Limited-time offers that help your customers feel special – with products geared for everyday treat occasions – are emerging as the secret ingredient to success in the post-pandemic world.

Panadería La Conchita in Nashville, Tennessee, makes special “giant” conchas with raisins and ground cinnamon inside.

“We like to introduce more to the customer,” explains owner Tito Dominiguez of La Conchita. “If they stop here, they will find everything they need for their party: pinatas, candy and desserts.”

Jonathan Cevantes, who bought the popular longtime Araceli’s Bakery in Lexington, Kentucky, in the spring of 2022, says that marketing is their No. 1 emphasis now to “get the word out to more people” about the delicious and authentic specials available at Aracelli’s.

“We are focusing more on social media to promote our specials,” he says. “We hired a person to help out our social media efforts. We are on Facebook and Instagram, and probably the next big thing is TikTok. Everyone has TikTok these days.”

Product innovation continues to drive limited-time offers in the bakery.

El Hornito Bakery in Nashville plans to introduce more specials in coming months, including opera cake. During holidays, they pull out all the stops with special celebrations including “the biggest rosca in Nashville.”

Nashville store manager Sebastian Flores says that every year on the bakery’s anniversary, Dec. 18, they create a giant rosca in the bakery’s parking lot.

“The last one we made was 77 feet long,” he says. “It is a fun activity for our customers who can hang out and be friendly.”

At El Gran Valle Verde Panadería and Pasteleria in Cincinnati, they already make nearly a dozen flavors of empanadas and are preparing to add another flavor for the fall holidays – pumpkin.

They already make signature tres leches cups that are wildly popular, especially with younger customers. It is almost like a cupcake shake, made with pieces of cupcake with milk. The 32-ounce cupcake shakes come in a variety of flavors: mocha, peach, guava, etc.

And the bakery plans more innovation with the help of BakeMark for valuable technical support.

“BakeMark brings a lot of innovative products and technical expertise,” explains Luis Leon, store manager for El Gran Valle Verde. “BakeMark helps us a lot with quality and consistency and newer ways of baking.”