Sweeten Restaurant Revenues with Baked Goods

Much as most of us love the holiday season, it’s also a time of year notorious for making us feel overscheduled and stressed. Even if baked goods aren’t typically your restaurant’s specialty, the holiday season is a prime opportunity to put your existing resources to work to increase revenues.

A prepackaged tin or box of cookies, brownies, muffins or assortment of baked goods is a gift for both the giver and the recipient. 

At a time when customers are ready and willing to pay a premium for conveniences that reduce holiday pressure, odds are good that you already have many of the tools and equipment to add simple baked goods to your menu as profitable desserts and pre-packaged gifts.

Here’s a checklist of our favorites that make prep, baking, transporting, packaging, and merchandising baked goods easier and more efficient during the holidays and beyond. 

Prep

Cambro Camwear Measuring Cups help employees measure quickly and accurately thanks to a clear cup with blue metric and red American standard graduations. 

Shatterproof material makes these rugged cups ideal for fast-paced operations. 

NSF listed and dishwasher safe, they withstand acids and resist stains and odors for reliable use. Available in 1 cup, 1 pint, 1, 2 and 4 quart sizes.

When it’s time to melt butter or chocolate, the Cambro High Heat Measuring Cup is the right tool for the job. 

Made from heat-tolerant plastic, these cups can withstand temperatures up to 375°F, making them safe for use in microwaves or ovens. 

Shatterproof and 75% lighter than glass, this NSF listed high heat measuring cup is available in 2 quart and 4 quart sizes.

Cambro Mobile Ingredient Bins conveniently fit under standard worktables to keep frequently-used baking staples such as flour and sugar out of the way, but close-at-hand. 

Made of NSF-listed, FDA-accepted material for direct food contact, these bins also have a hygienic, clear sliding lid that provides clear visibility and quick access to ingredients without needing to be removed.

Silicone Bake Mats by Mercer Culinary are naturally nonstick, reducing the need for fats or oils. Reusable baking mats fit into full and half size sheet pans to provide a sustainable alternative to parchment that helps you bake a more uniform and consistent product. 

Made of food grade silicone over reinforced fiberglass, they can withstand temperatures up to 480°F, making them safe for oven, freezer, or microwave.

Mats have printed measurement marks in inches and centimeters for easy size reference and are offered in two sizes (16½" x 24½" and 11⅞" x 16½") and two colors (orange and allergen safety purple designed for dedicated gluten-free and nut-free baking). These versatile mats also double as work mats for counters.

Hell’s Tools Silicone Blade Spatula makes cleaner work of creating devilishly delicious baked goods. A flexible silicone blade creates excellent contact with sides of bowls, pots, and pans without scratching, making it the perfect tool for efficiently scraping batter from bowls or spreading icing or frosting. 

Offered in 10", 14”, and 16” sizes, this tool is packed with wicked-smart features like a notched blade, integral hook to keep it from sliding into the bowl, hanging hole for storage, and a molded-in "kick stand" on the underside of the blade to keep it from touching the work surface. This tool is ergonomic, strong, and built to last with a high heat-resistant, nylon handle, and a stain-resistant silicone blade rated to 500°F.

Bake

The Convotherm 4 with ACS+ and BakePro helps ensure that every product is baked to perfection every time, no matter who is operating it! 

With easyTouch® you can configure your baking profiles with your own pictures, then simply touch to start. BakePro can even be programmed in multi-level baking profiles for baked products such as Danish pastries, baguettes, croissants, and bread. 

Even when fully loaded, the Convotherm 4 achieves consistent, evenly-baked results with fresh, frozen, precooked, or part-baked products. To learn more about what the Convotherm 4 can help you do, click here.

Transport

The Ultimate Sheet Pan Rack from Cambro is made of rust-proof composite material that makes it a reliable, long-lasting solution for sheet pan transport and holding. It even has a lifetime warranty against rust and corrosion. 

Its heat-resistant rails can accept a pan directly from a 350°F oven, and NSF listed components are easy to clean. 

Available in Full Size, Half Size, or Under-counter models, two caster types, and two rail spacing options (3" or 1½"), these bakery essentials hold full size or half size sheet pans or trays back or front-of-house.

Package

Cellophane bags and bakery boxes with windows are ideal for packaging baked goods to-go at a lower price point. To take it up a notch for gifting, fill a TableCraft Lattice Collection platter with baked goods, wrap it in cellophane, add a festive bow, and voila, you have a ready-made gift that can net your business a sweet margin. 

To browse all of TableCraft's stylish serving collections, click here. After the holidays, use remaining tins for serving sharable sides and entrees all year long.

Merchandise

The Camshelving Flex Station is a convenient way to merchandise baked goods or organize pre-orders for pickup. Four shelves use vertical space to maximize holding capacity in a small footprint. 

Locking swivel casters make it easy to maneuver from kitchen to front of house or curbside, while vented dividers help separate orders and support unstructured items such as bags of cookies.

Made of durable Premium Series Camshelving, Flex Stations have a lifetime warranty against rust and corrosion. Shelf plates are embedded with antimicrobial Camguard and can be quickly sanitized in a commercial dishwasher. 

Easy to adjust and reconfigure to meet changing needs, the same station can be outfitted with divider bars, Cambro food pans, food boxes, GoBags, and GoBoxes to be used for anything from kitchen storage and organization to takeout staging.

Structural Concepts Reveal Non-Refrigerated Service Cases are bakery display cases with tiered glass shelves that offer customers a tempting view of sweet treats. 

Select from refrigerated bakery display cases, non-refrigerated service or self-serve display cases in various styles and sizes to support add-on, takeout and walk-in sales.

Countertop and freestanding cases are available in enclosed or open models for self-service in 3’ and 4’ lengths with 1, 2, 3, or 4 display tiers. 

LED top and shelf lights (3500K) with frosted lens provide a warm, flattering light for baked goods.

Missing an item or two? Contact us, and we can help you get set up to take advantage of profitable holiday baking.