Commercial Bakery/cake Shop Owners
Business By mypastrychef Updated 27 Dec 2006 , 12:17am by Tscookies
For the owners I am curious;
1)how many party cakes and wedding cakes do you average per weekend?
2)How many employees do you have to help you get all orders out?
3)Do you wholesale any cakes?
Maybe you could tell me in percentages what makes up your sales.
How many square feet is your shop?
Is it in a mall or freestanding?
Thank you
lora
1. I average 10 cakes per weekend and maybe 1 wedding cake. You know, it just depends on the week!
2. I have one employee who comes in and cleans the shop and runs the front counter on busy days like the holiday season and festivals.
3. I do not wholesale any cakes
4. I am estimating here: about 65% cake sales, 20% catering sales and 15% walk in sales (I'm in a tourist shopping area)
5. 1100sq ft
6. Freestanding
Now, why don't you answer your own questions since you are making me very curious!!! 
Now, why don't you answer your own questions since you are making me very curious!!!
Haha, how rude of me for not introducing me!
1)about 15 hard party cakes usually fr,sat
about 10 easy cakes
3 weddings per weekend sometimes more and rarely none (none for this coming week)
2) I have one employee (daughter she brings the 1 and 2 year old babies to work everyday!) And a husband who fills his wholesale bread orders.
He is cranky so we try not to let him near customers.
3)I do a little wholesale cakes about $300 month
4)20% overall wholesale, 45% wedding, 35% party cakes (tiered party cake area is growing)
5)1760sf
6)hidden on the back side of an office strip mall
Lora
I'm not a bakery owner yet, but thanks for starting this thread MPC, I was going to ask some of those questions myself.
Nooo Problem! U R so welcome!
mpc
For the owners I am curious;
1)how many party cakes and wedding cakes do you average per weekend?
from 3 to 7 weekly, no wedding cakes, but an occasional tiered party cake
2)How many employees do you have to help you get all orders out?
1 part time delivery guy
3)Do you wholesale any cakes?
no, space issues
Maybe you could tell me in percentages what makes up your sales.
don't rightly know I just opened 5 months ago
How many square feet is your shop?
about 300 sq ft.
Is it in a mall or freestanding?
INSIDE, DOWNSTAIRS, IN THE BACK of the basement of the Hotel!
Thank you
lora
1)how many party cakes and wedding cakes do you average per weekend?
6-11 weddings per week. No party cakes aside from the occasional grooms cake along with one of our weddings.
2)How many employees do you have to help you get all orders out?
It's just my wife & I right now.
3)Do you wholesale any cakes?
Nope
Maybe you could tell me in percentages what makes up your sales.
100% wedding cakes. 
How many square feet is your shop?
975 Sq feet
Is it in a mall or freestanding?
Stripmall
Since cake sales fluctuate, do any of you have a minimum order sale? Like you have to pay at least $150 or no cake from the shop? I saw that from CCC and thought that perhaps it was a way to sort-of "guarantee" yourself a salary?
I have thought about setting such a price, but I would be cutting out a lot of revenue. Many of my cakes are under $100
mpc
since I don't want to do wedding cakes, I have a minimum...300 dollars for a buttercream cake and 500 for a fondant cake.
but, that's coz I don't want to do them in my space right now
2) I have one employee (daughter she brings the 1 and 2 year old babies to work everyday!)
So, as a current SAHM looking into a retail location how does it work with the little ones at work? Do you have a space set up for them? Is there some sort of rule about them being near the food or whatever?
Thanks,,,,Julia
pieceofcakeAZ, how do you do so many wedding cakes per week? Do you have a great "system" or what??? 
I've been open a year and a half but I have troubles when I have 2 do in a weekend! Maybe it's the people who keep popping into my shop to buy cookies....I must be doing something wrong?
since I don't want to do wedding cakes, I have a minimum...300 dollars for a buttercream cake and 500 for a fondant cake.
but, that's coz I don't want to do them in my space right now
That's not a good excuse LOL! I clicked on your photos, Those sugar sculptures...WoW! How do you get your gold anchor to look so gold and perfect.
mpc
2) I have one employee (daughter she brings the 1 and 2 year old babies to work everyday!)
So, as a current SAHM looking into a retail location how does it work with the little ones at work? Do you have a space set up for them? Is there some sort of rule about them being near the food or whatever?
Thanks,,,,Julia
I was wondering the same thing.... awesome thread BTW!
2) I have one employee (daughter she brings the 1 and 2 year old babies to work everyday!)
So, as a current SAHM looking into a retail location how does it work with the little ones at work? Do you have a space set up for them? Is there some sort of rule about them being near the food or whatever?
Thanks,,,,Julia
I was wondering the same thing.... awesome thread BTW!
I was sending this via Private Message but decided to go ahead and paste it here.
The board of Health lady comes in a visits with us and she just tells us to keep toys and baby paraphanalia together. Apparantly there is no rules about babies at a food place.
Customers love it. The babies love it. The little one year old rolls around in her walker. And the 2 year old is learning how to run a business. She wants to wait on customers. We have an extra room (my future showroom) with a office type leather couch and chairs, TV &VCR, 2 playpens for nap time or caging time (LOL) It is nice to know they are safe and loved, but it is so stressful. They need a lot of attention. If they weren't at the shop I could probably take on a lot more business. But they are worth the sacrafice!!
Good luck Getting your shop. It is much better than being at home. It looks more professional and you should have more orders being in that atmosphere. A lot of people tell me they are leary about going to someone's home. It is a crazy world out there. I don't even like for people to know where I live.
mpc
since I don't want to do wedding cakes, I have a minimum...300 dollars for a buttercream cake and 500 for a fondant cake.
but, that's coz I don't want to do them in my space right now
That's not a good excuse LOL! I clicked on your photos, Those sugar sculptures...WoW! How do you get your gold anchor to look so gold and perfect.
mpc
Since I'm in a spa, a birthday cake I can seal in a closed lid box....a wedding cake..especially stacked..I'd have to walk down a shared hallway and up some steps thu a door that doesnt stay open...just one of them open..
then I eighter have to cross a 3 lane road with my cake...or go up to the Hotel horseshoe with all the in and out traffic...busses, taxis , people checking in...
I feel uncomfortable doing it for now...and then there is the issue of space. I only have one metal rack to hold the boxed cakes for my clients..
getting the picture now? lol
since I don't want to do wedding cakes, I have a minimum...300 dollars for a buttercream cake and 500 for a fondant cake.
but, that's coz I don't want to do them in my space right now
That's not a good excuse LOL! I clicked on your photos, Those sugar sculptures...WoW! How do you get your gold anchor to look so gold and perfect.
mpc
Since I'm in a spa, a birthday cake I can seal in a closed lid box....a wedding cake..especially stacked..I'd have to walk down a shared hallway and up some steps thu a door that doesnt stay open...just one of them open..
then I eighter have to cross a 3 lane road with my cake...or go up to the Hotel horseshoe with all the in and out traffic...busses, taxis , people checking in...
I feel uncomfortable doing it for now...and then there is the issue of space. I only have one metal rack to hold the boxed cakes for my clients..
getting the picture now? lol
that would make agood movie! lol
mpc
pieceofcakeAZ, how do you do so many wedding cakes per week? Do you have a great "system" or what???
I've been open a year and a half but I have troubles when I have 2 do in a weekend! Maybe it's the people who keep popping into my shop to buy cookies....I must be doing something wrong?
We have a pretty decent system worked out and fortunately it seems like we improve it monthly. We aren't open as a retail bakery so we never get any walk in customers which allows us to maximize the time we work. Sometimes it requires really long hours but as we improve our productivity and efficiency things get much easier.
As an example of how things have improved... In October 05 we had 22 weddings and we worked 31 days that month, most days were 12-14 hours and a couple were 18. This October we had 40 weddings and only worked 27 days, but none of those days were over 10 hours. Sure 250+ hours is a lot in a month but since POC is 100% of our annual household income... we have to suck it up until we can get another decorator/delivery person hired. 
pieceofcakeAZ, how do you do so many wedding cakes per week? Do you have a great "system" or what???
I've been open a year and a half but I have troubles when I have 2 do in a weekend! Maybe it's the people who keep popping into my shop to buy cookies....I must be doing something wrong?
We have a pretty decent system worked out and fortunately it seems like we improve it monthly. We aren't open as a retail bakery so we never get any walk in customers which allows us to maximize the time we work. Sometimes it requires really long hours but as we improve our productivity and efficiency things get much easier.
As an example of how things have improved... In October 05 we had 22 weddings and we worked 31 days that month, most days were 12-14 hours and a couple were 18. This October we had 40 weddings and only worked 27 days, but none of those days were over 10 hours. Sure 250+ hours is a lot in a month but since POC is 100% of our annual household income... we have to suck it up until we can get another decorator/delivery person hired.
where do you draw your customers from?
mpc
where do you draw your customers from?
mpc
Pretty much the usual places... Bridal Shows, print ads, wedding web sites, caterers, reception sites, florists, photographers, word of mouth, other cake companies, wedding coordinators, etc.
Somehow we got lucky and ended up with a great reputation.
where do you draw your customers from?
mpc
Pretty much the usual places... Bridal Shows, print ads, wedding web sites, caterers, reception sites, florists, photographers, word of mouth, other cake companies, wedding coordinators, etc.
Somehow we got lucky and ended up with a great reputation.
I am glad all your hard work is paying off! Sounds like ya'll are doing it right. But I couldn't expect anything less when I looked at your website!
mpc
Thanks pieceofcakeAZ. I've been thinking about closing down the retail end of my shop and just doing per order work. Making things for people that "might" come in is running me ragged! Thanks for reaffirming what I was beginning to suspect!
[quote="PieceofCakeAZ
Somehow we got lucky and ended up with a great reputation. [/quote]
POC, Luck has NOTHING to do with getting a great reputation...Hard work, being reliable and a great tasting and looking product does!
Pat yourself and your wife on the back...better yet...give each other a great big juicy kiss! 
[quote="mypastrychef] I am glad all your hard work is paying off! Sounds like ya'll are doing it right. But I couldn't expect anything less when I looked at your website!
mpc[/quote]
We're trying!! Thanks for the kind words! I just checked out your web site too and you guys do amazing work!! Best of luck!
POC, Luck has NOTHING to do with getting a great reputation...Hard work, being reliable and a great tasting and looking product does!
Pat yourself and your wife on the back...better yet...give each other a great big juicy kiss!
Sure, that helps too. 
I don't kiss the boss during business ours anymore... that's just a sexual harrassment suit waiting to happen.
POC, Luck has NOTHING to do with getting a great reputation...Hard work, being reliable and a great tasting and looking product does!
Pat yourself and your wife on the back...better yet...give each other a great big juicy kiss!
Sure, that helps too.
I don't kiss the boss during business ours anymore... that's just a sexual harrassment suit waiting to happen.
Lol.
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