Izola Artisan Bakery, a family run bakery specializing in fresh baked croissants and sourdough, is getting ready to open a second location in San Diego at 9276 Scranton Road in Sorrento Mesa.
The new bakery will take over the space currently occupied by California English, the Richard Blais-backed restaurant at Longfellow Real Estate Partners’ Biovista campus, according to SanDiegoVille. California English is scheduled to close on September 25, with Izola targeting an opening by the end of 2026. Founders Jeffrey Brown and Jenny Chen say they spent more than a year searching for a second location and were drawn to the site’s indoor and outdoor layout and Longfellow’s approach to hospitality and community.
The approximately 6,000-square-foot Biovista restaurant space includes indoor and outdoor areas, including a patio and veranda. California English opened in February 2023 as an amenity at the campus, serving Southern California and British-inspired dishes such as fish and chips, Scotch eggs, Sunday roast, afternoon tea, brunch, and cocktails.
Brown and Chen founded Izola in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially selling 12 croissants from a third-floor East Village window using rock climbing equipment. The bakery later moved from its original 710 13th Street location to 1429 Island Avenue, where its current bakery and cafe is expected to remain open. The company is also developing a centralized dough production facility in City Heights to support its growing operations.
Izola’s menu centers on sourdough and laminated pastries made with ingredients including organic flour, Normandy butter, free-range eggs, organic sugar, and California milk. Its croissants have 96 layers of butter, with current varieties including bibimbap, carnitas, and wine-poached pear.
The planned City Heights facility will measure about 5,000 square feet and will handle mixing, shaping, and freezing dough before products are sent to individual bakeries for proofing and baking. The company has estimated the facility and related expansion at approximately $7.5 million, as it prepares to add its second bakery while keeping the Island Avenue location open.
