General

“You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” -Sam Levenson As a kid, I loved to collect things: superhero comic books, baseball cards, and…acorns. Huge oak trees showered the schoolyard each fall with fat, brown, irresistible acorns. One day during recess, I followed an impulse and filled the pockets...

A Lesson Learned in Growing a Bakery Business Many years – and several lifetimes ago, it seems... I must have been looking over his shoulder a little too closely – inspecting how well he had cleaned the 60-quart bowl for the bakery’s vertical mixer. Gary turned around, glared at me, and in a voice strained with frustration, started jumping up...

Twitter this, Tweet that - you’ve heard the chatter. How could you not? Over the past year, Twitter has exploded into a cultural phenomenon. You've probably heard how other businesses have found success riding the Twitter wave, but you’re still wondering if it’s right for you. Whether you own a bakery, bagel shop, or pizzeria, the first thing to remember...

This is a question we hear all the time. As one looks for an oven to meet their production needs, there are often many questions as to which is the “right” oven to purchase. Differences in design can have an impact on the quality and quantity of product that you can produce. There are three basic types of gas/oil fired...

These sweet little treats aren't just for kids anymore! Gourmet cupcake shops have seen a sharp rise in popularity of late, and local bakers are starting to take notice. "They are everywhere . . . like ants," said Leslie Goldman-Poyourow, a 14-year baker who operates Cakes by Leslie in downtown Bethesda, Washington. There does seem to be a lot of...

Your customers have a choice. We see it every day. In the news, at the store, filling up at the pump - reminders of the recession that's taken hold around us. Unemployment is up, consumer confidence is down, and the global economy is struggling. To say that the financial climate is 'grey' is putting it nicely! Admittedly, businesses everywhere are...

With so many varieties available, it's no wonder America loves cookies! For so many bake shops around the country, cookie production has become a very profitable revenue stream. Now you want a piece of the action - but where to start? Choosing the right cookie production equipment may seem like a daunting task, but by answering just a few simple...

Changing from wood to plastic proofing baskets enabled Corner Bakery to improve maintenance and increase production. Corner Bakery understands the “art” of artisan baking. They take pride in their personal approach to producing high-quality, hand-crafted breads for their many retail food service locations. “What makes us stand apart is the fact that we use only the finest ingredients, and we...

Jason Ferreira owns five of the over 100 Met Food supermarket locations in the NY area. He had a vision to increase his supermarket bakery business by offering his customers better quality artisan-style breads. Until that time, he was buying par-baked bread from a local supplier and baking it off in a small convection oven. Jason knew that in order...

Joe DiFiore, owner and operator of Monreale Bakery in Hicksville, NY, asked himself this very question. He found his answer in Empire's Vapor Tube Deck Oven. By replacing their traditional revolving tray oven with an Empire LF Deck Oven, Joe saved 75% on his existing fuel bill. “My energy usage is now one fourth what it was when I was...