Sub Rosa Bakery, a cornerstone of Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood, is closed indefinitely after a fire early last Sunday morning caused severe roof damage.
The community has quickly mobilized to support the bakery’s recovery. A GoFundMe campaign launched shortly after the fire has already raised over $40,000 toward its $50,000 goal.
Siblings Evrim and Evin Dogu opened Sub Rosa in 2012, earning national acclaim for their wood-fired baked goods. The pair has received multiple James Beard Award semi-finalist nominations for Outstanding Bakers from 2017 to 2020, cementing their reputation for excellence.
This is not the first time Sub Rosa has faced such a challenge. In 2013, another fire temporarily displaced the bakery just months after it opened. With community support, Evrim and Evin rebuilt, a process that took nearly a year and cost nearly half a million dollars.
From the GoFundMe:
Dear friends and neighbors,
As you likely know by now, Sub Rosa experienced a devastating fire Sunday morning, November 24th , that damaged both the bakery and the apartment above it. Sub Rosa has been a sanctuary for so many of us over the past decade. The bakery has been a cornerstone of our community, bringing joy, warmth, and the best pastries and bread to all of us. We want to help them rebuild and continue to serve in the neighborhood they love. Any contribution will make a difference in getting them back on their feet (and delicious bread back in our hands). Let’s come together and support a place that has given so much to our community!
A note from Evin and Evrim:
We have been in awe of the outpouring of love and support from the community in all its forms. We live in a time of ongoing crises near and far, so we do not take lightly your willingness to help us out financially, as there are so many others in need. Right now the funds will be used to help those most impacted in the immediate aftermath of the fire. We are still uncertain if our insurance will cover the full cost of rebuilding and we have been told that the process could take several months.
More updates to come.
Honored to be your bakers,
Evin and Evrim Dogu
Photos by Colin Matthews
