Charge for Cake Tastings: Yes or No?

Charge for Cake Tastings to Not?

One of the most common struggles cake business owners face is whether or not they should charge for tastings. As a cake business owner, this is one thing that I have struggled with over the years and I have gone between charging and not charging,and back again, for various reasons.

This is the business of baking and you will find there is no one perfect solution. Charging for cake tastings is something that you will need to experiment with so you can find out which method works best for you and your business.

Below you will find three common options when managing cake tastings for your business.

Charging for Cake Tastings

• Option A – Charging for a cake consultation and tasting. This scenario works well because you are compensating for the cost, time, and effort you are putting into preparing for the tasting.

Free Cake Tastings are not Always the Better Option

• Option B – Not charging for the tasting. This method will keep your calendar booked because who doesn’t love free cake?!

• The problem with offering free consultations is that you will see many people that are just going around the cake circuit and never intending to place an order. You will also see clients who are not ready to place an order “at this time”.  

Open House Cake Tastings Offer More Bang For Your Buck

• Option C – Open House Model. The open house model is similar to wedding venue open houses or bridal events, but at your own location/office, and more structured.
• This option depends on the rules and regulations for having clients on the premises, especially if you are operating as a cottage food business.

Open houses work well because anyone can come in for a free tasting, which is set at a specific date and time 1-2 times a month, as long as they RSVP and confirm their reservation.

Sample Cake Tasting Boxes Save Time on the Prep Work

• Option D – Charge for a sample box. By charging for a sample box or platter, you are ensuring that you get paid for your time and effort. Regardless of the event, everyone follows the same process for samples.
• This scenario keeps everything simple and straightforward. It’s best if you determine what flavors go into the sample box, versus letting the client decide.

Now you can see why there is always a struggle when deciding what to do. There are multiple options and none of them are right for everyone. Try them out for yourself to see what works best for you and your cake business.

How do you manage your tastings? Let us know in the comments below.

Until next time!

Alana