Besides the expected benefits of having baked goods at your beck and call whenever you want them, there are many benefits to having a local bakery that you know and trust. But what are those other benefits, and why is having a bakery in your community a great thing?
Having a bakery in your community means they have a local impact—not just by offering special treats during local events or giving back to the community, but by helping out those in need by offering their day old’s and by buying ingredients locally. They can also educate people on how to make their own food, and they offer the freshest bakery items possible with the best customer service available. Because they are a local business, they can also help stimulate the local economy and focus on niches that exist locally.
Bakeries don’t just offer those cupcakes and cookies you crave—read on to find out more about their local impact and how you can help them create that impact.
Bakeries offer special treats during local events.
Whether it’s a local apple butter festival, a heritage festival, or even the celebration of a great job well done by a high school sports team, your local bakeries have the opportunity to show off their goods while supporting these sorts of events. Larger bakeries and franchise businesses have oversight that don’t always allow them to participate in these events, so make sure you look to your local bakeries to see what they’re doing. Is it for a school spirit event, or is someone putting on a farmers’ market or a benefit 5K? You’ll be sure to see some treats based off of the event. Bakers love to get creative, so creating some “school spirit” cupcakes are a great way for bakeries to get involved.
Why a Bakery is a Retail Type of Business
Bakeries and other small businesses give back to the community.
It’s not just about making those treats based on a theme—bakeries also support the community in a variety of ways that don’t just directly involve their baked goods. Some of them will donate to a cause, or others will donate a portion of sales to that cause. In other cases, they may hold those events that they want you to support. Because they’re working locally, they can plan their own events—but it’s up to the community to support them, too.
No matter what they do, again, larger bakeries don’t have that ability, or if they do, it’s limited. Most bakeries and small businesses will support those local events and causes in some way, which you don’t always get out of another type of business.
You can get the freshest bakery items possible.
Sure, those chain and franchise bakeries have great items, but how often are they made in house? Throwing it into the oven to warm it up doesn’t count. When you’re considering a local bakery’s impact on the community, it’s can be something as simple as creating homemade goods in-house for purchase on the day it’s made. You can’t beat that freshness, and you can’t get it anywhere else. Not just that, but you can also usually see the items being made—and that’s a great way to be conscious of what you’re putting into your body, too.
Bakeries help those in need in a tangible way.
With fluctuations in our economy, we all know that we can feel the tightening of budgets at some points in our lives. Bakeries can actually help ease some of that pain simply by sharing their items they may not be able to sell. Day olds can be donated to food kitchens or even given out to those who come in asking for those items. And even if something is a day old, it can still be delicious—which can help with morale in rough situations.
Bakery owners can share what they know with the community.
If cooking is an art, baking is a science. It’s not always easy to get the perfectly risen bread or the softest cookies around, and if there’s someone who knows how to do that, it’s a baker. Some bakeries will offer classes to help you learn how to make the perfect cookie, and not only that—it can help bring the community together and foster a sense of togetherness. If you can learn how to make a loaf of bread at the same time, everyone benefits.
Why Is a Bakery Shop A Good Business To Start
Working locally means better customer service.
If you’re putting together an event or buying a cake for a birthday, it’s so much easier to work with local people that you know and trust, especially on something as important as a wedding or birthday. Often, you’ll find that people are more open and cooperative if you’ve already created a rapport with them—or, as in the case of many smaller communities, you have a mutual friend that brings you closer. That customer service is key when you’re working in such a business, and you can get that out of your local bakery.
Local bakeries can purchase ingredients locally.
Especially if you’re living in a community where others are creating ingredients that can be used in baking, your local bakery could be making all-local items. Especially in smaller communities and especially those living near farms, your local bakery could be getting anything from their milk to their flour or fruits for their pies from local businesses. Even their honey could be local, which has a slew of benefits to those who consume it.
Local bakeries can fill a niche found in their community.
With more and more people going gluten-free or vegan, it’s sometimes hard for those larger scale bakeries to experiment and find out how to cater to those individuals. Local community bakeries don’t have that oversight, nor are they told not to experiment. Bakeries have the opportunity to meet those needs with those fresh ingredients and new ways to create if they see that a need isn’t being met in their community. If they find a lot of their potential customers are staying “potential” because they are gluten-free—those bakery owners will find a way to make the best gluten-free cake possible to turn those possible customers into recurring customers.
Supporting a local bakery means supporting a local small business.
This benefit is the most important and the most impactful when considering the benefits, they bring to the community. It’s not just about selling or creating, but it’s about supporting local people. When you buy from a local business, you’re keeping your money local—which means it just builds your community’s economy. Instead of that money going to a global conglomerate or another billionaire, you’re contributing directly to the lifestyle of someone that you may know, and at the same time, boosting your local economy. That money goes a long way, even if you’re just buying a cupcake or two at the bakery counter.
No matter whether you’re visiting your local bakery for a quick sweet treat, are participating in a benefit and need some local support, or just want to find a local small business to put your hard-earned money into, there are so many reasons a bakery can benefit a community.
If you find yourself asking why there isn’t one in your community, consider whether you can fill that need. If you love to bake and want to give back to your community, a bakery is a great way to do so. People are always searching for that warm loaf of bread, those cupcakes for an important milestone, and often feel much better when they support someone they know. Give back to the community by starting your own bakery, or get out and support the one you know and love. It’s likely they’re giving back to the community more than you even realize.
Why it is Not Hard to Work in A Bakery
Frequently Asked Questions
Because a bakery—no matter the size—is creating goods to sell to consumers, they are considered a retail business. They bakeries can also be wholesalers if they are creating mass quantities of items to be sold to a retailer, and some bakeries can also be considered restaurants if they provide seating to those who come in and purchase their baked goods.
There are several ways that you can open a bakery, including a café that allows for restaurant seating or counter service where people can come up and order items directly. You can also create a home bakery, which is started out of your own home, or a specialty bakery that only creates certain items. Lastly, you can start a food truck, where you can bake and take your items anywhere you want to go without having the constraint of working out of a building.
When it comes to creating your own bakery, the following items are the most popular: bread, rolls, cakes, and pies. It’s important to know what’s most popular in your region, as well, as that can differ from the national average.
To learn more on how to start your own bakery business check out my startup documents here
This blog post is provided for informational purposes only. The information contained is not intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney.
About the author. Entrepreneur and Bakery Business Fan.
Hi! I am Shawn and I am a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online bakery business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a bakery business owner, I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain customers, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Bakery Business Boss: I want to help bakery business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.