A LITTLE MORNING MAGIC
If sunshine was a pastry, it might look something like this.
Our Morning Buns start with the same laminated dough as our croissants — layer upon layer of buttery goodness — but then things get a little wild. Each one is rolled with cinnamon, sugar, and bright, fresh orange zest, baked until the edges caramelize into golden crispness, and finished with a light dusting of sugar that melts into every swirl.
The outside crackles.The inside stays soft and buttery.And every bite has that little citrus pop that wakes everything up.
They’re warm, fragrant, a little messy in the best way — and very hard to share.
If you know, you know.If you don’t...this weekend might be the moment for ya!
Open Every Day 7a-2p
A SMALL COFFEE UPDATE
Drip coffee will be leaving our menu soon, with this Sunday as the last day to enjoy it. But coffee lovers fear not — our Americanos are here to stay, made with our beautiful single-origin beans from Brazil. Rich, smooth, and a perfect companion to a warm croissant.
OPEN HOUSE THIS SATURDAY
Something fun is happening at IZOLA this Saturday — we’re part of OH! San Diego 2026, the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s annual open house event celebrating great buildings across the city. (“OH” stands for Open House.)
IZOLA is one of the featured stops on the self-guided East Village tour, which means architecture lovers from all over San Diego will be popping by to learn about the design of our space.
From 10am–1pm, we’ll have a small table set up on the patio with architectural drawings of the building and information about the design process behind IZOLA. If you’re curious about how the space came together, it’s a fun chance to take a peek behind the scenes.
I'll be joined by Carlos Hernandez, our architect from the team at Heleo for short presentations about the building and the project at 10am and again at 1pm.
Fair warning: it’s going to be a very lively Saturday morning at the bakery with our usual guests plus the OH! visitors and live music — but that just means even more energy (and croissants).
If you’re interested in the tour, you can learn more here.
Come by, grab a pastry, and say hello. We’re proud that IZOLA’s home is part of the conversation about thoughtful design in San Diego.
A HEADS UP FOR SUNDAY MORNING
Early this Sunday, our neighborhood will be buzzing with runners for the Hot Chocolate Run, which means a few nearby streets will be closed until about 10am. The good news? It clears out quickly and it’s fun to watch. Grab a coffee, cheer on the runners as they pass by, and enjoy the lively energy before settling in with something hot from the oven.
A QUICK VOTING UPDATE
We promise we won’t ask forever...but we do have a quick update.
There’s just over a week left to nominate for the Union-Tribune Best Of, (scroll down for Bakery • Breakfast • Brunch • Desserts) and a little over two weeks left to vote for San Diego Magazine’s Best Of.
If you’ve ever thought, “More people should know about this place,” a quick vote or nomination really helps more people discover us.
We’ve built IZOLA with a lot of intention — testing every recipe again and again, creating systems so pastries can be served hot from the oven all day, and building a team rooted in inclusivity and opportunity. We’re not trying to be the biggest bakery — just one that truly belongs to the community.
If you have a minute, we’d be incredibly grateful for your support.
Vote for IZOLA — San Diego MagazineBest Bakery • Best Desserts • Best Bread
Nominate IZOLA — San Diego Union-TribuneSuggested categories: Bakery • Breakfast • Brunch • Desserts
However you show up for us — by voting, visiting, or bringing friends — we feel it. Thank you!
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 each week.
NATE LUCIER
8-9a
Nate Lucier of Nate Lucier's Rock N' Roll Orchestra. Playing original songs that have a rock n' roll vibe, but with a modern feel.
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.
JACQUI MORRIS
11a-12p
Please welcome local musician Jacqui to her first performance at IZOLA. We're excited to have her!
CAITLINN 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 :)
BATHED IN SUNSHINE
(AND CARAMEL)
We’re lucky ducks here in San Diego. Seventies all week. Blue skies. That golden, late-morning light that makes everything feel just a little softer, our days a little brighter.
There’s no better place to bask in it than on our patio — cappuccino in hand — or inside the bakery, where the sunlight pours through the windows and catches the steam rising off pastries hot from the oven.
This week’s photo says it all: our Brown Butter Caramel Knot, glowing in that beautiful light.
And it deserves the spotlight.
Like most delicious treats, we start with butter — and toast it slowly until it turns golden and deeply nutty, releasing that unmistakable brown butter aroma. From there, we build our house-made caramel, rich and decadent, layered with that toasted warmth.
Our vanilla knot is soft and fluffy, scented with real Tahitian vanilla bean. Still warm, it’s dipped into that ooey-gooey brown butter caramel, soaking up every glossy ribbon.
Then we finish it with a sprinkle of flaky Maldon sea salt and shards of caramel brittle for crunch.
It’s sweet, salty, nutty, tender, crisp.
It’s indulgent in the best way.
And in the San Diego sunshine? It somehow tastes even better.
JOIN US
Open Every Day 7a-2p
WE MADE THE LIST - NOW COMES THE IMPORTANT PART
Okay, this is exciting.
We officially made the voting round for San Diego Magazine’s Best Of — and we’re on the ballot in:
Seeing IZOLA listed in three categories? That’s because of you. Truly.
But this is the part where your support matters most — voting is now open, and the winners are decided by votes.
If you’ve ever thought, “More people should know about this place,” this is one of those moments where you can help make that happen.
We’ve chosen to build IZOLA differently. We test and test and test every recipe before it ever hits our ovens. We’ve built complex systems so we can serve pastries and sourdough hot from the oven all day — even though it’s harder. We’ve chosen to hire inclusively, support restorative justice reentry, because we believe how we build matters just as much as what we bake.
We’re not trying to be the biggest bakery. We’re trying to be the one that feels like it belongs to the community.
So if you’ve ever felt proud to bring someone here...if you’ve ever sat in the sunshine with a croissant and thought, “I love this place”...this is one of those moments where you can help us grow something meaningful.
Vote for IZOLA — San Diego Magazine
Best Bread Nominate IZOLA — San Diego Union Tribune
Suggested categories: Bakery, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts
However you show up for us — by voting, by visiting, by bringing friends — we feel it. And we are so grateful!
ABOVE AND BEYOND
This week we’re celebrating two of our Above & Beyond winners: Alexandra and Eric.
Alexandra is a core member of our dish team — and at IZOLA, that role is foundational. Our dish team is the backbone of FOH. Without them, service stops. Cleanliness, flow, organization, momentum — it all runs through that station.
And when we were hit with a wave of unexpected callouts and needed to pivot quickly, Alexandra stepped up in every way. She scaled dry ingredients for production, worked in Dojo, jumped in on FOH when needed, and still maintained an impeccable dish station. She takes cleanliness seriously, keeps our space highly organized, and has helped streamline organization so teammates can find what they need quickly. That’s leadership. That’s ownership. That’s team-first energy.
Eric, who manages our inventory, brings that same excellence to his role. He keeps us stocked but not overstocked, maintains an organized FIFO warehouse, negotiates stronger vendor terms, and identifies cost-saving alternatives that directly impact our bottom line. His work may happen behind the scenes, but it supports every croissant and loaf we serve.
At IZOLA, excellence isn’t limited to one department. It’s found in the details, in the behind-the-scenes work, and in the people who step up when it matters most. Alexandra and Eric represent that spirit beautifully.
If you see them this week, help us give them a well-earned congratulations!
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 each week.
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.
JOYCE ANN MARTIN
10-11a
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.
STEVE SKIANO
11a-12p
Steve is a singer/songwriter drawing from his experiences as a US Air Force Pararescueman, reluctant police officer, psychiatric physician assistant and former altar boy to create emotionally impactful music. His full band, Steve Skiano and The Tan Lines is just starting to make its way into the San Diego music scene.
THE NEXT CHAPTER AT IZOLA
Hi IZOLA Community,
If you’ve ever paused mid‑bite — flakes on your shirt, coffee in hand — and thought, “How is this possible?”...thank you. You’re the reason we keep doing the hard thing: baking and serving croissants and sourdough hot from the oven, all day, every day, with warmth and care.
Today’s note is a behind‑the‑scenes update — and a heads‑up that we expect to reopen equity investment in IZOLA soon.
Why We’re Building (and What We’re Building)
IZOLA began as a small bakery experiment built around a demanding idea: food should be eaten at its peak. Hot. Fresh. Not rushed, not reheated. Served with intention.
That philosophy has shaped everything we do. It has also made growth complex. Serving food hot from the oven all day requires timing, labor, systems, and care, and scaling that experience responsibly means building the right infrastructure first.Which brings us to 2026.
IZOLA MAIN: Our Dough Factory in City Heights
We are actively moving forward with IZOLA MAIN — our first dough production facility in City Heights at 3320 Fairmount Avenue in the heart of City Heights.
This facility is designed to support IZOLA’s next chapter while protecting what makes our food special. It allows us to centralize dough production, improve consistency, and meaningfully increase capacity — without compromising craft.
What This Unlocks:
Approximately 5.1× production capacity increase over time
Improved consistency and workflow
A path toward lower COGS over time
The ability to support multiple IZOLA locations and test new distribution channels from one production hub
Current Status:
Site purchased
Architectural (100% DD set) and MEP engineering due 2/23.
Permitting underway with the City of San Diego
Contractor bidding underway
SDG&E project manager assigned
Zach West has joined our team as Construction Manager.
FDA + USDA compliant sanitary review complete by the Dennis Group
Project refinance in process, targeting Q2 2026 close
From there, the remaining steps are final coordination, permit issuance, and construction. The modeled construction duration is approximately 12 weeks, within a broader ~31‑week project timeline. Plainly said, by the end of 2026.This facility isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about earning the right to grow.
A Second IZOLA location: North San Diego County
In parallel, we are actively working toward opening a second IZOLA location in North San Diego County. Our focus is guest experience, convenience and thoughtful risk management — prioritizing locations that allow us to bring the IZOLA experience to more people while keeping capital requirements disciplined and execution tight. There’s nothing to announce yet (no signed lease), but this is a real and active effort.
New Channels, Tested Carefully
As IZOLA MAIN comes online, we will also be able to thoughtfully test new channels — including grocery, wholesale, and direct‑to‑consumer — only where we can preserve the hot‑from‑the‑oven experience that defines IZOLA.The goal is not to be everywhere. The goal is to be excellent, repeatable, and durable.
Economics: Growth with Discipline
As we’ve built IZOLA, we’ve focused on growing intentionally — protecting quality and guest experience while steadily strengthening the business underneath it.A few high-level markers:
+88% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over IZOLA’s operating history
$3.12 million in net sales in 2025, reflecting both increased demand and expanded operating sophistication
This growth has not come from shortcuts. It has come from continuous baking, premium ingredients, careful pricing, and a deep investment in people and process. The work underway, particularly IZOLA MAIN, is designed to improve unit economics over time by lowering COGS, increasing throughput, and creating a more scalable operating foundation.
Reopening Equity Investment Soon
As we move into this next chapter, we expect to reopen equity investment in IZOLA in the near future.For those considering investing — or for those who have already joined us — we believe transparency matters. We aim to share clear milestones, real challenges, and a roadmap you can follow.Building IZOLA has never been simple. Serving food hot from the oven all day introduces complexity, and the broader industry continues to face rising costs and margin pressure. Even so, we’re proud of the foundation we’re laying — operationally, culturally, and financially — to support long‑term growth.
If and when you choose to invest, please do so thoughtfully and only with capital you can afford to risk. We are building something ambitious, and we are building it with discipline, care, and a long‑term view.
When the round reopens, we’ll share full details: structure, timing, minimums, and how to participate.
Thank You
Whether you’ve supported IZOLA by investing, by bringing friends, by writing a thoughtful review, or by simply showing up curious and hungry — thank you.
IZOLA exists to create joy and justice, one hot‑from‑the‑oven bite at a time. We’re grateful to have you along for the journey.
With gratitude,
Jeffrey Brown & Jennifer ChenCo‑Founders, IZOLA
(619) 227‑2701
Open Every Day 7a-2p
FINAL WEEK
Our Wine Poached Pear Croissant leaves IZOLA's menus this Sunday.
This croissant is an invitation to slow down.
An IZOLA croissant forms the foundation — crisp at the edges, tender within — cradling a cloud of whipped mascarpone, lightly sweetened and soft as fresh snowfall. At the center rests a Bosc pear, slowly poached in Cabernet Sauvignon with winter spices, until its flesh turns jewel-toned and fragrant. Finished with a drizzle of Cabernet syrup, the pastry carries notes of red fruit, citrus peel, and spice—familiar, comforting, and just a little indulgent.
It’s the feeling of winter afternoons, of kitchens filled with steam and spice, of something made slowly on purpose. A moment to linger.
A TINY FAVOR
First — THANK YOU to everyone who nominated us for San Diego Magazine’s Best Of list. We are currently waiting with crossed fingers, crossed toes, and possibly crossed croissants to see if we made the voting round.
And while we’re in hopeful-mode...
The San Diego Union-Tribune Best Of nominations are now open, and we’d absolutely love your support there too.
If IZOLA has ever been your:
Go-to bakery
Breakfast ritual
Brunch destination
Dessert stop
...we’d be honored if you’d nominate us in any (or all!) of those categories. (Efficiency tip: Just do a CTRL FIND for "bakery" and it will pop you right to the spot.)
It takes just a minute — and your votes truly help more people discover hot-from-the-oven croissants and sourdough.
Awards are fun. Being your go-to bakery? That’s the real win.
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 each week.
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.
DAN GINDLING
10-11a
Dan Gindling has been playing guitar since 1972 when he first heard the band America and its debut album. Writing music has become his therapy and passion. You'll find him on the San Diego open mic scene where he has been enjoying the journey and hopes you enjoy his music too.
CAITLIN LEWIS
11a-12p
Hi, I’m Caitlin. I’m a singer and songwriter from San Diego. I write to reach out to others and validate shared experiences :)
AARON BOWEN
12-1p
Aaron Bowen is a local San Diego musician, guitar builder, and well practiced recording artist. Bowen has recorded and produced many local musicians, he has truly lifted the music community in San Diego. His musical style encompasses many genres fused into a unique, well sculpted tone, that encapsulates the listener into a trance. Aaron plays at Izola often, we are lucky to have him.