Investing in your bakery can take many forms, none of which is more important than keeping your menu fresh. Offering high quality traditional items along with unique and trending tastes can be difficult. Keeping up with dietary, convenience and taste trends will allow your bakery to maximize profits and stay on the cutting edge of the industry. Here we’ve outlined seven ways you can diversify your bakery menu.
1. Beverages
Adding a few unique drinks to your menu can open up a whole new line of income for your bakery. Simply having a variety of beverages for customers to choose from can help you bottom line as drinks tend to have very good profit margins. To truly create an impression on your customers, consider using your creative side to develop a couple of signature drinks.
2. Packaged Items
Consider packaging your bakery items with other complimentary items in sealed to-go containers. Using your fresh bread to make artisanal sandwiches and packaging them along with healthy side items and your signature sweet treats can help you move inventory more quickly and open your patrons up to new tastes. Mixing healthy options with your higher calorie options will make your customers feel less guilty about splurging on sweets.
3. Wedding Cakes
Becoming known for your world-class wedding cakes can bring your revenue stream to a whole new level. People pay through the roof for specialty wedding cakes and putting your own unique artistic touch into your work can set you apart from your competitors. Specializing in wedding cakes places your bakery in a high-end niche and can bring exposure to your brand and other menu items.
4. Bite-Sized
Bite-sized items such as cake pops have exploded over the last few years as health conscious consumers have lowered their sugar intake. These items allow customers to enjoy gourmet quality bakery items without sacrificing their personal health goals. Bite-sized items not only provide terrific profit margins, they open your bakery up to an ever-growing niche market.
5. Gluten Free
Despite the growing demand there is still a big need for high quality gluten free baked goods. If your bakery can develop some tasty treats that fit into this category you stand to profit greatly. With so few options, becoming a master of gluten free baking can help you reach customers that otherwise could not enjoy your products.
6. Organic Ingredients
Many Americans have begun to steer towards foods made with organic ingredients due to their better taste and higher nutritional value. The use of pesticides and GMOs has also contributed to the numbers seeking out organic options. Adopting an organic business model will involve changes in menu, suppliers as well as ingredients. While this can be a timely and costly transition, the organic trend is only going to grow.
7. Ice Cream
People love ice cream, especially when it is paired with their favorite cake or pie. Investing in an ice cream machine and developing a few signature recipes can open your bakery up to a whole new market. Fresh ice cream is a big draw and can improve your profit margins on items traditionally sold by themselves. It is far more cost effective to purchase an ice cream machine and having original flavors can give you what all bakeries crave; a popular product that is unique to your store.
With over 12 years in the business, Quikstone Capital Solutions has proven to be a trustworthy and knowledgeable lender specializing in small business funding. Over 60% of our clients are renewals looking to continuously grow their business. If you are in need of a cash to cover unexpected costs, or if you’re looking to make long overdue improvements, a merchant cash advance could be right for you. With the ability to quickly qualify and get your money in a timely fashion, there is no more convenient option.
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