Outsourcing Desserts

The question of when a restaurant should outsource desserts comes up frequently among owners and operators. While some pizza shops may be scratch-only kitchens or able to handle a full menu load, the reality for many others is that outsourcing some items makes sense for their operations. Some even find a balance in using a combination of in-house and outsourced desserts.

Jessica Hellaine, co-owner and operator of Black Dog Pizzeria in Dublin, Ohio says, “Outsourcing our desserts allows us to focus more on our main dish—our pizzas. It is less work for us that can be used elsewhere, and also helps us to save on space, time and money.  We’re just a takeout/delivery pizzeria and so our resources are limited. And working with local bakers allows us unique marketing opportunities.”

Outsourcing desserts comes down to time, labor and space — elements that many operations find sorely lacking into today’s restaurants. It’s important to always run the numbers. If you are considering outsourcing or the reverse and you want to take desserts in house, it is vital to establish your true costs and your pricing and profit margin goals with each dessert item.

If you are an operation that is deciding whether to incorporate dessert into the menu at all, many operators find it is worth it. Datassentials released its report that 60 percent of operators say that the desserts they offer help to drive profit. That survey also found the best-selling desserts were easy to prep and can be eaten on the go.

If you were at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, you may have noticed, and even tasted, dozens upon dozens of desserts offered by vendors, including gelato, cannoli, cheesecake, cakes, brownies, cookies and more. You may have also tried vegan and allergy-sensitive specific treats to nut, dairy and gluten allergies. With stringent guidelines for allergy-related foods, outsourcing especially these types of desserts can help you limit cross contamination that can occur in restaurant kitchen environments.

Some desserts are prone to outsourcing — like gelato and ice cream. But, the fact is almost any dessert you can dream up is probably already available through outsourcing. There are many options when outsourcing desserts. You need to evaluate which will work better for your business and more importantly which will sell well with customers. Here are sources where you can find desserts:

• Mainline Distributors. Some advantages to using your established distributor is that you already have a working relationship and delivery processes in place. They also typically have a large catalog of sweet treat options.
• Wholesale Bakeries. Wholesale bakeries have strong distribution network and can accommodate high-volume bulk production.
• Local Retail Bakeries. Since retail bakeries have a consumer direct model, name recognition can be high with diners.

A note on wholesale bakeries and retail bakeries: There are several bakeries that operate in both capacities.

What are you looking for in your desserts?

Knowing the answer to this question will help you find out which direction you want to go with sourcing your desserts. When Hellaine is looking for a dessert, she’s says she is seeking, “reliability and unique ‘cool’ desserts that taste good and travel well. We wanted to offer baked goods that are more interesting than just the standard baked cookies and brownies at a lot of the shops nearby. It’s also important for us to keep whatever food we sell as scratch-made as possible, and to work locally.”

Tasting and testing outsource desserts is just as important as when you research and develop in-house items. Run blind tastings with employees, customers and friends and family. Gather an honest assessment before you add it to the menu. This is no time to order and “hope it sells.”

Going with a Local Bakery

If you already have working relationships with local businesses in your community, buying desserts from a local bakery may be a great option for you to continue supporting fellow local companies. Hellaine uses two locally owned bakers/bakeries to supply desserts — Angie’s Rainbow Cookies and Paisley’s Pie.

“We have worked with Paisley’s Pies for about six years and Angie’s Rainbow Cookies for a little over a year,” she says. “Paisleys Pies we found at a local market and asked if she could make pies to sell in our shop—specifically pies unique and only available to our pizzeria. Angie’s Rainbow Cookies came to us asking if we would be interested in selling her cookies through our shop. She had previously been selling Italian rainbow cookies through her website and the local Farmer’s Market circuit.”

You may need to seek out those relationships. This is where social media, review sites and local news sources come in handy. You can find out who is already making the best desserts in town to see if what they offer would fit your business concept.

Working with local bakeries can also allow for flexibility and specialty products. “We put an order in at the beginning of the week with our providers for how many items we need and what type, and they bring them out a few days later,” Hellaine says. “They also make us monthly ‘specialty’ items that can only be purchased at our shop for that month—usually something holiday or seasonal themed—that we sell alongside their regular fare.”

Partnerships with a local bakery are great for cross promotion. “We co-market with Angie’s Rainbow Cookies,” Hellaine says. “She has an amazing social media presence and by collaborating on stories, feeds, and posts, we have access to each other’s customers. She’s brought a lot of her fans to us and our shop, and we’ve introduced a lot of people to just cookies. It’s a win-win and I think customers really appreciate seeing two local business owners working together and being front and center for their products.“

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.