RESTAURANT REVIEW 154 South 23rd Street, Richmond | (510) 779-3010 | rubiconbakers.com By The Bakers President and Owner RUBICON BAKERS: A Bakery with a Social Mission Many of you have likely driven by the large brick corner building located on South 23rd Street in Richmond many times over the years—the one with a baker man perched high above the entrance that appears to be running with a cake in his extended hands. I assumed that the building had one time been a bakery, but thought that it was out of business, as I’d never seen any people around when I passed by. In actuality, this 18,000 square-foot building houses a thriving natural wholesale baking company that is very much in business, and which serves a dual purpose—it produces a large variety of delectable sweets and baked goods, and it provides employment opportunities to locals seeking a second chance to rebuild their lives and overcome unfortunate circumstances. The bakery was originally founded in in 1993 by Rubicon Programs, a non-profit organization based in 30 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM AUGUST 2017 Andrew Stoloff Vickie Lewis Richmond that has a mission to transform local communities by equipping people to break the cycle of poverty. Rubicon Programs started the bakery to provide employment and job training skills to hard-to-employ individuals, due to afflictions such as addiction, homelessness, or criminal records. After 16 years, the bakery was struggling to stay afloat, and Rubicon Programs decided to sell it to allow them to place more focus on managing the non-profit. They launched a search for a buyer, with a stipulation that the new owner must maintain Rubicon’s social mission. At the time, the bakery was losing money and had only 14 part-time employees, and finding a buyer seemed improbable. Fortunately, a member of the Rubicon Board of Directors knew someone with a finance background and restaurant experience who might be willing to consult on the sale of the failing bakery. Enter Andrew Stoloff—an MBA graduate of the
Contra Costa Marketplace - Aug 2017
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