A New Bakery, Old Locks, and a Whole Lot of Worry
Marco called us on a Tuesday morning, and we could hear the stress in his voice right away. He’d just signed a five-year lease on a commercial space on South Lake Avenue — a spot that used to be a small clothing boutique. The previous tenant had been there for about eight years. Marco was turning it into an artisan bakery, and he’d already started gutting the interior. But something was keeping him up at night.
“I asked my landlord how many keys were out there for this place,” Marco told us. “He said he honestly didn’t know. The old tenant had employees come and go, and nobody kept track.”
That’s a problem. And it’s more common than you’d think.
Why This Happens All the Time in Pasadena Commercial Spaces
Pasadena has a lot of commercial turnover, especially along corridors like Colorado Boulevard, South Lake Avenue, and the blocks around Old Pasadena. Restaurants open and close. Retail shops rotate. Small offices change hands. And through all of that, the locks often stay the same.
Landlords don’t always rekey between tenants. Previous business owners hand out keys to employees, cleaning crews, delivery drivers, sometimes even neighboring shop owners for convenience. After a few years, nobody has a real count. We’ve seen situations where a single commercial door had fifteen or twenty key copies circulating — and the new tenant had no clue.
Marco was smart to think about it before he started stocking his bakery with thousands of dollars in equipment and ingredients.
What We Found When We Got There
Our tech, Danny, drove out to the South Lake Avenue location that same afternoon. The space had three entry points: a main glass storefront door, a back door leading to the alley behind the building, and a side door that connected to a shared hallway. All three had basic commercial-grade knob locks — the kind you’d find at a hardware store. The back door deadbolt was actually loose in the frame.
Danny walked Marco through the options. For a business like a bakery — where you’ve got early morning staff arriving at 4 AM, expensive ovens and mixers inside, and perishable inventory — a basic knob lock isn’t going to cut it.
We recommended a full commercial lock change in Pasadena for all three doors. We swapped the old hardware for Grade 1 commercial deadbolts on the back and side doors and installed a heavy-duty mortise lock on the front entrance. Marco also wanted restricted keyway cylinders, which means you can’t just walk into a hardware store and duplicate the key — copies can only be made through us with authorization.
The Master Key Conversation
While Danny was working, Marco mentioned that he’d eventually have a shift manager and maybe two or three bakers working different hours. He didn’t want everyone carrying the same key, and he wanted to be the only one with access to his small office in the back where he planned to keep a safe.
Danny suggested looking into a down the line. It’s a setup where each employee gets a key that opens only the doors they need, while the owner’s master key opens everything. Marco liked the idea and said he’d call us back once his staff was hired.
Finished Before the Contractor Showed Up
The whole job took about two and a half hours. Danny replaced all three locksets, reinforced the back door frame where the old deadbolt had worn it down, and cut a set of restricted keys for Marco. By the time Marco’s contractor arrived to start on the kitchen plumbing, the place was fully secured.
Marco told us later that it was the first night since signing the lease that he actually slept well. His words: “I stopped imagining some random person walking in at 2 AM with an old key.”
Tips If You’re Taking Over a Commercial Space in Pasadena
We do commercial lock change work in Pasadena regularly — from offices near Pasadena City Hall to restaurants on Green Street and retail spots in the Playhouse District. Here’s what we tell every new tenant:
1. Don’t assume your landlord changed the locks.
Most don’t. It’s usually not required by the lease unless you specifically negotiate it. Ask directly, and if the answer is vague, change them yourself.
2. Upgrade, don’t just rekey.
If the existing hardware is cheap or worn, rekeying just puts new pins in old locks. A commercial lock change gives you fresh, commercial-grade hardware that’ll actually hold up.
3. Think about key control from day one.
Restricted keyways prevent unauthorized copies. It’s a small investment that saves you from the exact situation Marco was in — wondering who has a copy of your key.
4. Check every entry point.
People forget about side doors, shared hallway doors, and roof access. If there’s a lock on it, it needs to be addressed.
5. Get it done before you move inventory in.
Securing the space should happen before the expensive stuff arrives. Not after.
We’re Here When You Need Us
If you’re opening a new business in Pasadena or taking over an existing space, our team can handle the full lockup — from a straightforward commercial lock change to a complete access control plan. Check out our full range of Pasadena locksmith services or give us a call at (818) 398-9391. We’ll come out, look at what you’ve got, and give you a straight answer on what you actually need.
