The private bakery Pan de La Habana, one of the most recognized artisanal ventures in Vedado, Havana, announced this Sunday its temporary closure starting next Tuesday, July 1, citing "recent events" in Cuba as the determining cause.
Albert, a Cuban resident and manager of the business, disseminated the announcement through a video and a statement on social media. He founded the bakery just over a year ago alongside the Cuban chef Laura Meguis, who was trained in Spain. The establishment, located at Calle Calzada #709, between Paseo and A, in Vedado, had become a benchmark for quality and service within the private sector in the capital.
"More and more, the circumstances in the country were hitting us harder and compromising our goal, which is to provide the best service and the highest quality. For us, this is not an option; we cannot afford to, nor do we want to, lower our standards," Albert explained in the video.
The person in charge of the business made it clear that the decision is not permanent: "The recent events in the country now force us to close. This will not be a permanent closure; it is a temporary one. We will be monitoring how the circumstances evolve in the country, and during this time, we will restructure and reorganize ourselves so that we can reopen, hopefully in the near future."
Pan de La Habana opened its doors on December 19, 2024, with the intention of serving the neighborhood of Vedado, but the demand exceeded expectations, prompting the business to expand its operations twice. The venture also maintained, as reported by its management, a social commitment by periodically supplying the nearby Family Care Service (SAF) and collaborating with community organizations.
The closure comes at the worst economic and energy moment that Cuba has faced in decades. The island is experiencing blackouts of up to 20-22 hours daily in Havana and up to 40 continuous hours in other provinces, a critical fuel shortage, and inflation that has driven the informal dollar to a historic high of over 600 pesos per unit. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) projects a contraction of the Cuban GDP of 6.5% for 2026, the worst in the entire region.
The bakery industry is one of the hardest-hit sectors. The wheat mills in the country are either shut down or operating at minimal capacity, and out of more than six wheat shipments contracted for 2026, only three cargoes have arrived. The Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, admitted that one shipment of 5,000 tons of flour was removed from the ship before it set sail due to "external pressures." Cuba needs around 20,000 tons of flour monthly just to ensure the provision of regulated bread.
In this context, Cubans have turned to making their own bread due to high prices and shortages, while bakeries in Holguín have returned to using wood ovens to maintain some level of production. In Pinar del Río, authorities admitted that bread is not guaranteed and that several bakeries received flour for only five days, dependent on the availability of transportation and fuel.
In 2025, bread production in Cuba dropped by 100,900 tons, and 17 companies in the food sector closed with losses of 364 million pesos. The private sector, which represented 55% of retail sales and 35% of employment in 2024, is also facing blackouts that disable payment terminals, shortages of supplies, and a complex regulatory framework.
In light of the multidimensional crisis facing the island, the worst in its recent history, the government has approved a package of 176 measures that introduce abrupt shifts in the island's economy and were not consulted with the population. Economists like Pedro Monreal have serious reservations about the potential effectiveness of the announced changes.
On the social media of Pan de La Habana, the business has proudly noted that it has hosted Cuban personalities such as Javier Sotomayor, Pachito Alonso, José Rubiera, and Luisa María Jiménez as clients.
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