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Seeing the potential of the department and its ability to boost the store's fresh image, Blue Goose management made its bakery and perishables departments a priority in its new store, which opened in March last year.

“We set the tone for the rest of the store,” says Bakery Manager Scott Schwartz. “St. Charles is a small town. They [top management] realize the importance of bakery when they step out into the community and hear from our customers.”

Founded in 1928 and still owned and operated by the Lencioni family, Blue Goose is a landmark in the West Chicago suburb, which has a vital downtown of its own. As part of a $100 million St. Charles revitalization project, Blue Goose built a new store 50 percent larger than its previous location. The store features a greatly expanded bakery, deli, produce, meat, floral/gift and frozen food department. The bakery also hosts a coffee bar with dedicated register. An outdoor seating area, available during spring, summer and autumn, offers barbecue fare.

Construction of the new store took about a year, and the old Blue Goose store remained open amid a literal construction zone from city works projects surrounding the store. Blue Goose lost electricity a few times and even had to evacuate the store during a gas leak. The electricity was out long enough in one incidence to force the bakery to call customers to cancel or postpone cake orders. “That's when I realized how far our cake business came from,” Schwartz says. He called clients as far away as Rockford, Ill., about an hour drive from St. Charles.

Designing the new store, which is located across the block from the old store, required significant planning and coordination between department managers and company owners. David Lencioni, president, and Mary Pearson, vice president, had final say in the design, but involved General Manager Dale Insteford and department managers particularly in planning the expanded fresh departments.

The in-store bakery introduces shoppers to Blue Goose’s redesigned fresh departments.

“David Lencioni was instrumental in making sure the refrigeration and freezer space will suit our needs for the coming years,” Schwartz says.

Of course not every item on department managers' wish lists were granted, but the in-store bakery department received a welcome overhaul in several key areas:

• More space — The in-store bakery, including retail and production space, is about three times the size of its former location.

• Labor saving equipment — Two new rack ovens and a pan washer increase production capacity and save labor.

• Updated design in the retail area — Attractive showcases and well-positioned merchandising displays improved customer flow and shopping experience.

• A coffee bar — Coffee products and the dedicated cash register offer customer convenience and a natural sales boost to breakfast pastries and other bakery products.

Showcases sell cakes

Allotting more space to the bakery was critical, not only to display products for greater sales, but also to improve production efficiency. Two rack ovens have allowed the bakery to expand its bread line and offer fresher products with more day baking. The day baker has taken over some of the things the night baker used to do, such as Danish and coffee cakes, so the aroma of fresh baking tempts customers through late afternoon.