Customers arriving at the North Park café on September 1 found a handwritten sign taped to the door, announcing an early closure at noon that day and a full closure on Tuesday, September 2. The bakery never reopened.
The North Park shop at 4686 30th Street, which spanned nearly 3,000 square feet with indoor and outdoor seating, was the brand’s final outpost following a string of recent shutdowns. Just two weeks earlier, the company had closed its Oceanside and Costa Mesa locations after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of California (Case No. 24-03364-JBM11).
Founded by CIA-trained pastry chef Rachel Klemek, Blackmarket Bakery built a devoted following with its playful takes on nostalgic favorites such as house-made Pop Tarts, croissant breakfast sandwiches, and two-tone chocolate chip cookies. The North Park store had served as a bright spot for the brand’s San Diego presence since its opening, but mounting financial pressures appear to have forced the sudden shutdown.
The prime North Park space is now being marketed by a local commercial real estate brokerage firm at the asking price of $175,000, and industry chatter suggests that a well-known local restaurant group (cough, cough...CONSORTIUM HOLDINGS) is already eyeing the location. No official announcement has been made regarding a new tenant.
The closure of the North Park store means Blackmarket Bakery’s physical presence has fully disappeared from Southern California, a rapid decline for a business that just a few years ago was expanding across multiple cities. While the bankruptcy case may determine what comes next for the brand name itself, the café’s doors in San Diego and beyond have now closed for good.
Originally published on September 4, 2025.
