As we enter the new year, we all like to set goals for ourselves and plan toward the road to a successful year. The bakery industry is a competitive market and business owners planning for success need to consider a variety of factors that will help ensure that the coming year is a profitable one. One major factor that we see a number of bakers do to achieve success in the new year is invest in new bakery equipment. Bakery equipment plays a crucial role in ensuring your bakery thrives in the competitive market by streamlining, simplifying and automating bakery production. The experts at Empire have pooled together their years of industry knowledge and expertise to publish this bakery guide to success in 2025.

Review Your Current Operation

Before deciding on new equipment and other purchases, it is important to evaluate your current setup and layout and determine what works and what could use improvement. Identifying inefficiencies is crucial and will pave a clear path of what needs to be done moving forward. Ask yourself, are your ovens efficient? Are manual tasks hindering your production speed? Having a clear understanding at what needs improvement will allow you to prioritize equipment and other upgrades.

Understand Current Trends

The baking industry is full of ever-changing trends and staying on top of these trends can help your bakery increase profits in the new year. The current trends can also guide you toward the type of bakery equipment that is worth investing in. For example, 2025 is predicted to be a big year for croissants and sourdough breads. Bakeries looking to turn a profit in the new year may look into equipping their shop with a new dough sheeter for croissants and an efficient artisan-quality deck oven for sourdough.

Make Efficiency & Productivity a Priority

In the bakery business, time is money. Adding bakery equipment that will maximize efficiency and minimize downtown will be a game-changer for you in the new year. Some processes that you have been performing manually may actually be hindering your opportunity to sell more products and meet customer demand. For example, hand-piping cookies is a time-consuming and laborious process. Investing in a cookie depositor will not only allow you to produce thousands of cookies per hour, but it will do so with minimal effort and maximum consistency with each cookie. Maybe cookies aren't your bread and butter (pun intended) and you need to produce more bread as efficiently as possible. Well the dividing, weighing and rounding process of bread production can be extremely time-consuming and arduous. However, investing in equipment like Empire dough production equipment can automate these processes and help your bakery turn a profit.

Choose the Right Equipment

The industry is flooded with all types of bakery equipment aimed at helping your businesses increase production and maximum efficiency. However, there are many options, not all ideal for you and your bakery operation. Make sure you are asking the right questions and looking for all of the right features. Bakery equipment is an investment in the growth and success of your bakery. The initial cost may seem steep at times, but the return on investment you will receive as you increase production and reduce fuel and labor costs will provide you peace of mind.

Investing in new bakery equipment for 2025 is more than just a business expense. This is a strategic move to ensure the success of your bakery not just for the new year, but for years to come. By assessing your needs, staying informed on industry trends, and choosing the right tools, you can set your bakery up for success. Start planning today and make 2025 your bakery’s most productive and profitable year yet!