At the Counter: Systems Keep Holidays Profitable

Holidays are coming and they are  gold—huge demand, bigger orders, new customers—but only if your systems can handle the rush. Spend time now tightening these areas and you’ll feel it in speed, accuracy, and margin.

Menu & cutoffs 

Why: A tighter, clearer menu speeds production, cuts errors, and lifts AOV (average order volume).

You’ll still get a few special requests—say yes when it makes sense—but design your holiday menu for the 90% of orders.

Do this

• Good / Better / Best bundles.
  Example: Pie → Pie + Dinner Rolls → Party Pack (Pie, Rolls, Cake/Extra Desserts).
•  Intentionally organize your eCommerce with priority to bundles and seasonal categories. 

• Offer 3–5 "pre-designed" holiday cakes (on-trend, quick to decorate) to reduce custom requests.

• Publish cutoffs everywhere: site header, product cards, confirmation emails.
  Eg. “Thanksgiving pre-orders close Saturday at 5pm”
  
  

Production reports 

Why: The right data for the right eyes eliminates confusion and wasted time.

Do this

• Print by department and sorted by pickup time 
• Show only: item, options, quantity, notes. Hide pricing on production reports.
• Add batch math (e.g., rolls in 12s) so staff sees totals to make, not just order counts.
• Auto-run reports so each team has most up to-date  lists before their shift.
  
  

Pro Tip:  Use colored labels by pickup day (Thu=blue, Fri=green) for visual sorting.
Multi-location tip: Print orders on different paper colors by store (Store A=yellow, B=white, C=pink).

Deco tickets & inspo images 

Why: Decorators need a clean, complete ticket at the bench.

Do this

• Make image capture automatic from the order (email/text link → customer attaches → prints on deco ticket).
• Use standardized deco tickets that follow the order from production → packing → back to sales.
• Set a change window (e.g., 24–48 hours). Outside that window = manager approval based on production status.
• During top holidays, shift fully custom to templated designs with limited, easy-to-apply elements.

Capacity rules & same-day protection

Why: Promise only what you can fulfill—protect both case and online.

Do this

• Set item inventory and let sold-out status update automatically across channels.
• Split inventory: clearly label “Orders” vs “Store Inventory” so staff knows where to pull from and cases stay full for walk-ins.

Equipment & maintenance 

Why: Small failures become big disasters at 10:30 a.m. on pickup day.

Do this

• Create a punch list: fix now • order parts • temporary workaround.
• Service machines before the rush: sheeter, mixers; calibrate ovens; replace dull blades.
• Re-stock consumables: ribbon, labels, bags, boxes, tape, pens, thermal paper—and keep backups where work happens.

Holidays are your brand on display. Tighten these back of house systems now and you’ll be able to take more orders, with fewer errors, and have happier teams!

In the end that means the season is profitable and less chaotic! 

BakeSmart can help create systems to get your bakery where you want it to go!