I had an idea for a business that's been rolling around in my head but I have no idea if it would be feasable, if anyone would even want it or if it is completely tacky! So I need some input. I live in a state where selling food from your home is a big no no and you have to have commercial equipment etc. to even think about it. I really enjoy decorating cakes and have been thinking about the idea of making beautiful designer inspired dummy cakes and renting them to brides. They could order sheet cakes for their guests to eat and get the dummy cake to display for much less than they would pay for the real thing. Make the money in renting the cakes out more than once. I've been thinking about the little details such as the cake cutting ceremony and how the couple could handle that. I figure most couples have to return cake plates, stands etc. Why not the whole (dummy) cake? Am I off my rocker or...well whatdayall think?
I love this idea. As a matter of fact I have done several cake that were all dummy cakes, except for the bottom tier. I really think this idea could really work!!! I say go for it,Good Luck!!
Hmmm, at first I was very sceptical, but then I pondered for a minute; people with large budgets will still probably go with traditional wedding cakes, but people who are a bit tighter might really enjoy the look of the faux cake for pictures etc while enjoying the sheet cakes for guests. Most of the time wedding cakes kind of taste like doody anyway (at least the ones I have had, with a few notable exceptions) Its just so crazy it might work; at the least it would bring in some extra cash.
I don't see how it would work. If you had to add a top or lower cake to cut then it would have to be decorated to match the cake and it too would be the same as selling a cake. Also, if you sold the cakes for cutting it would be the same too.
Why would someone want to go to two different places, one to buy the cake and one to rent a dummy? If you were able to offer the whole deal then I can see it working but I would think if the people wanted a dummy cake they would just order one from the bakery.
This is something that many bakeries do.
I also offer fake layers or the whole cake if the bride chooses. Usually the dummy cake doesn't come back. And if it does it will be really difficult for them to keep it in just decorated condition, know what I mean.
There are also some websites where you can order a dummy wedding cake. You should investigate some of those sites to see how they handle it.
Lora
When I made the dummy cakes it was for couples who wanted a bigger looking cake. I still have the decorated dummy cakes. I made them using Perma-frost icing, this is an artificial icing I used to decorate the dummy cakes with. I have also decorated dummy cakes with fondant as well.I saved cost this way because I didn't have to actually make a cake Just decorate it. I hope this info keeps you inspired!!!!!!
did the perma frost stink? and are you able to decorate like with bc? Does it look like icing or like plastic?
Lora
It doesn't have a smell once it is dry, if that is what you mean. It does have the look of buttercream, but is hard to the touch when dryed.It great because you can just rinse and reuse. You can pipe with it like buttercream, but like real buttercream making it smooth can be still be a challenge. But they do have a fondant perma-frost.
Thanks for all the input. Even the negatives. It's good to hear all the options before investing money, time and effort. I did wonder if the dummy cakes would hold up for more than one use. And I wondered if people would want to go to more then one place to get their cakes. Thanks for all the encouragement everyone! I might give it a whirl. I don't think it would cost that much to do up a few of them and see what happens! Thanks so much.
I think it is a great idea..however be prepared to do quite a few repairs to the dummies and even enitre new cakes.For some strange reason some people feel the need to spill,drop,knock over,pick off decrations on faux cakes,My mom has several on display in a wedding shop here which they also rent out and she has done quite a few repairs on the cakes.You can't imagine how some people have no respect for anything when they hear the word "Rented" This is where a hefty deposit is required to cover the cost of damages etc...Good Luck and Great idea!!
I was thinking that maybe you could do the whole thing. You rent them the dummy and You go and pick up a real one for them and do the cutting and serving and charge them one total price. Just an idea and maybe would bring more business as then the bride wouldnt have to go to more than one place.
I rented dummies for a very short time. I discontinued them for many reasons, including:
* Some never came back
* Many came back damaged and repairing them is a hassle
* The brides complained that my selection of rentals was too small (I had 10 designs) and/or they wanted a custom designed dummy instead of a stock design for a standard rental price
My price was a flat-fee weekend rental of $50 with a $25.00 deposit. If I were to do it over again, I'd charge $100 with an extra $50 (refundable) deposit.
Overall, it just wasn't worth the effort and expense for me. I went after the small budget bride market and it bit me in the butt. I'd rather spend the effort on real cakes with a clientel that can afford them and not have the hassle of rentals.
Just my 2 cents, of course. Your experience may vary!
Darcat - I like your idea alot. That way I'd get the cake back right away, I'd pretty much be the only one handling the cakes and it would be a one stop shop for the brides and I may be able to avoid some of the problems people have been mentioning such as damage to the cakes, and not getting them back. I could arrange the sheet cakes myself from another vendor. I guess there will always be picky people who will want more than the price you are charging - I think that's true with regular cakes too. So far I've had nothing but wonderful brides for the regular cakes I've done but heard plenty 'o horror stories. I guess I should be prepared for that. ( : I'm also glad to hear that there is a market for the dummy cake idea. (here I thought I had an original idea - hee hee) I didn't know bakeries rented out dummies. That is good news. Means people want them. Thanks again everyone for all the input.
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