bakingbuyer - October 2011 - (Page 84)

ref· er· ences (ref-er-uhns) n., v. Alternative Profits A new breed of retail bakeries are rising across the country, as bakery owners recognize the booming opportunity to add profits by producing and selling their own brand of products like popcorn, candies and ice cream. In a growing number of cases, bakeries are buying alternative pieces of equipment, such as popcorn machines or ice cream makers, to make their own mark in these profitable categories. Popcorn sales are popping up all over for retail bakeries like Concannon’s Pastry Shop, Café and Coffee Bar in Muncie, IN. Mike and Mary Ann Concannon run the two-store family bakery that has been an integral part of Muncie since 1959. In 1978, they moved to their current location on North Walnut. Two years ago came the family’s bellwether decision to open a second store that would completely redefine their business model. “We started diversifying more. We added deli and now offer our own sandwiches, salads and soups. We make our own popcorn. We make our own candy. Years ago, people used to go to the candy store, but that’s a dying thing,” Mike Concannon says. “For a baker, you gotta diversify if you’re going to stick around.” Mike always wanted to diversify the family business because he recognized early on that the days of “just being a donut shop are pretty tough.” So they expanded the shop and started making their own popcorn and candy, after buying a popcorn machine and a chocolate enrobing machine. “People don’t realize that popcorn is the biggest snack food, and if you can make it yourself, it will keep for six months,” he says. “We sell 500 tubs a week. And during holiday times, people are buying 20 or 30 tubs at one time.” It should also be noted that people in Indiana – the nation’s second largest popcorn producing state – are big fans of popcorn. Here are some examples of how Concannon’s business has diversified. They make 1,000 gallons of 84 · BAKING BUYER · OCTOBER 11 Kamal Grant at Sublime Doughnuts prepares an ice cream sandwich donut using a Paco Jet machine. R popcorn a week. They make tens of thousands of pounds of chocolate each year. • They used 120 flats of fresh strawberries this past Valentine’s Day when they offered chocolate covered strawberries at both retail stores. “I’ve never seen so many single guys walk into the store on Valentine’s Day,” he jokes. On a busy Saturday, Concannon’s new store will do 1,000 transactions in one day. They average 5,500 transactions per week. The downtown store, located about six miles from the new shop, does nearly 4,000 transactions per week on average. Offering another example of this trend, Taylor’s Bakery in Indianapolis is busy developing a growing niche with innovative specialty items like 7-inch triple-layer ganache cakes, single-serve birthday cakes (available in white or chocolate), elephant ear pastries and even popcorn and assorted candies like chocolate-covered pretzels. They make their own popcorn and flavor it with different flavors like blueberry and vanilla – a local favorite because of the huge popularity of the Indianapolis Colts’ pro football team, which dons blue and white uniforms.

bakingbuyer - October 2011

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