Dear Arizmendi community,

As of late, we’ve received a lot of messages of support and expressions of eagerness for us to reopen. We want to let you know how much we genuinely appreciate these messages and give you an update on where we're currently at.

Despite the lack of many obvious signs of activity at our new location at 1139 4th Street, we have been hard at work the past months getting our architectural drawings in order, preparing to apply for permits and reaching out to general contractors. Unfortunately, it’s become clear that the costs associated with building out a new location in San Rafael have grown exponentially since the last time Arizmendi launched a project of this scale, and at this point we’re facing some hard questions about the viability of reopening in the manner that we originally envisioned. 

We’ve valued being a member of the San Rafael community over the past decade and a half, and we know how much Arizmendi means to many folks in Marin; not just as a bakery, but as a place for community and as an example that, as long-time Bay Area cooperator Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff puts it, other avenues are possible in a world that seems hell-bent on pursuing a path of hate, greed and destruction. Because of that, we feel we owe it to you to be transparent about the challenges we’re facing and to open a dialogue about the options that are available to us at this point.

If you have any ideas, feedback, or offers of assistance with regard to our re-opening, we invite you to share them with us via email (or direct message if you follow us on social media). If there’s enough interest, we’d also be happy to meet with members of the community sometime in the coming weeks to brainstorm ideas for how Arizmendi can remain a member of the San Rafael community. 

In cooperation,

Arizmendi Bakers