Don’t lose this the next time you’re evaluating tools
Get a cleaner, more detailed version of this list sent to your inbox, so you can make decisions faster when it’s time.
No spam. Just the guide + a few useful follow-ups for bakery and coffee shop owners.
POS Systems
These are your “don’t function without it” tools.
Cloud-Based POS (retail checkout, online orders, reporting, customer data):
Square
Toast
Clover
What to prioritize:
Fast checkout
Menu flexibility (seasonal + daily changes)
Pre-orders + online ordering
Reporting tied to production (not just sales)
Built-in customer data + loyalty
Website & Ordering
This is your digital storefront. Here are some platforms built for food businesses:
Cloud-based POS tools offer website builders
(Square / Toast)
BentoBox
Popmenu
Owner
General website builders (requires web developers for set-up and ongoing support):
Squarespace
Wix
Ordering and loyalty platforms that sit on top of your POS:
Craver
Try Diem
Cottage/homebakers have different needs than retail storefronts. These tools double as website and ordering platforms:
Hotplate
Bakesy
My Custom Bakes
What matters most:
Menu clarity (not over-designed or PDF-heavy)
Visuals of food, drinks, staff, and shop
Fast mobile experience
Easy ordering access (retail and catering)
FAQs and ways to get in touch
Online Presence & Local Discovery
Get found and get chosen online. This is where most bakeries underinvest.
Listings + Menu Management:
Marqii
Local SEO Education / Updates:
Local Search Ranking Factors Report (by Whitespark)
Why this category matters:
Controls how you appear in Google Maps + AI search
Ensures menu accuracy (huge decision driver)
Impacts AI-powered “Know Before You Go” results
Customer Communication & Retention
Keep your brand top-of-mind with retail and catering customers.
Email Marketing:
Mailchimp
Constant Contact
POS-native email tools (Square / Toast)
SMS + Guest Feedback + Experience:
Ovation: feedback + experience + review funneling
POS-native text messaging tools (Square / Toast)
Reviews + Reputation
Monitor reviews through listings like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Tripadvisor, Bing Places, ezCater, third-party delivery tools, and even Reddit. These tools make it easier to analyze and respond at scale:
Ovation
Marqii
Birdeye
Catering & Events
Marketplaces (lead generation):
ezCater
Sales + CRM + Event Management:
Caterease
CaterZen
TripleSeat
Proposal / Client Experience Tools:
Curate
Design & Editing Apps
Canva
GoDaddy Studio (formerly Over)
Lightroom
Nano Banana
Packaging & Signage
For custom stickers, stamps, coffee sleeves, bags, boxes, and more:
Arka
Noissue
Stamp My Mark
Stamp Prints
StickerGiant
The Boxery
Georgette Packaging
For more economical, non-customized packaging, try ULINE, Webstaurant, or even an Amazon Business account.
AI Tools
These LLMs are great for brainstorming, strategy, analysis, and copywriting. Do not use these tools for food image generation.
ChatGPT
Gemini
Claude
Bonus resource:
Podcasts
Baking for Business (Amanda Schonberg)
Baking It Down (Sugar Cookie Marketing)
Digital Hospitality (Shawn Walchef)
The Forrager Podcast for Cottage Food Businesses (David Crabill)
Full Comp (Josh Kopel)
The Hospitality Hangout (Michael Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling)
Give an Ovation (Zach Oates)
Kitchen Notes (Bakery Business Academy)
Local Update (Whitespark)
The Meez Podcast (Josh Sharkey)
Restaurant Technology Guys (Jeremy Julian)
Restaurant Strategy (Chip Klose)
Restaurant Marketing Podcast (Rev Ciancio)
Restaurant Unstoppable (Eric Cacciatore)
Radio Cherry Bombe (Kerry Diamond)
Running Restaurants (Jaime Oikle)
She’s My Cherry Pie (Jessie Sheehan)
Smart Pizza Marketing (Bruce Irving)
Things Bakers Know (King Arthur)
Books
My favorite books for mindset and strategy, not recipes:
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
Restaurant Marketing Strategy by Chip Klose
Delivering the Digital Restaurant by Carl Osborn + Meredith Sandland
This Is Marketing by Simon Sinek
Unsliced by Mike Bausch
Your Restaurant Sucks by Donald Burns
Community, Mentorship & Industry Groups
SCORE for free business mentorship
Your local Chamber of Commerce
Miscellaneous
Dough Dissolve Soap (for grease/odor removal)