In 1994, the organization opened a dedicated venue in the Helms Bakery building itself and started presenting music seven nights a week in a semi-formal setting without interruptions for drink or food service.

A rectangular theater with a café in the lobby, the venue booked Southern California jazz musicians and touring artists from New York City and Europe.

Since its founding the venue has hosted hundreds of jazz stars, including Benny Carter, Red Mitchell, Roger Kellaway, McCoy Tyner, Kevin Eubanks, Dave Holland, Peter Erskine, Johnny Griffin, George Coleman, Paul Bley, Lee Konitz, Fred Hersch, Terence Blanchard, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, Dianne Reeves, Art Farmer, Roy Haynes, Cedar Walton, Randy Weston, George Cables, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, James Moody, The Heath Brothers, Marian McPartland, Teddy Edwards, Harold Land, Sonny Fortune, Yusef Lateef, Ahmad Jamal, Jimmy Rowles, Alan Broadbent, Blossom Dearie, Bud Shank, Pete Christlieb, Ricky Woodard, Billy Harper, Ernie Watts, Billy Childs, Gordon Goodwin, Tomasz Stańko, Elvin Jones, Adam Rudolph, Louis Bellson, Billy Higgins, Mose Allison, Benny Golson, Myra Melford, Antonio Sánchez (drummer), Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joe Lovano, Mark Murphy (singer), Abbey Lincoln, Nicholas Payton, Ernie Andrews, Frank Morgan (musician), Cecil Taylor, Cyrus Chestnut, Dafnis Prieto, Avishai Cohen (bassist), Don Byron, and Eric Reed (musician).

In late 2010 the Annenberg Foundation awarded the Jazz Bakery a $2 million grant as capital campaign seed money for a new building.

The new Jazz Bakery is slated to present year-round performances and educational programs in two state-of-the-art theaters, with an art gallery, virtual museum and cafe/bar, a plan for which the organization is still raising funds.