Online Ordering is Key Ingredient in Good Cakes and Bakes’ Resilience During Pandemic
In the latest episode of Essential Cooking, April Anderson of Good Cakes and Bakes joins Ann Delisi and Chef James Rigato to talk about her big break on “The Today Show” in 2019, and how that experience set them up for success when the pandemic hit.
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Good Cakes and Bakes on the Avenue of Fashion is a must-visit bakery for Detroiters.
After the bakery’s establishment in 2013, the business owned by April Anderson and Michelle Anderson quickly become a Detroit staple.
The bakery’s delectable offerings have led to a handful of high-profile appearances, awards and recognition, including April Anderson once baking for Oprah Winfrey, and being the pastry chef for the 2018 James Beard Media Awards.
But their biggest break came in May 2019 when April Anderson and her mother, Shirley Madison, appeared on The Today Show to share their recipe for Lemon Velvet Cake.
Within seven hours, Good Cakes and Bakes received more than 800 orders.
“We lost a lot of money trying to figure that out,” says April Anderson. But they did and learned how to ship entire cakes across the country.
That learning curve proved especially helpful when the pandemic hit in 2020. Anderson says the online portion of the business was around 10% of revenue pre-pandemic.
As in-person eating restrictions were put in place across the state, online orders accounted for anywhere from 60 to 80% of revenue where they remain today.
- Getting 800 orders in 7 hours after appearing on The Today Show
- Learning how to ship cakes across the country
- The business’ sizable increase in online sales during COVID-19
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