San Diego's first artisan bakery when it opened in December 1994, Bread & Cie operates from 350 University Ave in Hillcrest with a 10,000-pound stone-hearth oven imported from Europe. The wholesale arm delivers over 10,000 pounds of hand-shaped bread nightly to restaurants, hotels, and markets across San Diego County, placing the bakery at the center of Hillcrest's artisan food corridor alongside delis like The Market Place on the same stretch. Every loaf rises from natural sourdough starters through a two-day fermentation that replaces commercial yeast, and organic flour goes into all whole wheat recipes with no preservatives at any stage. The retail cafe serves breakfast and lunch built on its own breads, while nearby seafood counters like Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill apply a similar emphasis on scratch preparation to their sandwich programs. The bakery handles custom holiday bread orders including challah baked fresh on Fridays and stollen in December, alongside full catering trays of pastries, croissants, and Viennoiserie for private events seating 50 or more.