KANSAS CITY, MO — Once every four years, the country starts a new chapter. While bakeries across the country find ways to get in on the action, such as offering election-themed products, retail storefronts in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area prepare for the floods of people that attend to mark the occasion.
According to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for Washington, DC, presidential inaugurations generate an average of $3.05 million in additional sales tax revenue. For local businesses such as retail bakeries, the influx in foot traffic offers an opportunity to drum up sales and showcase their menu items.
For example, Georgetown Cupcake offered an Inauguration Dozen in 2021, which included assorted cupcake flavors topped with emblems related to the event including the American flag, White House and presidential seal. In previous inaugurations, Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken in Falls Church, VA, created specialty products themed around the president-elect, such as the vanilla chocolate chip donut topped with a mini ice cream cone inspired by President Joe Biden’s affection for the frozen dessert.
Just a mile shy of Capitol Hill, Sweet Crimes Bakery, one of the only gluten-free retail bakeries in the metro, will be near the nexus of the 2025 inauguration event.
While Sweet Crimes has been in operation since 2016, the bakery opened its storefront three years ago, narrowly missing the 2021 presidential inauguration. Given this and the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming historic event will offer the bakery some new sales insights and also bolster sales in Q1.
“What we would want to do is gear up our to-go boxes because people are going to be standing out there, and some people might be protesting” said Keri Lijinsky, owner of Sweet Crimes Bakery. “Whatever it is that people are doing, we’re making sure that we have safe food for them to eat.”
Some small businesses like Sweet Crimes are facing these crowds for the first time, but others have the inside knowledge of how this influx of traffic will impact their business. This includes Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe in Arlington, VA, a full-line European bakery and deli that has been around since 1975.
“We do see an increase of customers ordering breakfast pastries and catering orders for lunch if locals are watching from home and might have guests staying with them,” said Carla Buchler, owner of Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe. “We also do see some customers who come in very early on their way downtown to get coffee and breakfast. Usually these are people who are staying in local area hotels.”
Encouraging locals and visitors alike offers the best opportunity to help bakeries prepare for this event in advance.
“It always helps us to have that preorder information ahead of time if we can get that information on the website and advertise it,” Keri said.
The timing of the swearing in ceremony, traditionally held in the middle of the day, has influenced foot traffic from local customers in years past.
“Then for those locals who do not go downtown, we might see an increase in traffic in the afternoon since usually the local schools have that day off and people who work downtown have the option to take flex time or work from home that day,” Carla continued.
With the inauguration just a few months away, bakeries are forging ahead on holiday baking and keeping the historical event top of mind.
“The holidays are upon us, and it’s all we can do to get to the next day and survive; that’s how busy it is,” Keri shared. “We’ll take a deep breath in early January and then plan for the inauguration.
