bakingbuyer - May 2011 - (Page 48)

Through quality baked goods, strategic genius and spectacle, Kiedrowski’s Simply Delicious Bakery in Amherst, Ohio has earned the title of America’s Best Bakery 2011. by Anna Comstock Come one, come all, to Amherst, Ohio to see the “Greatest Show on Earth!” At Kiedrowski’s Simply Delicious Bakery, you will be amazed by the the baked goods, th friendliness, the business ingenuity, and of ing course, by the P.T. Barnum of bakery himself, owner own Tim Kiedrowski. Behind row his mastermind hi ideas and quali ity products, i the bakery outt side of Cleves land took the la title of America’s tit Best Bakery 2011 Bes with ease. The Kiedrowski’s show off their official Snoogle Trademark. 48 · BAKING BUYER · MAY 11 The Buildup When Kiedrowski found out he was a finalist in the America’s Best Bakery contest, he contacted his network of connections to help mobilize community members to vote. “I went to all the radio stations in the area that I do business with and called on them for a favor,” Kiedrowski says. After hearing the contest mentioned on the radio, the Morning Journal went out to the bakery to do a story. “And then once that hit the paper, a lot of the television stations came,” Kiedrowski says. “And that brought in a lot of new customers—some who came from 50 or 60 miles away to take photographs of my bakery and see what it was all about. The last month has been incredible.” In addition to outside marketing, Kiedrowski also motivated his customers to vote inside the bakery. “We put a computer out front and gave a free donut to those that voted,” Kiedrowski says. “One Saturday, that generated more than 300 individual votes.” The bakery’s Facebook page was also a big help in promotional efforts, and many of Kiedrowski’s customers posted about the contest on their own Facebook pages. “It was just nuts how many people in the community picked up on it,” Kiedrowski says. “I cannot tell you how many people came in and told me they were watching the standings.” After much anticipation, it was finally announced that Kiedrowski’s had won the contest. “I was numb for five minutes,” Kiedrowski says. “I was never able to go to college, and this is like my masters degree. It’s a culmination of a lot of crazy hours and hard

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bakingbuyer - May 2011

bakingbuyer - May 2011
EDITOR’S NOTE - The Bakery Showman
CONTENTS
INDUSTRY NEWS
APC/Crisco National Pie Championships
Caravan Launches New Website
National Honey Board Offers Bakery Formulas
Cake Boss Joins Get Back to Scratch
The Baking Channel
Preferment Primer
Birth of the Slider
Team USA Profile
Extremem Cakes
Macaroon Sushi
Think Outside the Bakery
Chocolate Mousse: Tips & Techniques
Get your Grill on
Effective E-Newsletters
"The Greatest Show on Earth"
Welcome Home
Getting to Know You
Brandon’s Cookies
Re-Cakes
Lessons Learned
Wedding Statistics
Efficiency in Motion
Syrups vs. Grounds
FEATURED PRODUCTS
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
MARKETPLACE NETWORK
AD INDEX
Baker's Dozen

bakingbuyer - May 2011