San Francisco bakery burglarized in SoMa neighborhood, community contributes to recovery efforts

Aaron Tolentino
·2 min read
9

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A small business was broken into overnight on Tuesday in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Rize Up Bakery was hit by burglars who caused thousands of dollars in damage, owner Azikiwee “Z” Anderson told KRON4.

The burglary happened at the bakery on 1169 Howard St. where one of the employees arrived around 4 a.m. and saw the garage door wide open. The employee checked the area and let Anderson know someone had broken into the business. Anderson arrived at the business around 5 a.m., and San Francisco police arrived around 6 a.m.

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No one was hurt, but it became a matter of finding out what was stolen, Anderson said. Unfortunately, for food and safety reasons, Anderson had to throw away all the bread that was already made for the possibility of the bread being tampered with.

The property damage and items stolen totaled around $12,000, including five iPads used for transactions that were stolen, according to Anderson. Cash was also taken, SFPD said.

That amount doesn’t include the labor used and the bread they had to throw away after the break-in, so the total financial amount loss was likely greater.

This is one of Rize Up Bakery’s signature sourdough breads. The bakery is located in the city’s SoMa neighborhood (Photo courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson).
This is one of Rize Up Bakery’s signature sourdough breads. The bakery is located in the city’s SoMa neighborhood (Photo courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson).
Azikiwee “Z” Anderson poses in front of his bakery located on Howard Street.
Azikiwee “Z” Anderson poses in front of his bakery located on Howard Street.
Photo courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson
Photo courtesy of Azikiwee Anderson

On Tuesday, Anderson was sad about his business being broken into, feeling like it was the “end of the world.” However, on Wednesday, that changed when Anderson received the community’s support.

Someone donated a $300 Apple gift card to help offset the loss from the iPads that were stolen. The support has made Anderson “feel so seen and so cared,” he said.

Anderson does not have a GoFundMe page set, but he has received many donations to his bakery via Venmo. If you are interested in donating, click here. He also posted an Instagram video thanking everyone who donated to support his business.

“The community has been really solid,” Anderson said. “We got good community (here in San Francisco).”

The bakery is back in operation on Wednesday, according to the bakery’s Instagram. You can place an order here.

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Rize Up Bakery began as a home-based quarantine endeavor in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was created as a way to “channel energy into something healing during the social unrest caused by the murder of George Floyd,” according to the business’ website.

In just three years, the bakery has risen in popularity with more than 19,000 followers on Instagram. Anderson was featured on KRON4 News earlier this year, showcasing its signature sourdough bread. Watch the interview from February with Stephanie Lin here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.