Because I'm an off-site caterer that also does cakes. I'm not a restaurant .... I dont' do onesy-twosy lunches in styrofoam boxes. Anything under 50 people is almost not worth my time. I'm not a traditional bakery. There are not many caterers who also do wedding cakes, which makes me a unique vendor who can offer more to that one bride.

I know lots of bakeries that are just bakeries. they don't pretend to be wedding planners or restaurants, and they've been in business for years. (many I know personally, so I'm well aware of whatever "back door" business they are doing.) So yes, it's possible.

And I say "pretend" because I saw a deli who placed an ad in the yellow pages under "wedding planners". Sorry, but slappin' some meat and cheese on a tray does not make you an expert on flowers, buffets and sit down dinners, cash bars, wait staff, venues, and all the other details involved in a wedding.

Name me one brand new full time independent bakery that just straight up retail bakes. If they're out there there ain't many. That is like crazy hard. Mom & Pop bakeries are dinosaurs. There's still one in my old neighborhood back home but they are all gone around here. But they are right across the street from a giant hospital too.

Hey, littlecake is one. But she lives on premise I believe. You gotta have a tipping point to get that ball rolling.

Do you honestly think she can get this going on cake alone without any other business pathway? That's fine if that's your advice to her. But I do not. No way.

And I'm just discussing here--no emotion.

And besides would the op say what kind of area you are in? How many population? What kind of area?

If I can toss my .02 in. I don't think one can live on cake alone. Not retail anyways. If you have enough wholesale accounts it could keep you quite busy.
My family a few years back owed a Cheesecake shop. It needed to branch out to other items. Never did it failed, it took the big flush.

Mike

I can name THREE cake shops in a 20 mile radius of my house that do quite well. Two have been in business for many years and one for several. Actually I was getting to the point that I was going to dump the catering and just do cakes....it was just too hard. As a matter of fact the 1st corporate account came along not long after I opened and then they were bought out by a large corporation and had to stop feeding their employees lunch. The account lasted about a year but then my second year of business was cakes and not much else. I tried weddings, I actually did 2, and found out I am NOT cut out for weddings. My third year I took on the large cater and I sold my business do to my pregnancy after cooking for them about 10 months.

As for only doing cakes, once you get the "reputation", do the wedding shows and book consistantly it would be possible to run on cakes only. The thing is you have to do less cakes for more $$$ and find your niche.

K8Memphis, I wasn't attacking you about the lunch counter/deli....just giving my own personal experience to the OP.