When a school secretary or office manager needs pastries for 50 people by 8 am, they’re not loyal to any brand. They’re ordering from whoever shows up first and makes it easy. Right now, that's usually Dunkin.
Just last week, appreciation breakfasts for teachers and nurses were being fulfilled in offices, schools, and hospitals across the country. Someone had a budget, a headcount, and a deadline. Days before, they opened Google and started searching.
Plenty of bakeries could have filled that order. Most never had a chance to. That’s because the information wasn’t there for Google to recommend them.
Maybe no catering menu, no pricing, no photos. Nothing for a stressed secretary or office manager to find (you know, the one whose reputation is on the line if things goes sideways).
The thing is, that order was worth $400. And 60% of the people at that breakfast will look up that restaurant on their own afterward. For a birthday, a graduation, a baby shower, or even just a weekend sweet treat. One corporate order, done well, quietly seeds a new wave of regulars.
The gap isn't your croissants. It almost never is. Here’s where it actually breaks down:
Getting found. If your website and Google Business Profile doesn't explicitly say you cater — with a structured menu, photos, and per-person pricing someone can use without calling you — you're not in the running. The search happened without you.
Making it easy to order. Most bakeries still take catering requests by phone or a general contact form. That works until it doesn't. A missed call or email, a garbled order, a Post-it that gets lost. Corporate buyers need to confirm headcount, dietary needs, and delivery time without friction. If ordering from you feels like a project, they'll find someone easier.
Going out and getting the business. This is where most bakeries stop entirely. They fix the profile, post about catering twice, and wait. Strong operators build systems and go get the sale.
The simplest starting point: put together a sample box of your best pastries, clearly labeled, with a simple one-page catering menu tucked inside.
Drop it off at two or three target offices this week. Law firms, real estate offices, healthcare practices. Leave it with the receptionist. Let the food introduce you. It's old school and it works.
The more scalable move is a corporate catering contest. Instead of knocking on doors, you give organizations a reason to raise their hand first. A former bagel shop client used this approach during Teachers and Nurses Appreciation Week and generated 50 qualified corporate leads in two weeks. The free food wasn't the point. The pipeline that followed was.
Teachers and Nurses Appreciation has wrapped up, but the calendar doesn't slow down from here. End of school year parties, summer team off-sites, back to school events, holiday breakfasts…these orders are being placed year-round by people who just need someone reliable and findable.
If you want to start fixing this yourself, I’m building a DIY catering toolkit specifically for independent bakery and coffee shop owners. Four AI assistants to help find prospects, reach out, manage a list, and turn large orders into regular accounts.
One-time purchase, $99. Reply CATERING KIT and I’ll add you to the waitlist.
— Rory
P.S. If you'd rather have someone look at your full digital presence, not just catering, that's the Bakery Growth Audit. More personalized, more ground covered.