How do I know how much to bake each day?

The best way is to look at what actually sold on the same day of the week in recent weeks. Tuesdays sell differently than Saturdays, so a single daily average doesn't help. CafeKit connects to your Square POS and shows you sales per item, broken down by day of the week, so you can see that Tuesdays you sell 18 sourdough loaves but Saturdays you sell 35. Add your preorders on top, and you have your production number.

Can I plan differently for each day of the week?

Yes. CafeKit shows you how each item sells on each day of the week based on your actual Square sales data. You'll see that croissants sell twice as many on Saturdays as Tuesdays, or that sourdough picks up on Fridays. Your production plan reflects the day you're planning for, not just an overall average.

How do bakeries track waste?

Most small bakeries track waste informally — mentally noting what got tossed or counting end-of-day leftovers. Some use spreadsheets. The more effective approach is to prevent waste upstream by planning production more accurately. CafeKit helps by showing you what actually sold so you can bake closer to the right amount. We're also building shelf-life tracking to help you see what's approaching its sell-by date.

Does this work with Square POS?

Yes. CafeKit is built specifically for bakeries using Square. It connects directly to your Square account, syncs your orders and sales data, and gives you production planning tools that Square doesn't have. You keep using Square for everything you use it for today — CafeKit just adds production planning on top.

For Bakeries

Stop Throwing Away Bread

How to Bake the Right Amount Every Day

You bake 30 loaves. You sell 22. The rest go in the bin. What if you could see exactly how many of each item sells on each day of the week — so you bake closer to the right amount?

Sound Familiar?

Why Bakeries Overproduce

You're guessing

Without easy access to what actually sold, you rely on gut feel. Sometimes you're close. Sometimes 8 loaves go in the bin.

Every day is different

Mondays sell differently than Saturdays. But you're making the same amount because there's no easy way to see the difference. Holiday weeks throw everything off even more.

Short shelf life leaves no margin

Bread lasts 2 days. Pastries maybe 1. There's no room for "just in case" the way a retail store can absorb overstock. What you don't sell today is waste tomorrow.

You'd rather waste than disappoint

Running out means turning customers away. So you overproduce as insurance. The cost of waste feels smaller than the cost of losing a sale — but it adds up fast.

What Most Bakers Do Today

Bake the same amount every day and hope for the best

Keep a mental note of what sold out versus what got tossed

Maybe check Square sales reports, but no way to turn that into "how many should I make tomorrow"

A Better Way

Let Your Sales Data Tell You What to Bake

CafeKit connects to Square and shows you what actually sold — by item, by day of the week, by location.

Guessing (same amount every day):

Sourdough: 25 every day

Tuesday: sold 18 → 7 wasted

Saturday: sold 35 → ran out by noon

With CafeKit (plan by day):

Tuesday: Sourdough 18

Wednesday: Sourdough 20

Saturday: Sourdough 35

Based on what actually sold last week

See what sold on each day of the week

Tuesdays you sell 18 sourdough loaves. Saturdays you sell 35. CafeKit shows you the pattern so you can plan each day separately.

Add preorders to your production plan

See your preorder totals alongside walk-in sales patterns. No more counting preorders by hand — they're already included in your production list.

Adjust for slow and busy days

Your Tuesday plan uses Tuesday sales numbers, not a weekly average. Bake more on the days people actually buy, less on the days they don't.

Coming Soon

Shelf-Life Tracking

We're building shelf-life tracking into CafeKit so you can see what's approaching its sell-by date and factor that into tomorrow's bake. Baked 30 loaves yesterday and sold 22? CafeKit will show you those 8 remaining loaves and their shelf life — so you know to bake fewer today.

Bake the Right Amount, Every Day

Stop guessing. CafeKit shows you what actually sells — by item, by day — so you can plan your production around real numbers.

Free early access. No credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about reducing bakery waste.