I know who I am getting my boxes from, but my question for store front bakeries with cupcakes & other baked goods, is how many different size boxes do you have? I am looking at a box for 4ct, 6ct, 12ct & dozen minis. That 4 different boxes--do most of you have that many? Some of my boxes will be able to pull double-duty, but it still seems like a lot of boxes. Any ideas are appreciated. Thank you.

I use the individual 4x4, the four count with handle 9x7, the 6 count 10x10, and the 12 count 10x14. I get my boxes from mr. Takeout bags.

If you're selling cupcakes individually, doesn't the packaging cost wreck your profit margin?

We have only two types of packaging for cupcakes (we don't have a storefront and our minimum order is 12): plastic clamshells that hold 6 and cake boxes with inserts that hold 12. Both are about twice as expensive as the equivalent single-cupcake container.

[quote="jason_kraft"]If you're selling cupcakes individually, doesn't the packaging cost wreck your profit margin?

We have only two types of packaging for cupcakes (we don't have a storefront and our minimum order is 12): plastic clamshells that hold 6 and cake boxes with inserts that hold 12. Both are about twice as expensive as the equivalent single-cupcake container.[/quote

Wow! I haven't priced out the single cupcake boxes before. I went to 4 different cupcake-only shops in Seattle last weekend and they all used single cupcake boxes.

No, most people eat their cupcakes onsite only about 2 percent order a single cupcake to go. We factored into the price point the individual box fee, therefore if they don't take a single box we get a bigger profit.

We order enough cases so the cost per box+insert is .60 or under on all our box sizes.

I plan to use bakery bags for individual cupcakes. I'm still trying to work on the 2-3 cupcakes. I would hate to put 2 cupcakes in a 4 cupcake box. So I'm not sure what to do with those.

Bakery bags can be dangerous. They can easily tip and mess up the frosting. When we have two we give two individual boxes. When 3 we put it in the 4 ct. box. Since we incorporated the cost of the box and insert into our price point we make more money if they eat them on site, which about 95% of our customers do. If they order 3 or more then we use a larger box/insert for them. Our individual box is the same price as our bigger boxes. Like I said before, we order enough cases to bring the price at or below .60 for packaging.

We have 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 count boxes with inserts. We use plastic for minis.

Yes, single boxes eat into the PM. But that is what happens when you have a store front. I am not about to not offer a single box because it eats into my PM. That is the price of business sometimes. The box we go through the most is the 4 count. We have a 4 count minimum before you can charge and most people take home 4 cupcakes. Surprisingly, 1 count is the one we use the least. After the 4 count, the 12 count is the most popular.

I did a cost analysis of the cost of the cupcake with the price of the box. Obviously the highest PM is on the 12 count. But just make sure you price your product to include the box cost, which you should be doing anyway. After all it is an expense of doing business.

One last thing, we also charge a $.50 fee for any extra boxes requested under one dozen cupcakes. We were getting a lot of people who were requesting their orders be split, which was eating into the PM. After we did that, we don't go through so many boxes, and there are people who do not mind the extra charge. Once we remind them that we charge for the extra box, they usually are satisfied getting it into one box. Of course, this does not include the family that had the wife buy 4 and the husband buy 4- in separate boxes. Someday I'll figure out how to include a being a jerk fee.

And to toot my own horn. We opened on July 16. We won first place for best dessert category in a local food event for FoodLink in my home town. We also placed in the top 4 category for best cupcake in our local "Best of" contest held in my area after only being open 10 weeks. We will find out Tuesday if we won first place. I am being realistic and don't think I'll win the top place because it is a popularity contest and there are people who are still discovering our place. What I do know that once people try our product, they come back again and again. And that is what counts.

If you live near a Restaurant Depot, you can get boxes there at good prices. You do need an EIN# but the membership is free. You can buy the 10x10 and 14x10 boxes there, then order the inserts from somewhere else.