Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe

Con Pane Bakery to Rise Again in Liberty Station | Eater San Diego

"Beloved by locals for more than two decades, the bakery and cafe was founded in 1999 in Point Loma before moving into Liberty Station in 2010 and suddenly shuttered this past January after an I-9 immigration audit; in her farewell message owner Catherine Perez said, “The discovery of a large number of unauthorized workers has so disrupted operations we have had no choice but to close.” The business is getting a second chapter thanks to the Cohn Restaurant Group, which purchased Con Pane’s assets and plans to restart operations by late September—co-founder David Cohn, a longtime friend of Perez, intends to continue operating the bakery much as she has over the past 20 years. General manager Dania Barajas will lead day-to-day operations and designer Philippe Beltran will refresh the 4,000-square-foot space (including a 1,000-square-foot patio); CRG is assembling a baking team and a wholesale arm to supply some Cohn restaurants and other local eateries. Perez will stay on as a consultant through the end of 2020 to train the new team and share her original recipes, so Con Pane fan favorites like the Chocolate Bread, Point Loma Sourdough, Almost Grilled Cheese, and Brioche Cinnamon Rolls are expected to return; as Perez said, “I’ve spent 20 years developing not just breads, pastries and sandwiches, but hopefully an atmosphere of warmth and community. Although I was ready to step away, I did not want the bakery to go away so I’m happy it will reopen.”" - Candice Woo