I was wondering if anyone on CC owned a cake bakery. I am interested in opening a store where I live and would like to know of all equipment needed to open a bakery and also how your bakery is doing.

Christy

I guess no answers means no one owns a bakery.

Hi there! I don't own a bakery but I am trying to set up a licensed kitchen. The best thing I can tell you is to contact your local public health department. Some places have a Dpt of Agriculture. They can tell you what is required in your area. These things vary from place to place. For instance here all equipment has to be commercial, a lady I know in Kentucky has household type appliances. The best way to get the info you need is to check with who ever would license you. HTH! Best wishes to you!

Thank you.

Hi ,
I own a small bakery/cake shop in Florida.I make cakes ,wedding cakes,pies,cheesecakes,cookies,tarts........anything sweet.(no breads)
Dept of agriculture are the people you have to deal with.They inspect me every six months.I DO NOT have commercial equipment.I have double kitchen aid ovens.(Convection and electric)Kitchen aid mixers,regular refridge,freezer..........pretty low key.
I have been in business for 3 years now.And it keeps getting better and better.(which I take as a good sign)If you have any questions PM me and I will see if I can answer them.
Good Luck and Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnnie Sue

I own in a bakery in Texas. I started with only the basics and am now (after 16 months in business) starting to convert to commercial grade appliances. I have 2 KA's...couldn't live without them. I do a lot of specialized birthday cakes, wedding cakes, cheesecakes, cookies and catering. If you need anything (advice) please don't hesitate to PM me.

Thank you.

I have been pricing commerical ovens vs home standard ovens and the commerical ovens arent that much more! I could buy a double wall oven, convetion (although the kitchen guy told me that covetion ovens would dry out my cakes) and a small commerical oven that will hold 6 cakes (that is small for commercial!) cost the same and I could do more in the commercial!! So i am also curious what people are doing..

I was thinking of adding another kitchenaid to my collection (I have a 4 1/2 quart and an 8 quart) and already have a huge freezer, but want to get a dedicated fridge. What other appliances do you recommend as Must haves?

I just wanted to add that I had a commercial bakery until last October. A lot of things led me to closing, including bad partners and being way too busy, and never being home.

Just wanted to include that I have a smaller commercial oven. It's an Anvil Prima Pro if you wanna check it out. I'd be willing to make a great deal on it if anyone is interested. Less than 2 years of use.

That is good to know. I will keep your name incase I do open a bakery in the near future. Thanks.

I own a bakery now and starting my 7th year. I previously owned a restaurant and have been in the food industry 40 years. I started out with a large retail area, cookies, pastries, etc..... But found that I truly enjoyed the wedding end of the business. Besides all the small stuff is alot of work for not as much return as the wedding end of the business. I started with the basics, ovens, coolers, pans, etc.... and each year would add to my business. Unless you have alot of money, its best to work with what you have, you will acquire things as you go. Keeping your inventory and overhead down is crucial. Many business' fail because they are undercapitalized. Make sure you have enough to carry you at least 6 months. Build your business credit by opening an account and getting a 15 to 30 day net. This will give you time to make money and not be out the initial cash. However be careful, don't go hog wild because you got credit, it can get out of control. I have 4 suppliers that I use regularly. Every other order I pay cash. Since I have opened I have paid for my bakery and can enjoy the profits. I have kept my overhead low, only bought when I needed things. Until you build your client base, watch your waste, every little thing adds up. Stand behind your products, be professial, honest and by all means keep your place clean. Your reputation is crucial. A couple of bad mistakes is advertising you don't want. Speaking of advertising keep it at a minimum. You will get bomb-barded with salespeople. Yellow page is good but only a listing , you do not need a display ad. First year, business card, some flyers and good word of mouth. Sometimes you can donate cakes as prizes or gifts for the local radio stations, they will give your business a free plug. I could go on and on and don't want to bore you. Wish you much success.

Wow thank you so much for all that advice. I will keep it in mind if and when I decided to open one. I can't seem to find a store around here so I have to wait until I do. Thank you again.