Bakers Delight has opened its newest bakery at Camberwell Place in Victoria, unveiling a small footprint bakery model.
The new model marks the brand’s first step towards expanding from 520 bakeries to 700 by 2030.
David Christie, joint CEO at Bakers Delight, told Franchise Executives the reimagined store format aims to overcome some of the barriers to entry: the square meterage required for both retail and production on-site, and access to 3-phase power.
“We think we’ve solved that with this new store format,” Christie said.
Bakers Delight’s new format delivers operational efficiencies and reduced upfront and running costs.
The model features a compact production area of just 38m², made possible by innovative equipment and layout changes. The Metro Oven is a 1m-wide rack oven with self-condensing hood, eliminating the need for costly exhaust systems. It also has reduced power requirements.
Christie said the store has a simplified product range of 54 items, which two bakers can manage.
New Bakers Delight small footprint store includes innovations
The store is also showcasing further innovations.
“We are trialling self-serve coffee. A lot of our morning customers come in for a quick, well-priced snack, and this is an opportunity for them to get their caffeine hit as well,” Christie said.
In a further nod to convenience, the Camberwell store introduces a hot cabinet to allow consumers to purchase heated snack foods throughout the day.
The new store features a dedicated third-party pick-up zone, and new signage with a “breaducation” installation.
Christie said the corporate-owned Camberwell Place store will run for six to 12 months as proof of concept “to iron out all the kinks”.
“This new model is a game-changer for our network,” Christie said. “We see this as a good opportunity for franchisees to get a smaller footprint, lower cost store, and a way for our existing franchisees to expand.”
