KANSAS CITY, MO — With an average of 17.9 million viewers for each NFL regular-season game, retail bakeries have an easy route for their products to reach devoted — albeit conveniently located — fans, with some even reaching those outside of the city with nationwide shipping.
According to a recent study conducted by Conviva, 57% of consumers said they watch the games at a hosted party. These gatherings are prime opportunities for bakeries to sell a variety of pre-ordered baked goods. For bakeries looking to spice up their menus and increase foot traffic, tapping into the community pride for local NFL teams is a surefire strategy.
Here’s how a few bakeries capitalize on their city’s fandom.
Pittsburgh, PA
Bethel Bakery
This bakery used the Pittsburgh Steelers’ iconic rally towel — known as the “terrible towel” — to inspire its cookie lineup. Acknowledging that the towel is a staple for Steelers fans on game days, Bethel Bakery entices Pittsburgh customers with officially licensed iced shortbread Terrible Towel cookies.
Bethel’s also leveraged the team’s status as one of only two NFL teams to have the most Superbowl wins to create a 24-cupcake cake in the shape of a Steelers-themed Lombardi trophy, complete with yellow and chrome-colored icing.
Other menu nods to the team include novelty football-shaped cakes, a Steelers Game Day Platter featuring an 8-inch single-layer cake decorated with Terrible Towel cookies, and 12 assorted chocolate cupcakes with French buttercream and chocolate fudge.
Prantl’s Bakery
Known for its original Burnt Almond Torte, a sweet yellow cake separated with layers of custard and topped with buttercream and toasted almonds, Prantl’s Bakery incorporated the popularity of the “terrible towel” and crafted an altered version, the Terrible Torte.
The Steelers-themed treat features layers of torte cake, vanilla pastry cream and signature buttercream, topped with toasted almonds and black and yellow sprinkles.
To meet the needs of Steelers fans heading to the stadium to watch the game, the bakery offers a miniature version called the Terrible Walking Torte, which comes in a single-serving cup with a lid.
Philadelphia
Conshohocken Italian Bakery
East of Pittsburgh, this Philly bakery specializes in Italian breads, rolls, buns and, most notably, authentic tomato pies.
The Famous Conshy Bakery Tomato Pie is a Conshohocken Italian Bakery menu staple that’s named after the borough’s colloquial nickname “Conshy.” It features a baked sheet of dough layered with house-made tomato sauce and topped with cheese, garlic powder and oil. The bakery customizes each pie with cheese-topping stencils.
The bakery utilizes the stencils to tailor its pies to Eagles fans looking for savory game-day eats. The stencils are available in several designs, from the classic Eagles logo to quarterback Jalen Hurts to bolded text, “It’s a Philly Thing.”
For Eagles fans wanting sweet treats, the bakery offers cannoli hand-dipped in chocolate icing with the team’s green and white colors; zeppole (Italian pastry donuts) decorated and shaped like a football; and seasonal ricotta cookies stuffed with Nutella and adorned with green and white sprinkles.
Clay’s Bakery
Specializing in custom cakes, cookies and cupcakes, this Philadelphia bakery sells decorated iced sugar cookies in bulk for Eagles watch parties and tailgates.
The cookie decorations range from Eagles players’ faces, the infamous “Philly Special” play blueprint that won them Superbowl LII, and team flags.
Clay’s also offers layered cakes with footballs, jerseys, yard lines, logos and the notable Philly tagline “Fly Eagles Fly” in an assortment of flavors, including Yellow Lemon, Red Velvet, Carrot Cake and Pumpkin Spice.
The bakery sells hundreds of its themed goodies during the regular season, with orders reaching the thousands during playoffs.
Kansas City, MO
McLain’s Bakery
It’s no surprise Kansas City bakeries are playing up the buzz surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs thanks to Taylor Swift and the team’s back-to-back Superbowl wins, but McLain’s Bakery moves the needle on innovation, springing into action during NFL season and customizing its bakery cases for Chiefs fans.
McLain’s offers specially decorated cakes, cupcakes and cookies within the Chiefs motif. Available for watch parties, the bakery offers a set of a dozen cupcakes decorated with yellow and red icing and available in numerous flavors, including Red Velvet, Apple Cider, Snickerdoodle and Coconut, and a set of Royal iced cookies decorated with quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ silhouette.
Leaning into pop culture, the bakery also created Taylor Swift-specific goodies, including “In My Chiefs Era” iced cookies and a TNT Cake featuring Taylor and Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce’s hearted hands.
McLain’s also kept its Andy Reid-inspired cake from last season on this year’s menu, a nod to when the head coach’s mustache froze in the freezing temps of a playoff game.
The bakery recognizes that football season has practically turned into a city-wide celebration, which is why the marketing team and cake decorators at McLain’s get together at the start of every season to collaborate on fresh, eccentric designs for its yearly Chiefs-themed menu.
To boost foot traffic and sales, McLain’s also offers Chiefs cookie decorating classes for customers who like their watch party treats to be homemade.
Dolce Bakery
This KC bakery also leans into the enthusiasm of Chiefs fans by offering customized cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cookie cakes, cinnamon rolls, cookie sandwiches and gluten-free cakes.
Within its Chiefs collection, the bakery offers an assortment of design options, including faces of iconic players, popular jersey numbers, team flags and Taylor Swift references.
Dolce also created a sugar cookie kit, complete with yellow, red and white icing and sprinkles for customers looking to put a personal stamp on their watch party goodies.
The upcoming 2024-2025 NFL season is a prime opportunity for retail bakeries looking to rejuvenate their menus. By embracing the current trends and team fandom and tailoring them with a unique touch, bakeries can find new ways to reach new customers.
