Deli/bakery Cooler...need Ideas And Advice.

Business By hsmomma Updated 23 Mar 2010 , 6:17pm by hsmomma

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hsmomma Posted 23 Mar 2010 , 4:45pm
post #1 of 6

Last summer (we are a busy lake party store that has a licensed commercial kitchen) I put cupcakes out in our stores deli cooler. I started by using "extra" batter from my weekend wedding cakes. Word started getting around and I was dubbed the "cupcake lady". People started coming in just for our cupcakes on the weekends. So I began to make cupcakes just to sell for the weekends. It went really well! Now, this summer is fast approaching and I wonder about adding things to the cooler. I went to another bakery out of town and noticed they had cakes cut up on trays to sell by the slice. They looked awesome! But, how did they prevent them from getting stale? They weren't wrapped up individually, just set on large cupcake wrappers. Do the coolers just keep them fresh without covering?
I'm thinking about expanding into some different items...just wondering how to present them and keep them fresh? I never expected it to be such a big thing...but it was! I'd love to step it up a little this year. Keep in mind I still have to complete at least 2 wedding cakes for each weekend. I'm the only baker (don't trust anyone else to do it). But, I do have employees to help wash dishes and work the counter.
Any advice? Nothing to lose since we already have all the equipment...if it doesn't work, I'll go back to just the cupcakes.

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pattycakesnj Posted 23 Mar 2010 , 5:58pm
post #2 of 6

the cake will get stale and dried out if not covered, even in a cooler. How about cake balls, they last a lot longer and don't have to be wrapped until the customer buys them. Plus it is a good use of your wedding cake trimmings.

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hsmomma Posted 23 Mar 2010 , 6:01pm
post #3 of 6

Cake balls were definitely on my plan...
That's what I thought about the cake slices...I just can't imagine how they wouldn't get dried out. At the bakery I went to, that is exactly how they had them. I bought some samples and they definitely weren't dried out...wonder if it's a special cooler or something...

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BeanCountingBaker Posted 23 Mar 2010 , 6:13pm
post #4 of 6

Could you approach sliced pieces like restaurants with a dessert tray? Make a nice presentation and when someone orders just say "let me get you a fresh slice."

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hsmomma Posted 23 Mar 2010 , 6:15pm
post #5 of 6

Here is an example (hard to see). It's not the bakery I went to this past weekend but, has the coolers with cake slices. Almost look like jellyrolls sliced up. How does that not go stale? Do they have a special cooler? It looks like our coolers ~ just normal. The bakery that I went to this weekend had rows and rows of cake slices not wrapped up...I tried the samples and they were moist and delicious.
Just wondering how?

http://pastagrill-pcb.com/assets/images/20080201-Bakery-DisplayCases.JPG

I appreciate the input. The link is not the bakery I went to...it just kinda shows an example. The one I went to had many more cake slices.

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hsmomma Posted 23 Mar 2010 , 6:17pm
post #6 of 6

I wondered about that...glad you mentioned it. Maybe putting one in the cooler on a display plate/platter and have the rest behind it all wrapped up? Might be the way to go.

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