New Fremont Bakery Delayed by $30K Equipment Heist Before Its Grand Opening
The excitement of a brand-new bakery in Fremont came crashing down before it even had a chance to open. Mina Bake Shop—a beloved pop-up turned storefront venture helmed by sisters Nancy and Hannah Phan—found itself the target of a heart-breaking burglary on February 8, 2024. Thieves struck before the official launch, making off with roughly $30,000 worth of pristine, never-used equipment. (king5.com, FOX 13 Seattle, Hoodline)
According to Nancy, her day began with a call from the contractor asking, “Where is the espresso machine?” The answer hit like a punch: it, along with a white Synesso S200 espresso machine (serial no. 904230016), a Mahlkönig E80S espresso grinder, a Globe SP20 20-quart stand mixer, three six-quart KitchenAid stand mixers, plus cameras and a speaker system, had vanished. (king5.com, Hoodline)
Security footage captured the suspects entering through the back door, then presumably unlocking the front—an unsettling reminder of how vulnerable small businesses can be. (king5.com, Hoodline, FOX 13 Seattle)
The repercussions were immediate and painful. The bakery’s grand opening, originally slated for March, was postponed. The financial blow—nearly $30,000 in lost equipment—stings hard for a small business on the cusp of debuting. (FOX 13 Seattle, Hoodline)
“We felt very devastated,” Nancy shared, trying to hold on to hope even as they grapple with this setback. “For a small business like ours, it’s doubly so … but we’ll survive and we’ll open and figure things out.” (king5.com, FOX 13 Seattle)
The Seattle Police Department is investigating the incident, but for now, the sisters are left rebuilding—not just their bakery, but their sense of security.
