Honing the art of communication
Renee Rouwhorst, co-owner of Ryke’s Bakery in Muskegon, Mich., shares tips for training sales staff–which, above all, is about teaching effective communication with both the customer and fellow employees.
Gigi’s Cupcakes reins in growth
Gigi's Cupcakes owner Gigi Butler has worked hard to control the business’ growth to prevent it from getting too big too fast.
Making cents of social media
Amid the maturing world of social media, bakery owner Beth Fahey of Creative Cakes shares how the bakery has streamlined its social media efforts in the hopes of turning the time investment into increased sales.
Food safety: 101
AIB International head of food safety Stephanie Lopez shares some tips for implementing a successful food safety and quality program.
CAFF connects farmers, businesses
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers connects local farmers to restaurants, retailers and wholesale businesses to help provide locally grown food for consumers in California's Santa Clara Valley.
How Dahlia Bakery bloomed
Dahlia Bakery is one of 12 food-and-drink establishments owned and operated by chef/restaurateur Tom Douglas and his namesake restaurant group. The bakery opened 12 years ago as an extension of the group’s first restaurant but has developed its own brand identity with a strong lineup of products that keep customers coming back.
Dahlia Bakery
The 150-sq.-ft. retail bakery is one of 12 (and counting) food-and-drink establishments owned and operated by chef/restaurateur Tom Douglas and his namesake restaurant group.
Working with whole grains
Despite the challenges of baking with whole grains, incorporating them into bread products can appeal to health-conscious consumers.
Wheatfields grows on strong foundations
The bakery café built its reputation on fine artisan breads baked in a woodfired oven, but has since expanded to include handcrafted desserts, savory dinner entrées and catering–all rooted in quality ingredients.
Donut shop to sell alcohol
Jonathan and Megan Pidgeon, owners of Glazed Donuts, Key West, Fla., are petitioning to add mimosas and bellinis to the menu as they explore staying open 24 hours.
In-store bakery regional outlook–Boston
The Northeast region and Boston continue to outperform the rest of the country in the in-store bakery, but competition is tight. The region’s top players look to court a highly educated, food-savvy population by emphasizing their fresh departments, including bakery.
How Maine does 'local'
In rural states like Maine, artisan bakery owners face a set of challenges unique to their geographic location and the demographics of the population.
2013 Baking Industry Forecast: New year, same refrain
The past year looked a lot like 2011, with economic and political uncertainty abroad and anemic growth at home as businesses remained stingy and consumers climbed out of debt. While bakers expect much of the same in 2013, consumers’ desire to reward themselves with small luxuries has kept the bakery industry viable and optimistic about growth opportunities.
'No sacred cows here'
When a supermarket bakery opened down the road from Lovin Oven's Libertyville, Ill. retail bakery, general manager decided to learn from his competition and get better.
