1) Cost out your 30 best-selling products 

Profitability starts with a brutal question: Which products make you money—and which ones take it away?

What to do today

• List your Top 30 by units per week.

• Calculate true cost: ingredients + packaging + estimated waste + approximate energy + labor (even if it’s a rough estimate).

• Calculate margin per unit and margin per hour.

Key metric

• Unit margin (€) and margin %.

• “€ per tray” / “€ per bake” (works great for pastries).

 

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2) Raise prices without fear (but with a strategy)

Raising prices “randomly” is scary. Raising them logically works.

How to do it without losing customers

• Start with “treat” products first (premium pastries, specials, filled items).

• Adjust size/weight if needed, keeping quality.

• Help customers understand the value: fermentation, flours, process, “made here.”

Simple rule
If something sells a lot and leaves little margin, it’s not your “star product”: it’s your “trap product.”

 

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3) Reduce waste with time-slot production (not habit)

Waste is the most expensive leak in the bakehouse. And it’s almost always “habit.”

What to do

• Split the day into 2–4 baking slots.

• Track for 2 weeks: sales per slot + leftovers.

• Reduce the first bake volume and “top up” later.

Key metric

• % daily waste (practical goal: lower it every week, even by one point)

 

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4.  Design a winning mix: daily + signature + impulse

You don’t need 70 SKUs. You need a mix that pays for the business.

A structure that often works

• Daily product (high turnover, decent margin, volume).

• Signature products (3–5 breads or items that differentiate you and give you margin).

• Impulse (sweet/savory/coffee: increases average ticket).

Key metric

• Average ticket (€) and units per ticket.

 

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5. Create combos to raise average ticket without “hard selling”

Cash flow often improves with +1 item per ticket.

Easy examples

• “Coffee + croissant”

• “Sandwich + drink”

• “Breakfast pack” / “Afternoon snack pack”

• “Loaf + spreads” (if it fits your concept)

Key metric

• % of tickets with a combo / weekly average ticket

 

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6) Pick 3 “hero” products and repeat them until you can’t keep up

A hero product sells for you. An endless catalog wears you out.

What to do

Choose 3 products with:

• good turnover,

• decent margin,

• easy repeatability,

• clear identity.

Give them a name, a photo, and prime display space.

Key metric

• Units/day of those 3 heroes.

 

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7) Standardize processes (craft and systems can coexist)

Chaos costs money. A well-built system brings peace… and margin.

What to standardize

• weights and formats

• fermentation times “by range”

• very simple product sheets

• opening/closing checklists

Key metric

• Errors per week (failed bakes, returns, off-spec items).

 

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8) Manage energy and purchasing like a pro (without obsessing)

You don’t need to be an engineer—you just need to watch two numbers.

What to do

• Review oven consumption/hours: batch bakes together.

• Buy with foresight: avoid last-minute orders (they’re more expensive).

• Set “par stock” levels for essentials (flour, butter, packaging).

Key metric

• Raw materials cost as % of sales.

• Estimated energy cost as % of sales.

 

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9) Google and reviews: the most profitable storefront there is

Today, many people decide before they walk in—and this is almost free.

Minimum checklist

• Google Business Profile with accurate hours

• Great photos (product + interior + team)

• 1 post per week (2 minutes)

• Ask for reviews with a simple line at the counter

Key metric

• New reviews/month and calls/directions from Google.

 

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10) Take care of the team: without structure there’s no business (even if there’s bread)

Profitability is also human sustainability: if the business burns you out, it breaks.

What to do

• Train a “second-in-command” (even part-time)

• Realistic shifts and breaks

• Cross-training: 1 backup per critical role

Key metric

• Overtime hours/week and dependence on “one single person.”

 

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Salva 30–60–90 Day Rescue Plan (to see real change)

30 days: control

• Cost out Top 30

• Track waste + sales by time slot

• Define 3 hero products

60 days: margin

• Price/format adjustments

• Combos and mix (daily + signature + impulse)

• Basic standardization (product sheets + checklists)

90 days: system

• Fine-tuned time-slot production

• Google + reviews as a routine

• Team with roles and backups

 

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Quick checklist to print

• I know the margin of my top 30 products

• I bake in time slots (not out of fear)

• I have 3 clear “hero” products

• I have combos to raise average ticket

• My Google Business Profile is perfect

• My key processes are documented (sheet/checklist)

• I review costs and prices regularly

• I don’t depend on a single person