Many bakeries and restaurants have unfortunately suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ones that have survived had to adapt to the times and make the necessary changes for their businesses to operate during these difficult times. We saw bakeries offering curbside pickup and delivery for the first time, and restaurants re-imagine their spaces to seat diners safely six feet apart.

However, even after adapting, some bakeries and restaurants continue to struggle. After you’ve tried everything from offering delivery to setting up outdoor seating, what’s next? You will be happy to know that you are not out of options yet. Empire Bakery Equipment has seen success with bakeries and restaurants repurposing their space for a business model that is easier to sustain during the COVID pandemic. Pizzerias, bagel shops and artisan bakeries are some examples of the more popular examples of food businesses actually thriving during COVID. We are noticing restaurants starting to produce pizzas, bagels and other popular baked goods for on-the-go to their menus. These items have a low production cost, are generally easy to produce and in very high demand these days.

Most restaurants already have the baking equipment they need to produce items like pizza, bagels and a variety of breads and pastries. All they need to do is learn how to properly leverage that equipment for bakery production, while possibly adding a few key pieces of equipment to help increase and simplify production. If your restaurant is taking a huge hit from the pandemic and unable to efficiently run as a dine-in restaurant, then transitioning into a pizzeria or a more bakery-focused establishment may be the thing that keeps your business afloat during these trying times.

Take pizza for example. The two major pieces of equipment you need is a spiral mixer and a stone deck oven. Most restaurants have these pieces of equipment in their kitchens and all that’s needed is to learn to properly leverage the equipment for pizza production. This could be a simple solution to a major problem a large amount of restaurants are facing. If there are some pieces of equipment your restaurant does not have, now may be the time to invest and Empire can help.

During the pandemic we have also seen lines out the door for bagel shops. The super popular bakery item has thrived during COVID and we are seeing more and more restaurants adding bagels to their menus. We see restaurants opening up their doors much earlier than normal to supply the early morning breakfast rush. Bagels are a profitable item and your restaurant most likely has all the equipment needed for production. If your bagel demand gets higher than anticipated and you cannot keep up with demand, Empire Bakery Equipment has the bagel production equipment needed for you to succeed. The Single Bank Bagel Machine is capable of producing 3,600 consistent and perfect bagels per hour!

Transitioning over your entire business model can be scary. Many questions may run through your head such as, what additional equipment do I need? How should my kitchen space layout be arranged to ensure efficient production? All valid and great questions, but ones that Empire has the answers to. Empire’s team of experts will help you optimize your current bakery or restaurant to properly transition to a new business model and maximize your profitability. We’re proud of the success our customers have attained and Empire looks forward to helping build more successful bakeries.

For more information on additional equipment, store planning assistance any other questions you may have, give us a call at 1-800-878-4070 and schedule a free consultation call with one of our experts.