Bay Area bakery blames pro-Palestinian stance for closing after 50 years

The owners of a shuttered California bakery blame political backlash for the closure of their 50-year-old institution, calming their bold political statements — including criticism of ICE and unwavering support for Palestine — that saw them kicked off Instagram and contributed to the restaurant’s demise.

Nabloom Bakery & Pizzerra in Berkeley permanently closed its doors Sunday after half a century in business. The Bay Area establishment, known for its fruit Danish pastries and sourdough pizzas, initially cited rising ingredient and utility costs as the reason for its closure.

Now, owners Julia Elliott and Sabra Stepak are going further, saying controversy over their political beliefs has hurt the business.

“We have always been outspoken about our political views. This now threatens our livelihoods,” Elliott and Stepak wrote in a Facebook post.

The owners said they faced backlash following a “Defund the Police” mural and “Teach Palestine” poster they posted outside their business several years ago.

“We were also kicked off Instagram for reposting an image of a BART car labeled ‘Fuck-Ice’ on our story,” they wrote.

The company’s sales dropped 20% once it was “launched” on Instagram, the owners say.

“Then our anti-up-zoning stance publicized a boycott of mailing lists/Reddit/WhatsApp,” they continued.

The bakery also struggled to keep up with customer demand, and many of its employees could not afford to live in Berkeley, leading to low employee retention.

“We increased the prices and the gross amount remained stable. The price increase has more consequences for some customers than others, we did not like that,” said the owners.

Nabloom opened in 1976 as a workers’ collective. In 2004, the business hit a snag and nearly closed its doors when the owners announced it was nearly $30,000 in debt and two months behind on rent.

In 2015, the bakery closed its doors after the departure of several members of the collective. The company was soon purchased by Elliott and Stepak, who paid off their debts and transferred it to private ownership.

Nabloom fans turned out in large numbers after the announcement of its closure last week.

The restaurant had lines between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, and sold out of its pastries, Stepak told SFGATE.

Elliott and Stepak say they now hope their business can be saved by a “young and energetic” food enthusiast.

“We always wanted to have a neighborhood bakery and be authentically ourselves, so that others could also be authentically themselves. We are not in a popularity contest. We did our best and left it all out there,” the post continued.

“We are proud to be part of the Berkeley we have loved for over 50 years. We love Nabolom and the community that surrounds it.”

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