Keynote Address by Ari Weinzweig: Creating a Vision of Greatness

Bakery Finance 101 with Amy Emberling, Zingerman's Bakehouse Managing Partner and Ron Maurer, Former Zingerman's Chief Administrative Officer

In today’s fast-paced business world, financial literacy is a critical strategic skill. Empower yourself and your team with Bakery Finance 101 training designed for bakery leaders. Discover how to decipher financial statements, master budgeting and forecasting, and navigate key financial metrics with confidence. From challenging economic times to boom times, organizations need everybody’s brain actively involved in improving financial results.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

1. Apply the 10 Rules of general finance to your day-to-day work.
2. Identify 3 key financial documents and the basic purpose of each (P&L, Cash Flow, Balance Sheet).
3. Correctly define and calculate Food Cost, Labor Cost, Gross Margin, and Net Operating Profit.
4. Call upon a network of peers to help get past roadblocks. 

Amy Emberling is a Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, a nationally acclaimed artisanal bakery in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The bakery is a member of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses. 

Amy received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in Social Theory and her MBA from Columbia University.  She learned to cook at the Ritz Hotel in Paris and in numerous Michigan restaurants before joining Zingerman's Bakehouse in 1992 when it was formed.

Ron Maurer joined Zingerman's Community of Businesses in 2000 as VP of Administration. He led Zingerman's Service Network, oversaw strategic initiatives, and championed open book management through extensive staff education. He became an equity partner in 2016, and retired as the CAO in 2024. Ron continues to chair the Board of Managers for both Zing IP and the Zingerman's Legacy LLC, supporting the organization's long-term vision and leadership.

Ron earned BS and MBA degrees in Finance and Accounting from Wright State University. Before joining Zingerman’s, he built his career at companies like The Duriron Company, LexisNexis, and KeyBank. 

Menu Design, Optimization & Pricing with Ederique Goudia

This interactive workshop is designed to equip early-stage bakers with essential skills in menu design, optimization, and pricing strategies. Participants will learn how to effectively create menus, optimize their offerings, and implement effective pricing techniques to boost profitability while maintaining customer satisfaction. 

Part 1: Menu Design 

● Developing a cohesive menu concept

● Incorporating seasonal and local ingredients

● Balancing variety and specialization

● Organizing menu sections for maximum impact

● Highlighting unique selling points

● Using descriptive language to enhance perceived value

Part 2: Menu Optimization

● Identifying top sellers and underperforming items

● Understanding product mix and contribution margins

● Utilizing data to make informed decisions

● Optimizing ingredient crossover

● Balancing complexity and efficiency in production

● Managing inventory and reducing waste

● Seasonal menu updates and limited-time offerings

Part 3: Pricing Strategies

● Calculating food cost percentages

● Understanding direct and indirect costs

● Setting profit margin goals

● Implementing food cost percentage pricing

● Utilizing value-based pricing techniques

● Creating loyalty programs and incentives 

Ederique "Chef E" Goudia is a food systems leader and community champion who goes beyond creating delicious dishes to advocate for small businesses, food system sustainability, mental health, and community development. Currently the kitchen manager and business coach for the Shed 5 Incubator Kitchen at Eastern Market, she has also worked extensively with local non-profits, Detroit Food Academy and Make Food Not Waste. Chef E's impactful career has focused on child nutrition, food waste reduction, food security, fair wages, and mental health in the hospitality industry, earning her recognition from prestigious publications and media outlets.

As the founder of In the Business of Food (IBF Detroit) and co-creator of Taste the Diaspora Detroit, Chef E leverages her two decades of experience to empower under-resourced and minority-owned food businesses. Her influence extends to various platforms, including presenting at the Culinary Institute of America and guest lecturing at the University of Michigan. A James Beard Foundation alumna and active board member of several local non-profits, Chef E continues to make significant contributions to the food industry and her community through partnerships with organizations like Eastern Market, ProsperUs Detroit, MI Good Food Fund, and TechTown Detroit.

Join the Good Jobs Institute for an introductory session on how to improve your business performance and employee experience simultaneously by combining an investment in people with operational choices that raise the productivity, contribution and motivation of employees.

We will explore four operational choices – focus and simplify; standardize and empower; cross-train; and operate with slack – that have been proven to lower employee turnover and increase profitability. You will come away from this session with an understanding of why good jobs make good business sense, and learn about the types of changes that other leaders have made to build a good jobs system. 

GJI's interactive education session will include case studies and research on the Good Jobs Strategy framework and group discussions to address pain-points at your business. The session will cover:

1. Business Case for Good Jobs: Discussion of the financial and competitive costs of employee turnover in bakeries
2. The Good Jobs Strategy: Explanation of the framework of operational choices and investments in people that increase employee contribution, motivation, and productivity, and drive value for bakeries. Participants will brainstorm applications of these concepts to their own context.
3. Where Companies Start: Case study examples from others who have transformed their businesses using the GJS. 

GJI Fellow Sandhya Mahadevan will lead the session. 

The Good Jobs Institute (GJI) is a non-profit organization with the mission to help companies thrive by creating good jobs. The framework GJI uses, the Good Jobs Strategy (GJS), leverages smart operational choices and strategic investments in employees to improve frontline team performance and build stronger customer loyalty. GJI supports management teams across industries and sizes to reduce employee turnover, win with customers, and adapt to changing labor and business environments. GJI's approach is based on the work of our President and Co-Founder, Zeynep Ton, a leading operations expert, Professor of the Practice at MIT Sloan, and author of The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits. Since inception in 2017, GJI has worked with over 35 companies and focuses on industries with high numbers of frontline workers, including food service, retail, manufacturing, and call centers. Learn more about GJI here: https://goodjobsinstitute.org/

Choosing your Coffee Partner & Crafting the Best Guest Experience

In this short yet comprehensive course, you’ll learn the art of selecting the right coffee partner for your bakery and designing a menu that seamlessly blends exceptional coffee with your baked goods. From understanding coffee roaster partnerships to creating complementary flavor pairings, this course equips bakery owners, café operators, and hospitality professionals with the tools to craft a standout coffee and bakery experience.

Key Topics Covered:

• Finding the Right Coffee Partner: How to assess potential coffee roasters, understand sourcing practices, cost, quality control and support.

• Coffee Knowledge Basics: Explore roast profiles, brewing methods, and how they pair with different baked goods.

• Menu Development: Learn to design a balanced menu that highlights both your coffee and bakery offerings,

• Seasonal Drinks: Should balance familiar, comforting flavors with fresh, unexpected twists, reflecting the season while aligning with your identity.

• Cost Management: Strategies for pricing your menu to maximize profitability while maintaining quality.

• Design, Equipment and Layout: Designing an efficient and natural layout for both Staff and Guests.

• Customer Experience: Tips on hospitality, staff training, and managing guest flow.

By the end of the course, you’ll have the expertise and confidence to select a coffee partner that aligns with your bakery’s brand, curate coffees tailored to your audience, and thoughtfully design both your beverage offerings and operational workflow for maximum impact.

Evan DeVries, Operations Specialist | Extraction Savant | Culinary Expert with La Colombe

Evan DeVries is a Swiss Army knife of the restaurant and café industry with 20+ years of experience. He has a strong foundation in culinary arts and baking paired with expertise in operations, space design, and staff training. At La Colombe, Evan combines a passion for craft with a strategic mindset, driving operational excellence, mentoring teams, and designing spaces that are both functional and welcoming.

With years of hands-on experience in the kitchen and front-of-house, Evan understands the intricacies of running a seamless operation while delivering exceptional quality. Whether it’s optimizing workflows, perfecting recipes, or curating menus, Evan brings a holistic approach that integrates culinary expertise with innovative problem-solving.