Company: Wildflour Bakery & Cafe

Base of Operations: Southern New Jersey – Lawrenceville, NJ

Website: https://www.wildflourbakery-cafe.com/

Industry: Hospitality / Restaurant / Alternative Diet

Key Challenges:

• A 7-year-old business looking to make a marketing push in order to grow to a new level of customer awareness in NJ Restaurant Industry
• Keeping steady sales & customer flow in brick & mortar location while also fostering growth in catering sales
• Pushing sales of event space and tickets to events
• Being fully recognized as the go-to place for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan food that is fresh and delicious.
• Keeping consistent messaging to customers while also creating a unique voice for the café

Implementation Highlights:

• Established catering service(s) as necessary for variety of clients with different dietary needs—marketing to businesses & individuals
• Published brand-new website
• Increased communication to customer base through social media and email marketing
• Attended a social media “Best Practices” training with 20 Lemons
• Aligned with companies / business partners who share common values

Key Benefits:

• Established Wildflour as the “Gluten-Free and Delicious” food / catering provider in South Jersey
• Established brand and voice online through social media and email campaign marketing
• Hired employees with skin in the game to develop the team that will take the bakery to the next level
• Word-of-mouth and digital exposure increased
• Increased customer attention to variety of goods and services Wildflour offers

The Story Begins

Seven years ago, Wildflour Bakery opened in Lawrenceville, NJ. Owner, Marilyn Besner understood the growing need for alternative restaurants to cater to gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets. At the same time, Besner also understood the stigma around the businesses catering to alternative diets. Many people automatically assume that alternative food options are not as tasty as food yielded from traditional cooking methods. As a result, Marilyn Besner coined the phrase, “Gluten-Free and Delicious,” for Wildflour Bakery and Café. Besner came to the table with an original idea ahead of the alternative diet trend. Since Wildflour’s inception, the alternative food market has exploded. Wildflour focuses on exquisite, gluten-free and vegan baked goods, as well as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free breakfast and lunch options. The baking/cooking processes have been refined and the delicious output has been proven. In the business’s seventh year, Besner has goals to share her creations with a larger audience—cue 20 Lemons marketing guidance.

Following the Recipe for a Perfect (Gluten-Free) Marketing Plan

“We’re ready to step up,” said Besner. “We have been establishing ourselves with a reputation after seven years in business. We can take on more orders and produce more.”

Besner has established a dedicated following at her brick-and-mortar location on the corner of Main Street and Gordon Avenue in Lawrenceville, NJ. Her customers have spread news of the Bakery and Café via word-of-mouth reviews—creating a consistent flow of in-store purchases. Besner intends to supplement her storefront sales by growing interest in her catering program.

“[Catering] has been something [20 Lemons] has been helping us with. I think it is something that is picking up,” said Besner. “Most recently, we did [corporate catering for] an anniversary meeting for the Watershed Institute. It was nice to align with them because they’re a non-profit that is interested in environment—they like us because we are vegetarian and vegan.”

20 Lemons was able to help Wildflour create an effective message to why an individual or business would need to utilize a catering service like that of Wildflour’s. The 20 Lemons team crafted a message which rationalized Besner’s service:

Many businesses hit a roadblock when it comes to catering an event or simply ordering lunch for the office. Until now, there has not been an easy way to account for employees who are Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, all of the above, or none of the above.

The chefs at Wildflour look forward to providing an all-inclusive, sustainable, and delicious meal that everyone can share and enjoy—regardless of dietary restrictions.

Developing different arenas in which to conduct business has been quite fruitful for Besner and the Wildflour team. Besner and the 20 Lemons crew have successfully collaborated to promote the sale of catering and events. Throughout the entire process, 20 Lemons marketing strategists have ensured the message is delivered via Facebook, Linked In, Email Campaigns, and direct correspondence with Wildflour’s clients.

“Our place is a great location for small parties. So, we are encouraging that—our private dining room for lunch meetings, special events,” explained Besner. “We sold tickets and hosted a nutrition class last night.”

The marketing push will continue as Besner and her team at Wildflour look toward the end of Summer and onward to the Fall season. This change will allow the bakery and café to sell their products and services in new ways—farmer’s markets being first and foremost. 20 Lemons will design and outfit Wildflour’s team with marketing collateral like a branded tent, table cover, etc. What’s more, the marketing advisors will distribute news of Wildflour’s farmer’s market presence with each event that is added to the schedule.

“Our target is that we want to be recognized as the go-to place for gluten-free food that is fresh and delicious,” said Besner. “We’ll be trying to get out there and into farmers markets. Turkey Trot for the Celiac Disease Foundation is a big one for us in November.”