This year’s National Bakery Day (on Sept. 14) proved a taste of something truly special for America, as independent retail bakeries across the country celebrated with creative promotions, free product giveaways and craveable snacks.

In St. Louis, Pint Size Bakery & Coffee pastry chef and co-owner Christy Augustin stirred up excitement among their loyal fans with a Facebook and Instagram campaign to “come support your local bakery,” as well as free giveaways in the store that included chai zucchini tea breads and a free cake raffle.

Creative Cakes in Tinley Park, Illinois, offered special discounts each day in the lead-up to the event, offering 25% discounts on strawberry items on Tuesday, 25% discounts on chocolate items on Wednesday, and 25% discounts on pumpkin items on Thursday. On National Bakery Day, the shop conducted its popular Golden Ticket promotion, in which five golden tickets in separate dessert boxes award the recipients each a $100 Creative Cakes gift card.

Special thanks go out to sponsors of National Bakery Day, the biggest promotional campaign of the year for the Retail Bakers of America. This year’s sponsors are Ardent Mills, Barry Callebaut, Corbion, Dawn Foods, Flavor Right, General Mills, and Van Leer Chocolate.

It’s the 100th anniversary of the Retail Bakers of America, and the first step to achieving success is to understand that you are not alone. Reach out to the RBA (www.retailbakersofamerica.org) and get involved. Participating bakeries involved in the National Bakery Day promotion received marketing kits that included a box label, window decals, posters, table tents, and counter stands. The professionally designed artwork features impactful slogans such as “Keep Your Dough Local,” reminding customers of the importance of supporting local bakeries.

A number of retail bakery owners across the United States shared substantial success stories on National Bakery Day.

• John Lupo at Grandma’s Bakery in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, reported that sales were up 45% on the day.
• Patti Stobaugh of PattiCakes Bakery in Conway, Arkansas, enjoyed a 33.5% increase in business.  
• Brian Pansari of La Bonbonniere Bake Shoppes, based in Edison, New Jersey, conducted a cupcake special for 50 cents apiece and sold 8,500 cupcakes. “Traffic wise, it was the busiest day since Christmas,” he says.
• Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker officially proclaimed Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, as Bakery Day in the state. The proclamation came about through the efforts of the Wisconsin Bakers Association.

At Bethel Bakery in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, the shop offered a Buttercream Sundae Bar. For $5, guests enjoyed the chance to customize a cup with yellow or chocolate cake, four ounces of buttercream, and toppings like Reese’s, Snickers, Oreos, and more.

National Bakery Day provided an excellent opportunity for bakeries to give back to the community. At New Glarus Bakery in New Glarus, Wisconsin, 10% of sales on Friday, Sept. 14, were donated to help those affected by recent flooding that occurred in Belleville, Wisconsin.

Flour Bakery + Café in Boston sold mini chocolate cupcakes with homemade sprinkles for just $2 each on National Bakery Day. The proceeds from these cupcakes benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, which works to end child hunger in America by ensuring all children get healthy food.