Pannikin Coffee and Tea first opened in 1968 in one of the cottages at the Green Dragon Artist Colony above La Jolla Cove, where owner Bob SinClair started roasting coffee from a peanut roaster and blending teas to sell wholesale from his home. Bob and his wife Gaye eventually opened seven Pannikin locations throughout San Diego, including in downtown, Point Loma, Encinitas, Del Mar, and two downtown locations. In 1971 the original Pannikin Cafe relocated to what was once a home on Girard Avenue in downtown La Jolla. In 2007, Pannikin La Jolla was purchased by longtime employee Amanda Morrow, who operated the cafe with partners Gloria Serna and Dan Grunow until it closed on April 9, 2022 after being unable to reach an agreement with the building's landlord.
Following an outpouring of support that included customers and friends donating $85,000 via GoFundMe, the Pannikin La Jolla team replicated the look and feel of their former cafe in the site last occupied by a location of Rubio’s Coastal Grill on Fay Avenue. Dubbed The Flower Pot Cafe & Bakery due to the expiration of the license to use the Pannikin name, the new concept serves a menu of house-made pastries, coffee & espresso drinks, as well as an expanded menu with full entree breakfast & lunch dishes.
Flower Pot Cafe and Bakery is now open at 7530 Fay Avenue in San Diego's La Jolla. For more information, visit flowerpotcafe.org.
