturday — good bread, good company, and a little holiday magic.
HOLIDAY HOURS
Open every day,
7a–2pClosed Christmas Day
Open New Year’s Day
LEAVING SOON
Blue Cheese and Walnut Sourdough will be leaving the menu soon!
Wisconsin blue cheese + Californian walnuts = Addictive. Our sourdough team incorporates almost a 1/3 pound each of large chunks of blue cheese and walnut halves into each loaf. Yum....
Stock up now!
CRISPY THE CROISSANT
Last Christmas, we shared a special poem written by our Bake & Sourdough Lead, Chef Lane, and it quickly became a favorite among the IZOLA community. We’re so happy to share it with you again this holiday season.
Last year, my dad, John, read this poem aloud to our family on Christmas morning — dressed, fittingly, in his velvet Santa jogging suit. We lost Papa John this year, and that moment has become one I hold especially close. It’s a memory I’m deeply grateful for.
Thank you, Chef Lane, for sharing your gifts with us and for creating something that continues to bring so much joy.
P.S. If this poem speaks to you, you can also read Chef Lane’s Crispy the Croissant comic strip here.
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS:
Featuring Crispy the Croissant
Crispy and their friends on a cold winter’s night,
Were packed in a box all snuggled in tight.
Twas the night before Christmas, and they awaited the man,
Who would come down the chimney and fall into their plan.
From the kitchen they gazed at the glistening tree,
And saw milk and cookies where they ought to be.
“That should be us!” they said to each other.
“Santa would LOVE 96 layers of butter!”
But one croissant didn’t feel so secure.
Unlike butter, her flavor was much more obscure.
Twas Munchy, the Moroccan Black Olive croissant,
Too funky and naughty for Santa to want.
Then what to their wondering eyes should appear
But a pair of black boots and a man with a beard!
As soon as Santa arrived fireside,
Munchy snuck out of the box to hide.
St. Nick was quiet, and went straight to work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk.
He saw them and toward the kitchen he came.
And they whistled, and shouted, and told him their names;
"I’m Crispy! I’m Knotty! I’m Gooey, I’m Crunchy!
"I’m Sugar! I’m Butter! I’m Swirly! I’m Smunchy!”
They shouted and begged him to please have a taste,
“Those plain sugar cookies would be such a waste!”
Then Santa spotted the runaway treat.
Another croissant he had yet to meet.
St. Nick picked her up and, smiling, expressed,
“You must have fallen away from the rest.
“What is your name, dear little croissant?
“And, tell me, what is it for Christmas you want?”
Munchy trembled, quite nervous was she,
But she told him the truth, as plain as could be:
“I wish to be chosen and loved a bunch.
“But I’m naughty. You probably won’t like me too much.
“Those sugar cookies are tender and mild,
“But me, I’ve got olives! I’m funky and wild!
“And not only that, I’ve got buckwheat inside,
“And sourdough starter and a chocolate surprise!
“With black stripes all over, I’m strange as can be,
“But maybe too wild for you to love me?”
“I’ll admit,” the man said, “that sounds pretty weird,
“But a wild thing is not to be feared.
“Just because you’re different, doesn’t mean you’re bad.
“You might be the best treat I’ve ever had.”
He invited Munchy to fly on his sleigh,
And take the place of cookies that day.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
Croissant in hand, up the chimney he rose;
And Munchy sang out as St. Nick took a bite,
“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!”
Thanks to Kaushal Patel for featuring IZOLA on a recent visit. Take a peek behind the scenes with Kaushal!
(PS - We're no longer open in the evenings, but look forward to seeing ya every day from 7a-2pm
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday, we host live music at the bakeshop from 8a-1p. Come on by to see how talented our local San Diego musicians are! Follow us on Instagram to see the lineup! Here are a few of the musicians joining us this weekend.
JOHN AND EILEEN SCHNARR
8-9a
John and Eileen have been married for 52 years and counting. Since 1981 John has written over 200 songs. Having both survived life threatening illnesses just months apart they have come out from under that experience, and joyfully embrace their current season for singing, which came with a soaring duet of Yes!
LEATEA
9-10a
Leatea (San Diego native Dylann Jelden) has been a musician all her life, beginning with classical violin at age 4. She began writing songs and incorporating guitar in high school. She performs regularly in San Diego.
JOSIAH IMPERIAL
10-11a
Josiah began playing saxophone at the age of 9. Over the last 15 years he has continued to craft his skills. Come watch Josiah showcase his talent!
CHRISTOPH KEY
12-1p
Christoph Key's music is rooted in warmth, honesty, and soulful storytelling. He blends gentle atmospheric textures with intimate, heartfelt vocals to create music that feels soothing, reflective, and deeply human.
His acoustic sets offer a stripped-back look into his artistry. Highlighting his voice, emotional depth, and the real stories behind his songs. Drawing from lived experiences and personal transformation, Christoph invites listeners into a space of connection and real-time becoming.
- Jeffrey Lamont Brown
- Nov 20, 2025
Pre-orders for pickups through Wednesday November 26 are open now! Whether you are planning for an array of hot-from-the-oven pastries to serve to your houseguests at breakfast, or our Wild Sourdough for Thanksgiving dinner, we are always humbled when guests choose to serve IZOLA at their table.
HOLIDAY HOURS:
We will be open every day 7a-2p
Closed Thanksgiving Day
Back open on Black Friday, 7a-2p
If you want to skip the rush on Wednesday, come on by any time before next week and our croissants and sourdough freeze wonderfully. Each box has reheating instructions on the side so that you can serve fresh, hot-from-the-oven croissants and sourdough on Thanksgiving Day.
THE IZOLA FAM BLOWS US AWAY, YET AGAIN!
Last week we shared that one of our workforce partners, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), was struggling to provide participants in their programs with a turkey for Thanksgiving due to severe funding shortages.
Thanks to the compassion of the IZOLA family, we've raised more than twice our goal! Forty families here in San Diego will now have a turkey at their Thanksgiving dinner table — because of you.
While Jenny and I weren't surprised that this community showed up in such a big way, it still gets us emotional to see the generosity come pouring in. Each and every day, Jenny and I get the honor of working alongside team members who have faced enormous challenges — people who have made life-altering mistakes, taken accountability, and now show up with their whole hearts at IZOLA, choosing new paths and better days.
Knowing that we were able to support 40 families of formerly incarcerated people, helping them feel the strength and warmth of this community behind them — it fills us with so much joy. As a team member recently shared with us when describing his work at IZOLA - it fills our cup.
THANK YOU.
NEW COMBOS AND DRINKS
New combo alert! Grab a Carnitas Croissant and pair it with a cold Boomtown Mexican-Style Lager — and get a little discount while you’re at it. Lunch just got way more fun.
In addition to the new Boomtown Lager, we've added also added Scarpetta Frico Sparkling White Wine in a can and Jenny's favorite, Hakutsuru Junmai Sake in the cutest glass cup that you get to keep.
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Come enjoy our local San Diego talent every Saturday from 8a-1p.
JOHN AND EILEEN SCHNARR
8-9a
John and Eileen have been married for 52 years and counting. Since 1981 John has written over 200 songs. Having both survived life threatening illnesses just months apart they have come out from under that experience, and joyfully embrace their current season for singing, which came with a soaring duet of Yes!
LEATEA
9-10a
Leatea (San Diego native Dylann Jelden) has been a musician all her life, beginning with classical violin at age 4. She began writing songs and incorporating guitar in high school. She performs regularly in San Diego.
ROBERT CHAN
10-11a
Based in San Diego and inspired by personal life experiences, singer-songwriter Robert Chan writes music that focuses on storytelling. With just three years of experience, he's recently created a new album about a magical love story called "I Promise Cafe."
JOYCE ANN MARTIN
11a-12p
Since the late 1960’s Joyce Ann Martin has shared her original songs with audiences in San Diego.
Her Baby Boomer Anthems and song of peace can be found on the album, UNLEASHED by the Wild Older Women (available on Spotify, and most streaming platforms).
Give it a listen, and you’ll be ready to sing along at her next show.
OUR PROMISE
Hot from the oven was born out of necessity. I was baking out of my home oven and it could only fit a few loaves of a sourdough or a few croissants at a time. But then it quickly became my passion to figure out how to serve everything hot from the oven - because a loaf of sourdough or a croissant just pulled from the oven is life changing.
It is because of our promise to serve you the freshest product that our inventory fluctuates throughout the day, but I think we're getting pretty good at anticipating demand and scheduling our bakes to that demand. Of course to err is human and we do certainly make our share of mistakes.
Like just yesterday when we had guests waiting far too long for their orders, or we oversold on product. We don't take our mistakes lightly and we thank each and every one of you who reach out to me personally to share your experience so that we can continue to do better. Alongside our hot-from-the-oven promise, we also have our IZOLA Almighty Guarantee - if you do not love your experience with us, please let us know and we will happily refund you and try our darndest to make it right.
IMPORTANT SERVICE CHANGES
Last week we hosted our Q3 Shareholder Meeting at IZOLA. Over 900 individuals have invested in IZOLA and without them, we would not be here today. At our meeting we shared the wins and also some of the challenges - including cost increases and more price sensitivity by consumers due to the current uncertain economic climate.
As we hunker down to prepare for what may become some challenging times ahead, we have decided to cancel IZOLA Evenings, effective immediately, and return to our previous hours of 7a-2p every day. It was not a decision made lightly, but to change behavior patterns takes time and investing in the labor costs to maintain the evenings can't be our priority right now as we look to scale to additional locations.
Thanks to those who joined us for IZOLA Evenings - I found them to be truly magical!
NEW HOURS:
Every Day from 7a-2p
HELPING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY IN NEED
It is not only a challenging business climate right, but it is even tougher for our non-profit partners whose funding has taken a big hit.
This week, I’m hoping we can rally as a community to support one of our workforce partners, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO).
CEO helps provide employment opportunities, job training and placement to people who have been formerly incarcerated. When it comes to successful re-entry, there are two crucial aspects that people must have: A stable job and stable housing. Both are very hard to come by, but having partnered with CEO for the past year, there is no doubt that organizations like CEO make our community stronger through the support, guidance and assistance they provide to the community.
And the proof is right inside our walls at IZOLA — our retention rate is already double the industry average, and the team members who come to us through restorative justice pathways are performing even higher. These are people who are ready to work, ready to show up, and ready to build something.
Our ask today is simple. This year San Diego's CEO team only has enough budget to provide FOUR turkeys to participants for Thanksgiving this year. But they have a need for FORTY. At $25 a turkey, it's a small lift if we do it together - $900 in donations will make sure 40 families have a Thanksgiving meal.
To help, click below. And to make sure your gift goes straight to the San Diego branch and this specific program, please paste this into the comment box:
San Diego BranchAttn: Site Director Robert SmithTurkeys for San Diego Program
Thank you, truly. Small things like this — when we do them together — make a real difference for real families.
LAST CALL!
Our Artichoke and Feta Sourdough leaves this Saturday.
Travel with us to Greece ....Handfuls of oven-roasted artichoke hearts, feta, Kalamata olives...feel the warm sun on your face as you bite into our Artichoke Heart & Feta Sourdough! We flash roast the artichoke hearts in our SALVA croissant ovens to build the Maillard and pair 'em up with French sheep's milk feta (over a quarter pound of artichokes and feta in each loaf....very tricky to shape....thank you sourdough team) ....rounded out with lemon zest, Italian parsley, Kalamata olives, fennel seeds, and a little garlic and hint of red pepper. We're going to 11.
Pro tip: Slice your loaf, then freeze the slices, and you'll always have a slice ready to toast!
WHO'S READY FOR A VACATION?
Oh boy, I know I am! We wanted to share with you a special place in Mexico. Jenny and I are planning for some R&R here in the new year, but until then felt compelled to share it with you.
Villa La Sirena is a special spot in Boca de Tomatlan Mexico, just 11 miles south of Old Town Puerto Vallarta. It's a place where you can slow down, and feel away from it all.
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
With our change in hours, we no longer will be hosting Friday evening live music, but our Saturday mornings are still in full force! Come enjoy our local talent every Saturday from 8a-1p.
XAVY
8-9a
Xavy is a San Diego native saxophonist with a wide range of musical interests. He is also a member of the Funk/R&B band Heaping Teaspoon.
KAHLIL NASH
9-10a
Emerging from the elite San Diego music scene in California, San Diego Music Award winner Kahlil Nash is a Funk/Rock and R&B recording artist/producer who is a multi-instrumentalist. Influenced by artists Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince, Kahlil Nash thrives to entertain his audience.
LANZA ATTISHA
10-11a
Lanza Attisha is a San Diego based songwriter with a soulful twist on classic pop and blues tunes.
JACOBY CLEVELAND
11a-12p
Music curator and lover of dope vibes.
CAITLYN LEWIS
12-1p
Hi, I’m Caitlin. I’m a singer and songwriter from San Diego. I write to reach out to others and validate shared experiences :)