By Sean Rinn

Hilary Passman is the owner of Devil’s Teeth Baking Company, a San Francisco staple that has thrived since opening in 2011. But it was not always so easy for her.

Before owning Devil’s Teeth, Passman was an attorney on the East Coast who recognized her career was eating up valuable quality time with her kids. 

“I was an attorney, I worked downtown, and I had too many kids,” Passman joked. Ok, not too many, but I didn’t get to see them, so I needed a reason to stop being an attorney and start spending more time with my kids.” 

Passman followed her heart. She quit being an attorney and pursued baking by selling wedding cakes on Craigslist and selling pastries wholesale to cafes when she moved to San Francisco in 1996.

“That was kind of the intermediate step for me, but that was me having my kids all day and staying up all night making brownies and lemon bars, so it was more of an impetus to open a real store where people could actually help me,” she said. 

Passman cherished the time she was able to spend with her kids and pursued her passion at night, but she knew she did not want baking to be a side hustle forever. When thinking about how she could open her own bakery, memories of her upbringing on the East Coast gave her a spark.

“I went to high school on the East Coast, and there were breakfast sandwiches every 10 steps; every corner store had one,” Passman said. “I thought it was interesting that there wasn’t a really delicious and complete breakfast sandwich to go in the Sunset. There are a lot of different restaurants, but not that specific thing. So yeah, I’ll just make it myself.”

The breakfast sandwich was the catalyst for opening the first Devil’s Teeth on Noriega Street almost 14 years ago. It took months for Passman to perfect the sandwich by tinkering with buttermilk biscuit recipes, since she believed breakfast sandwiches work better on a biscuit rather than a bagel, and cooking eggs in every way imaginable to find the perfect texture and fluffiness that would complement the biscuit. 

Since Passman decided to be the change she wanted in the Sunset, her breakfast sandwich exploded in popularity to the extent where it requires the Devil’s Teeth staff to make hundreds a day. On weekends, lines will extend down the street as customers eagerly await the opportunity to pick up their breakfast sandwich. 

“On the weekend, we can sell 600 a day. Yeah, that’s a lot of eggs,” said Passman. 

A notable trait that has made Devil’s Teeth successful enough to expand multiple locations – including one in the Richmond District and one on the Embarcadero – is the culture Passman has built for her staff encouraging creativity and pulling from family roots.

“That’s kind of what it’s all about, right?” Passman said. 

A recent example of allowing others in the kitchen to be inspired by their roots is the Ube blondie bar found at the Balboa location, coming from a Filipino baker whose grandmother used to make Ube cake.

“That is my kids favorite thing on the menu right now,” Passman said. “I’m grateful that the bakers know that they have the space to make what they want. I’m grateful that people are sharing what they like.” 

It does not end there. The coffee cake recipe came from one of the baker’s mothers. Even with the signature breakfast sandwich, Passman originally used her grandmother’s recipe for the biscuit, but changed it when one of her first bakers brought in a family recipe for a biscuit that she acknowledged was better. It has not changed since. 

While Devil’s Teeth’s foundation was built from a strong sense of family values heritage, the bakery has grown roots that built a home for Passman and her family.

“I mean, every neighborhood has its own different flavor and feel, and for me it’s the Sunset. That’s just home. I moved here in 1996 and I’m not leaving.”

Passman has embraced San Francisco with love. It is how she built her business, the culture she created for her staff and how she immersed herself in the community. She has become a true San Franciscan.

“My kids all went to public schools in the Richmond, and I am super invested in San Francisco and especially out near the beach. That’s just where I want to be,” she said. “I love the fog, I love the sun, I love the community. I love the fact that it’s so diverse. I love that we have locals and tourists, and yet I cannot walk down the street without saying ‘hi’ to 12 people. It’s my favorite city. It’s an amazing city.” 

In the Balboa Street location, Passman showcases art from local artists like Karii Rurup-Coleman who has displayed her ethereal multi-media paintings at Devil’s Teeth in the past. Passman has truly embraced the spirit of San Francisco carving out a corner for her family and being an active member of the community. 

It’s fitting that the bakery’s name also pays tribute to San Francisco. Devil’s Teeth was a nickname sailors gave the Farallon Islands during the Gold Rush due to its resemblance of shark teeth and its reputation for being a breeding ground for sharks. 

Passman also admitted that she sees double meaning in the name, comparing Devil’s Teeth to that of a sweet tooth.

Devil’s Teeth Baking Company is located at 3876 Noriega St., 3619 Balboa St. and at 1 Embarcadero Center.