Our Story

Proof Bakery opened in 2010 by chef/owner Na Young Ma in Atwater Village, in a space that housed a bakery for almost as long as most locals can remember. The Rollin’ Pin was the very first bakery in this space and it opened in the early 1960s.

In 2021, Proof Bakery entered into a new era: It is now a worker cooperative owned and managed by the working employees of the bakery.

Since opening the bakery in 2010, Na Young Ma’s goal was to create an inclusive, sustainable environment for everyone who works at the bakery. For over two years, Na Young and a group of employees worked together to assess, dream up, and craft an equitable model of ownership. After much discussion and planning, the business was successfully sold and converted on August 13, 2021.

We are proud to honor the lineage of Proof and work hard to continue to be a gathering spot for our neighbors for many years to come.

Our Mission and Vision at Proof Bakery

MISSION

To nourish our communities via quality craft and service, supporting meaningful relationships and inspiring ethical business practices. 

VISION

As a worker-owned cooperative, our vision is to see Proof become a model of ethical initiative, employee flourishing, and community support and empowerment.  

Our greater vision is a restaurant industry where power and influence are decentralized, ethical responsibility pervades, and employees are guaranteed a robust and rewarding career. We want to see food security expand, our farmers and partners thrive, and the land that feeds us flourish. 

VALUES 

Collaboration - We work in unity, seeking constructive feedback and support, to fulfill our shared mission and objectives as a bakery and a cooperative. 

Contribution - Each individual actively works to improve our shared workplace. We recognize that only through our collective participation and cooperation will Proof succeed in its mission and objectives. 

Innovation - We challenge ourselves to push the boundaries of our limitations by identifying the needs of our members/staff, our community, and our industry. We create solutions by honing our craft, learning from our peers, and streamlining inefficiencies. 

Integrity - Within all of our interactions, we work honestly, holding each other mutually accountable to high standards of quality, excellence, fairness, and respect, even when no one is looking.

Stewardship - As owners, we recognize the impact our decisions have on each other, our community, and the land around us. We are committed to respecting our resources, relationships, and influence to ensure an abundant and sustainable future.