How to Start a Pastry Shop

Do you have experience and knowledge about baking? Do you particularly like to make sweet treats like croissants, pies and tarts? You can start a business selling pastries.

You can start small if you have the equipment by baking in your own kitchen. Get ideas about starting this business from our basic guide.

To start a pastry shop, first, you’d need someone who will bake the goodies that you will sell. You can hire a baker, but if you want your business to really succeed, it would be best if you do that part of the work yourself, or at the least, you know how to bake. Knowing what goes into making sweet treats and how to do it will make you a better supervisor of your bakers if you will hire one. That skill also comes in handy in case the kitchen is short of a hand, or in case baker suddenly decides to leave.

Then you’d need to determine how you will format your shop. Will it be a home based one, drive-through window, a takeout stand, a café, or a sit-down restaurant? If you have the equipment (oven and baking utensils) already, you can start a home-based business. You take orders for bread and cookies from friends, relatives, and those referred by them. You can also supply for bakeries and supermarkets from your kitchen baking. If you will be operating a drive-in window or takeout stand, you may still bake from your kitchen. If you have a lot of capital, you can run a café or store equipped with a full kitchen.

To start this business, you’d need baking equipment. Good if you already own some. But maybe you’d need to purchase bigger ones or additional items. Survey equipment suppliers from where you can purchase equipment for your kitchen.

You’d also have to think about location and hunt down available space that suits your business type. Whether you will be operating a drive-in window, a takeout stand, a café, a sit-down restaurant, you’d need a location with high traffic. It could be in a mall, in a place where many people pass or near a busy section of the city. While high traffic is one qualification for your potential location, see also that it is not where most of your competitors are. That location may already be saturated with pastry shops.

And talking about competition, you’d need to stand out from the rest by offering goodies or, otherwise, service that hasn’t been offered yet to customers in your area. To bring attention to what is novel in your business, you must advertise it extensively. Offer special deals, rewards for referrals and free tasting.

For all these – location, equipment, and marketing – you’d need capital. You can tap your personal savings or that of friends and relatives (if they’ll let you). Otherwise, you can go and borrow from a bank. In addition to startup capital, you’d need additional money to sustain the business for the first three months. Aside from financial investment, expect to put in a lot of time in the business. The work of a baker starts very early in the morning when he bakes the sweets so that they are sold fresh when the day opens.

26 Comments

  • mozy said on March 7, 2010
    how to start a pastry store in irvine, california, usa
  • BETTY JOHNSON said on June 9, 2010
    i want to start my own pastry shop in 3140 Mansfied Hwy Forrest Hill Texas 76119
  • Maria Esteves said on September 8, 2010
    I plan to start a pastry shop in Durham, NC but need to know what equipment I need, and which is best. I also plan to have no storefront yet, so a small commercial space is fine. I plan to sell to restaurants, and event planners, etc., I just can't start at home. How do I prepare a budget and what would I need to get going on a one person operation? Maria
  • Isabella Ofuama said on October 27, 2010
    I plan to start pastry business in Abuja, Nigeria. I need to know all that I need in terms materials and resources. I am much interested in operating a stop shop for pastry business. Pls. advise. Thank you.
  • Manny .D. Phillips said on July 27, 2011
    I want to start a Pastry shop in Woking, Surrey. It is a competitive area so i need advice on how to distinguish the shop and to be able to make it contemporary. Cheers.
  • obidike emeka said on October 20, 2011
    want advice on opening a pastry/minicafe in abuja Nigeria i need to know the basics in opening a perfect shop.
  • Dee Thompson said on February 9, 2012
    My location is Lawrenceville Ga. I'm starting my business from home and want to expand to a small shop near there. Whats the maximum start up amount I need. I found a busy location that doesnt have a pastry shop in that strip mall at all. It would be the 1st. Please give me advice on how to proceed.
  • Mary Bueno said on February 11, 2012
    Perferably Bellflower California. I want to start up a cookie/cupcake shop with frozen yogurt, Ice Cream, specially candy? I don't know where to begin, other then get the equipment and a location? How much do you think it was cost to start?
  • Elle S said on April 13, 2012
    My location is Abuja Nigeria. I would like to know the start up cost of a small pastry shop. Also, I would like to know any good school that offers pastry/bakery training, I would like to improve my skills. Thanks.
  • seema said on July 12, 2012
    I want ti start a small pastry shop with birthday party items. my location is Faridabad, haryana, India. I have no experience. please tell me what would be the initial cost capital etc.
  • neyaz said on August 1, 2012
    hii i am pastry chef and do also manage all over plan
  • Maria Wallace said on August 2, 2012
    My location is Lucedale, MS. I want to start a pastry shop i need to know every thing About how to start the business and where to purchase the equipment
  • Fay said on November 12, 2012
    I live in jamaica and there is a pastry shop next door to my husband's restaurant but what ideas can you offer for me to be competitive when I am in training to run my own pastry business.
  • Allan said on January 22, 2013
    Hey Hi all its Allan here I like and will be starting a pastry Shop in Bangalore, India very shortly pls pray tat the loan is sanctioned to me and then I require 2 caterers/bakers to help me with my business... If any interested pls do send your updated resume to ma mail id rockrich15@gmail.com ASAP.
  • hadeel said on April 2, 2013
    hello , i live in alarish , small place in egypt , I want to start a pastry shop , i need to know about this project , location , equipment ,physical plant , marketing, and some idea about how to invent product and service and deal with competitors, i wish to reply to me
  • beri said on April 14, 2013
    hi, I want to start a pastry business and I need to know how to go about it. I live in Mansfield, Tx. I really need help. Thanks.
  • youssef said on June 24, 2013
    how much does a store cost in los angeles or how much can i rent it per month
  • sandy said on June 2, 2014
    I am planning to open a pastry shop in India. Can you please help me the equipment required and investment needed.
  • Anand kumar singh said on November 25, 2014
    I am planning to open a pastry shop in bihar(India). Can you please help me the equipment required and investment needed. I really need help. Regards Anand
  • Ebele said on January 15, 2015
    Planning on opening a pastry shop in Abuja, Nigerian need ideas and strategies.
  • Vicky said on April 25, 2015
    Hi I want to start a pastry shop I need assistance and a two chefs who can prepare, the whole investment manufacturing units also. Please advice or drop a mail if any pastries chef are looking for such opportunity vjotwani25@gmail.com
  • samri said on May 11, 2015
    I would like to open a small pastry shop in addis ababa. I want to know the basic materials I need to open this shop. Thanks.
  • Garba Shaheeda said on June 26, 2015
    Thanks so much for the above, it really helped and I must agree with you, the passion for baking is kinda the foundation. I really love baking, I bake at home for family and friends occasionally, buns, cupcakes, bread, pies, donuts, cookies, I must say its quite challenging and tiring, but because I love doing it, its all worst it. I want an insight on how to startup a pastry shop in Nigeria, any advice please?
  • abiola agosu said on July 4, 2015
    A shop in the university female hostel, Lagos State University, Nigeria.
  • Charline Thomas said on February 8, 2016
    I want to open a sweet shop. I will not make my goods. I want to buy frozen pastries and just bake them and sell them. I buy by the case put in freezer and just bake and sell. I have a shop now. I embroidery but want to get out of this and do pastries. I really think I can do well in my area. I just don't know what I need besides freezer and oven to start. What other equipment do I need? What kind of license do I need.? Can you help me with this?
  • Melissa Garza said on October 25, 2016
    Hi I am wanting to start up a pastry shop. I Want to start small and gradually go bigger. I need all the tips and advice I can get. I will be baking these myself.

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