Local Bakery Essen Closes Doors After Months of Uncertainty, Leaving Employees in the Dark
The beloved Jewish bakery, Essen, has closed its doors permanently after months of uncertainty, leaving employees with little explanation or support. Co-owner Tova du Plessis and her husband Brad had initially announced a "pause" on May 31, characterizing it as a brief break to address the well-being of their staff, customers, and business. However, this pause turned into an extended period of silence, leaving employees in the dark about their future.
Sources close to the bakery have revealed that former employees were repeatedly kept in the dark about the situation, with some even receiving vague messages on Slack without any clear update or closure date. When they finally stopped communicating, it was only after one employee asked about unemployment benefits, which were offered at a late stage and not available to all affected staff.
The lack of transparency and support from management has been deeply concerning for those who worked at Essen Bakery. Many felt ghosted and mistreated when their stories went unshared by the owners until an article in The Inquirer highlighted the situation. Maranda Leecan, a former employee, expressed her feelings on TikTok after seeing her story in print: "It made me feel mistreated, and it made me feel like my story wasn't going to be told."
Ginny Payne, another former front-of-house worker, recently heard about the permanent closure through an inquiry from PhillyVoice. She described feeling relieved but also saddened by the loss of a job that she had cherished: "I think finally getting the confirmation that the place is closing is a load off my mind... At least now I can officially say to job interviewers that the place went out of business."
The closure marks the end of an era for Essen Bakery, which specialized in Jewish breads and pastries like challah, babka, and rugelach. Tova du Plessis has received numerous awards for her outstanding baking skills, including James Beard Award nominations four times during the bakery's run from 2016 to 2025.
As the owners consider filing for bankruptcy, it remains unclear what led to the bakery's demise or how many employees will be left without a job. One thing is certain, however: Essen Bakery will be deeply missed by its customers and former employees who were left with unanswered questions and unmet promises from management.
The beloved Jewish bakery, Essen, has closed its doors permanently after months of uncertainty, leaving employees with little explanation or support. Co-owner Tova du Plessis and her husband Brad had initially announced a "pause" on May 31, characterizing it as a brief break to address the well-being of their staff, customers, and business. However, this pause turned into an extended period of silence, leaving employees in the dark about their future.
Sources close to the bakery have revealed that former employees were repeatedly kept in the dark about the situation, with some even receiving vague messages on Slack without any clear update or closure date. When they finally stopped communicating, it was only after one employee asked about unemployment benefits, which were offered at a late stage and not available to all affected staff.
The lack of transparency and support from management has been deeply concerning for those who worked at Essen Bakery. Many felt ghosted and mistreated when their stories went unshared by the owners until an article in The Inquirer highlighted the situation. Maranda Leecan, a former employee, expressed her feelings on TikTok after seeing her story in print: "It made me feel mistreated, and it made me feel like my story wasn't going to be told."
Ginny Payne, another former front-of-house worker, recently heard about the permanent closure through an inquiry from PhillyVoice. She described feeling relieved but also saddened by the loss of a job that she had cherished: "I think finally getting the confirmation that the place is closing is a load off my mind... At least now I can officially say to job interviewers that the place went out of business."
The closure marks the end of an era for Essen Bakery, which specialized in Jewish breads and pastries like challah, babka, and rugelach. Tova du Plessis has received numerous awards for her outstanding baking skills, including James Beard Award nominations four times during the bakery's run from 2016 to 2025.
As the owners consider filing for bankruptcy, it remains unclear what led to the bakery's demise or how many employees will be left without a job. One thing is certain, however: Essen Bakery will be deeply missed by its customers and former employees who were left with unanswered questions and unmet promises from management.
I'm still in shock about Essen Bakery closing down... I mean, I've heard of companies having a tough time, but the way this went down is just wrong 
. Poor Tova du Plessis, she was like the queen of Jewish baked goods 
and to have it all taken away from her due to bad management decisions? Not cool 
. And what about the employees who were left in the dark for months? No support, no updates... it's just heartbreaking 
. I'm not surprised Maranda Leecan felt mistreated when she finally got her story out 
. Companies need to prioritize their people over profits, you know? 
i know tova du plessis is an amazing baker but the way she handled this situation is super sus i mean how can you just ghost your employees and leave them with nothing? it's like they were just disposable or something. i feel bad for maranda and ginny who had to deal with all that uncertainty and not knowing what was going on. anyway, essen bakery will be deeply missed by the community 
AND NOW THEY'RE FILING FOR BANKRUPTCY? IT JUST FEELS SO UNFAIR 
essen was such an iconic spot for jewish food in philly... i feel bad for the ppl who worked there, they deserved way better support from the owners 
it's just not right... i guess we can all learn from this and make sure to prioritize transparency and care for our own employees if we're in a position to do so 
I mean, come on... If they said it was just a "pause" then why not give us some updates? Like, even little things like "Hey guys we're still working on stuff" or something 
. But noooo, total radio silence. That's just harsh fam 
Like, what's the criteria there? Who gets left behind? It's all very confusing and frustrating 
. Or maybe they were just trying to protect us from the stress of running a business? 
?
. and poor maranda leecan got left in the dark too, that's not cool at all 
. this is just a shame, essen bakery was really good