Liberty Station Bakery Shutters Due to Immigration Audit

The long-running and well-loved Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe shared a devastating post on Facebook yesterday afternoon, announcing its immediate and permanent closure. The bakery, which opened an original location on Rosecrans Street in 1999 and moved to its current space in Liberty Station in 2010, has ceased retail operations and will make its last wholesale deliveries to local businesses on Friday, January 17.

Owner and head baker Catherine Perez was unavailable for comment but the post cited an “I-9 audit by immigration authorities” as the reason for the sudden shutter, sharing that the “discovery of a large number of unauthorized workers has so disrupted operations we have had no choice but to close.”

Read the text from the Con Pane’s full Facebook farewell below:

After first opening Con Pane Rustic Breads & Café on Rosecrans and Canon in Point Loma in 1999, 20 plus years ago, then moving to Liberty Station in 2010, we have permanently closed the café as of January 15, 2020. We will cease wholesale deliveries on Friday, January 17, 2020.

We have been subject to an I-9 audit by immigration authorities (DHS/ICE/INS) which has resulted in a notice of suspect documents. Although we require all workers to provide us with government specified documentation evidencing their employment eligibility, a number of our employees have been, without our knowledge, determined to be unauthorized workers. The discovery of a large number of unauthorized workers has so disrupted operations we have had no choice but to close.

Although closing is a heart-felt loss, it has been an incredible journey filled with laughter and tears. We have had the pleasure of being part of a community we love and have had the honor of being a part of birthdays, graduations, yacht races and weddings through our breads, pastries and sandwiches. We’ve given scone bites to children and have had the joy of watching them grow up and bring in their children for scone bites. We have shared stories and made dear friends and we have lost dear friends. Please know that we thank and appreciate and will miss each and every one of you.

And always remember ….. eat more bread.