Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: person gets laid off during the pandemic. Bored at home, they turn to baking. A passing interest turns into a passion, and before you know it, they’re launching a full-fledged bakery.
Yes, that’s the story of how Mi Pan Bakery started, and yes, 10,000 other aspirational bakeries began the exact same way. But the difference is that Mi Pan’s baker and owner Alejandro Gomez didn’t stop at making a few loaves of sourdough for his friends and family.
He’s spent the last five years building a beloved local business whose bread and pastries are now sought out at three different farmers markets, was nominated for both Best Bread and Best Farmers Market Food Vendor in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Reader’s Choice Awards for 2025, and only decided to finally move from baking in his garage to their first brick-and-mortar location in order to keep up with sheer demand.
“I talked to my wife, and I said ‘Listen, if we’re not going to move out of the garage, I don’t think I can keep doing this, because I’m baking pretty much 10 to 12 hours a day,’” Gomez laughs. “I think it’s time.”
After a year of looking for the right location—where Gomez and his wife and business partner Alejandra Ruelas could open Mi Pan with enough space for an expanded commercial kitchen, an area for hosting workshops, and an onsite retail store—they found it. Mi Pan Bakery’s first brick-and-mortar location will open in the first half of 2026 at 6435 Mission Gorge Road in Grantville.
Once open, Mi Pan will still remain at all of the farmers markets: Tuesdays in Pacific Beach, Saturdays in Little Italy, and Sundays in Chula Vista. They hope to add one more to their rotation once they have the ability to increase production. Gomez says he also plans to launch a wholesale side of the bakery, something he says multiple businesses have approached him about, but he hasn’t been able to take on with his small operation. And then, maybe one day, maybe even a second location in North County.
Gomez also didn’t work as a baker previously, unlike other pandemic-launched operations like Companion Bread Company and Relic Bakery. But in the past five years, he’s taught himself the craft and traveled across the world to places like France, Spain, and Mexico City to both take and teach various baking classes, something he also plans to offer at the new space.
Mi Pan’s menu will remain small, offering its signature sourdough and pastries—especially medialunas, an Argentinian pastry that’s a cross between a flaky croissant and soft brioche with a light glaze on top. “If you haven’t tried it, you should,” he promises. “They’re amazing.” They’ll also add sandwiches using its own bread, as well as coffee. (Most of this will be intended to-go, but it’ll have a few tables onsite if people wish to enjoy their goodies right away.) But above all, Gomez says what they’re building is meant to last, modeled after the family-owned neighborhood cafes of his native Mexico and across Europe.
“It’s not about being the kind of trendy bakery that’s hyped for six, seven months, or a year, and then after that, they disappear,” he says. “We want an atmosphere that feels like home, and then when you come back… you’re greeted by name. I think that’s what we want—a warm, reliable, everyday bakery where the community feels welcome and you always find exceptional bread and pastries.”
Mi Pan Bakery will open at 6435 Mission Gorge Road in Grantville in mid-2026.
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Beth’s Bites
- In other good news, Birria El Rey finally opened its doors in Golden Hill this week, bringing its ecstasy-inducing birria tacos, ramen, tortas, and more to the former Krakatoa space that’s been fully refreshed. Luckily, the iconic wraparound patio is just as big and beautiful as ever, so I’m fully ready to post up and chow down as soon as I can.
- San Diego is officially on the food map, and if Lilo’s Michelin star in six weeks didn’t convince you, maybe this will. Relic Bakery just landed the number two spot on Beli’s Best New Bakery in the world list after opening in East Village this October, and with over 75 million restaurant ratings on the app, I’d say that’s a pretty legit reflection of a whole lot of serious foodies.
- If you need to make a last-minute bid to get off Santa’s Naughty list, you can catch him this Thursday at Cloak & Petal in Little Italy from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during “Sushi & Sips with Santa.” $10 gets you access to sushi specials, spirits tastings, a pic with Kris Kringle, with proceeds going to the San Diego Food Bank. There’s no guarantee some face time will get you to the Nice list, but it sure couldn’t hurt to try.
- ‘Tis the season to eat chocolate, fa la la la la, la la la yum. This weekend, on Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 at Christophe Rull Patisserie, join other chocoholics for a chance to indulge with some of the world’s best chocolatiers with treats like owl chocolate bonbons, milk chocolate tablets, raspberry pistachio chocolate bars, and much more. It’s the second collaborative pop-up from U.S. World Chocolate Master/ Netflix star Christophe Rull and Michelin-trained chocolatier Annaluna Karkar and the perfect chance to snag a gift for your favorite person. (I won’t tell if it’s yourself.)
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
