bake - February 2020 - 58

TIME SAVING TIPS

Graduation SEASON

2020

THE SPRING ISSUE

FREAK SHAKES

Freak Shakes
allow for plenty of
sweet creativity.

In recent years, Freak Shakes have been a
rising dessert trend at bakeries, restaurants,
and other foodservice establishments. These
"extreme" milkshakes first took over the scene in
the mid-2010's thanks to their Instagram-friendly appearance.
These milkshakes stacked with piles of cakes (as well as cookies,
candy, and other sweets) are a cultural phenomenon, but they're
also a way to make extra use of desserts. Few know the value of
Freak Shakes better than Bake'n Babes, a Tampa, Florida-based
bakery. Each month, Bake'n Babes rotates in a new Freak Shake
based on the season.
Last year, the bakery made headlines with a shake for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and one that celebrated music artist Lizzo.
In January, the featured Freak Shake celebrated Gasparilla season.
On Jan. 25, Tampa residents and visitors enjoy the Gasparilla Pirate
Festival, a large parade and series of related community events held
almost every year since 1904.
The Gasparilla Freak Shake featured a large tres leche milkshake
in a skull and crossbones-adorned glass, topped with a slice of
chocolate milk cake and a non-edible pirate rubber ducky.

BAKE'N BABES

Graduation is a celebration of the ending of one journey and the
beginning of another. Millions of graduates will be celebrating their
past achievements and future adventures, and so for that reason
graduation parties are very important.
Many bakers say that spring graduations are one of their biggest
sales periods of the year. The rush of people looking for cakes and
other bakery products for their celebrations means that bakeries
must be well-prepared ahead of time if they want to avoid be overwhelmed in May.
General Mills Convenience & Foodservice provides some helpful
tips so that bakeries can make the most out of the season.
1. Prep - Take your time in the next few weeks gathering information about the local schools (ranging from pre-K to middle school
to high school to college). Know what the schools' color schemes
are so that you have the right materials on hand. Also, make sure
you have permission to use logos and mascots. Finally, it helps to
have the graduation dates of each school so that you can be more
organized.
You can put together a spreadsheet to keep track of each school's
information.
2. Stock up on non-bakery products - Graduation parties will often need items such as plates, napkins, and forks that all feature the
school's colors. Why have your customers make separate trips to a
party store when they can acquire those materials from you? This
helps those shoppers who are in a rush to get things done.
3. Alternative cake options - While traditional sheet cakes are still
the most popular type of graduation celebration dessert, there are
plenty of non-traditional options at your disposal. Offering alternatives such as cake pops or cupcakes allows your customers to pick
something that will stand out at their planned celebration.
4. Getting the word out - The most essential part of graduation
sales are the customers, and they have to know that you offer graduation items. Promoting your bakery to the public is always important, but especially during these potential sales booms. Aside from
your regular marketing, you can also work with area high schools or
colleges to run advertisements in their student newsletters/papers
or on their websites.
You can also use the targeting features on Facebook Ads to
specifically reach high school and college students in your area.
Use your creativity to make an ad geared towards them and their
families/friends.
Graduation season is a great time of the year to not only boost
sales, but also set yourself up for future success by winning over
potential new customers.

bake - February 2020

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