How to Automate Your Bakery’s Weekly Orders with a Mobile App

TLDR

Running a bakery is busy work. Between baking fresh goods, managing staff, and serving customers, handling weekly orders can easily become overwhelming. Many bakery owners still rely on calls, texts, or spreadsheets to keep track of regular orders, which leads to missed details, last-minute changes, or unnecessary stress.

With the right tools, bakeries can automate their weekly order process, making it easier to stay organized, save time, and serve customers better. Per Diem is designed specifically for food businesses and offers features that help you manage orders without the usual back-and-forth.

In this blog, we’ll show you why automating your weekly bakery orders makes sense, what features to look for in an app, and how bakeries like Barrio Bagel and Slice are already using technology to streamline their operations.

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The Importance of Bakery Order Automation

Streamlining Administrative Tasks

For many bakeries, handling orders is still a manual process. Whether it’s collecting requests through texts, emails, or phone calls, the process can quickly become disorganized. A good order management system helps reduce the time spent on these routine tasks by keeping everything in one place. Orders are automatically logged, updated in real time, and accessible when you need them. This helps reduce mistakes and gives your staff more time to focus on production and service.

Improving Production Consistency and Efficiency

When orders are tracked properly, planning production becomes more reliable. Bakers can prepare the right quantity of products at the right time, avoiding last-minute rushes or shortages. Automation also lowers the risk of missing items or misreading handwritten notes. The result is a more stable, consistent workflow that supports both quality and timing.

Supporting Inventory Control and Reducing Waste

Knowing what’s coming in and going out each week helps bakeries make smarter inventory decisions. With better order tracking, it becomes easier to estimate how much raw material is needed, what products sell regularly, and where adjustments are needed. This can lead to fewer leftovers, less spoilage, and more accurate ordering from suppliers, helping reduce waste and save on costs.

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Features of a Good Mobile App for Bakery Business: Per Diem

Seamless Integration with Your POS

A critical feature of the Per Diem app is its seamless integration with Square POS, which simplifies the bakery order management so much. By synchronizing with Square, your team can easily automate orders, ensuring accurate sales tracking and efficient operations. This integration enhances the overall customer experience by minimizing errors and reducing wait times, allowing your staff to focus on delivering quality products and services.

Customization with No-Code App Builder

Per Diem’s no-code app builder technology empowers you to customize and publish your bakery apps without needing extensive technical skills. This feature allows you to tailor the app to your specific needs, keeping it aligned with your brand identity. Whether you focus on visual aesthetics or functional elements, the no-code builder lets you create a unique mobile app for bakery operations, enhancing your interaction with customers and improving efficiency.

Flexible Payment Options

Customers today are used to fast, flexible payment options when they shop online. Many prefer to use tools like Apple Pay or Google Pay because they’re quick, familiar, and secure. When your store offers these options, it removes extra steps and makes the ordering process more convenient.

Supporting multiple payment types within the app helps your business meet customers where they are. It ensures a smoother checkout experience and reduces drop-off at the final stage of an order. This small shift in how payments are handled can have a big impact on customer satisfaction, and it signals that your bakery values ease and accessibility in every part of the service.

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How Barrio Bagel and Slice Uses Per Diem for Order Management

Barrio Bagel & Slice, owned by James Beard Award winner Don Guerra, is a bakery and restaurant located in Gilbert, Arizona. The business focuses on crafting authentic, artisan-style bagels, breads, and pizzas using locally sourced ingredients. Known for its variety of bagel sandwiches, Italian subs, and seasonal specialties, the shop serves both everyday customers and wholesale partners.

Instead of sticking with spreadsheets, phone calls, and sticky notes, they turned to a mobile app that gives them more control while making life easier for their customers. Here’s how they’re using it in ways that you might find useful too.

1. Making Use of Presell Features for Better Planning

One of the features they use regularly is the presell tool, and honestly, it’s made a big difference for them. They use it in two ways.

First, they schedule one-time presales for limited or seasonal items. Let’s say they’re rolling out a special bagel flavor or doing a weekend pizza batch—they can post it ahead of time and let customers reserve what they want before it’s available in-store. This helps them get a clear sense of demand in advance, so they’re not overproducing or turning people away.

But what’s even more helpful is the recurring presell feature. This lets customers choose their go-to staples like a dozen bagels or a loaf of sourdough, and lock in a weekly order. Whether it's for delivery or pickup, that order repeats automatically. From the customer’s side, it saves them time and guarantees they don’t miss out. From the bakery’s side, it gives a clearer picture of what to bake and how much to prep. It’s a simple system that keeps things predictable, both for production and for regulars who count on having their favorites ready every week.

2. Keeping Customers in the Loop with Order Updates

Another big win for them has been the way they use automatic order updates and push notifications. If you’ve ever had a morning where three people call asking if their order is ready, you’ll get why this matters.

Now, once an order is placed, customers automatically get updates as it moves through the process. They’re notified when it’s confirmed, when it’s in progress, and when it’s ready for pickup. It cuts down on confusion and makes the whole experience smoother.

They also use the app to schedule notifications in advance—like a heads-up that a customer’s standing order is ready tomorrow, or a quick message about a holiday schedule. These little reminders reduce the need for manual check-ins and help customers stay organized, too. It’s an easy way to keep communication clear without needing to handle it all manually.

3. Using In-App Banners to Communicate Quickly and Clearly

They’ve also taken advantage of a small but effective feature: app banners. These are simple messages that show up at the top of the app when customers log in—and they’re great for quick updates.

If the shop’s having a busy morning, they’ll post a banner about potential longer wait times. If there’s a new item launching, they’ll announce it there so customers don’t miss it. They also use banners to remind people about reward programs or upcoming order deadlines.

It’s a clean way to communicate with everyone without flooding people’s inboxes or needing to explain things at the counter over and over. Customers appreciate knowing what to expect before they arrive.

It’s always easier to understand once you see it in action. Feel free to book a free demo.

Final Thoughts

Technology may not change what you bake, but it can change how smoothly each day runs. When your orders are organized, your customers stay informed, and your team isn’t chasing updates, your focus shifts back to the kitchen, where it belongs. For bakeries like Barrio Bagel & Slice, using a mobile app has meant fewer mix-ups, easier planning, and a better rhythm to the workweek. It’s not about doing something flashy. It’s about making the things you already do a little easier, every day.

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