The private bakery Pan de La Habana, one of the most recognized artisanal ventures in Havana's Vedado, announced this Sunday its temporary closure starting next Tuesday, July 1, citing the "recent events" in Cuba as the determining cause.
Albert, a Cuban resident and business owner, announced the news through a video and a statement on social media. He founded the bakery just over a year ago along with 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 in the private sector of the capital.
"More and more, the circumstances in the country were hitting us harder and compromising our goal, the goal of providing the best service and the highest quality. For us, this is not an option; we cannot afford, nor do we want to allow ourselves, to lower the bar," 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 force us to close now. It will not be a permanent closure, it will be a temporary one. We will keep an eye on how circumstances evolve in the country, and in the meantime, we will restructure and reorganize to be able to 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 demand exceeded expectations, and the business had to expand its operations twice. The venture also maintained, according to its management, a social commitment by regularly supplying the adjacent Family Care Service (SAF) and collaborating with community service organizations.
The closure comes at the worst economic and energy moment Cuba has faced in decades. The island suffers power outages of up to 20-22 hours daily in Havana and up to 40 continuous hours in other provinces, critical fuel shortages, and inflation that has driven the informal dollar to a historic record of over 600 pesos per unit. CEPAL projects a contraction of the Cuban GDP of 6.5% for 2026, the worst in the entire region.
The baking industry is one of the hardest-hit sectors. The country's wheat mills are either shut down or operating at minimal capacity, and out of more than six contracted shipments of wheat for 2026, only three cargoes have arrived. The Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, admitted that a shipment of 5,000 tons of flour was removed from the ship before it departed 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-fired ovens to maintain some level of production. In Pinar del Río, authorities admitted that bread is not guaranteed and several bakeries received flour for only five days, contingent on the availability of transportation and fuel.
In 2025, bread production in Cuba fell by 100,900 tons, and 17 companies in the food sector closed, incurring losses of 364 million pesos. The private sector, which in 2024 accounted for 55% of retail sales and 35% of employment, also faces power outages 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 regarding the potential effectiveness of the announced changes.
On the social media of Pan de La Habana, the business has documented having had as clients notable Cuban figures such as Javier Sotomayor, Pachito Alonso, José Rubiera, and Luisa María Jiménez.
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