KANSAS CITY, MO — As the world gears up for the 2024 Paris Olympics, retail bakers across the US are crafting themed offerings that showcase their creativity to attract customers and increase sales.
Baked goods that reflect current events can give the bottom line a lift and help grow a social media audience, especially among Gen Zers who are on the lookout for creative products.
A visit to a bakery is about more than just satisfying hunger cravings — it’s a whimsical opportunity for customers to experience the heart of a baking business. While some retail stores are filling their bakery cases with Olympic motifs, others are drawing inspiration from the Paris location.
Here are a few ideas for bakeries looking for their own ways to incorporate Olympic-themed baked goods into their menus.
Sweet Stacy’s
With the tagline, “Southern flair meets Southern Florida,” Sweet Stacy’s owner Stacy Paret creates bakery items inspired by the flavors of her Georgia roots in her West Palm Beach retail location.
Stacy proved personal connections can influence product opportunities when a repeat client prompted her to create a layered cake covered in Olympic rings and topped with an American flag.
“The story behind this cake is that it was for a long-time client whose husband had a birthday during the summer Olympic time,” Stacy shared. “What made this special is that his son was competing in the swimming Olympic trials. He coached his son through high school — and through his cancer diagnosis — and they made it to that point together, which is nothing short of amazing.”
Sweet Stacy’s became a staple in the community as she maintained personal connections with each client.
“That’s the fun of this job — we can help celebrate some of life’s best moments,” Stacy said.
Photo courtesy of Sweet Stacy’s.
Deerfields Bakery
This retail bakery specializes in a wide assortment of baked goods, from custom donuts to fresh pastries to artisanal breads.
To celebrate the 2024 Olympic games, Deerfields Bakery owner Adriene Phillips created a festive lineup that includes cookie cakes, cupcakes, sugar cookies and buttercream-frosted, three-layered cakes. The variety capitalizes on the bakery’s signature dessert offerings yet adds gaming flair to attract customers.
Key ornamental elements include USA gold medal embellishments, ring-shaped, color-coded icing, and Olympic torch and American flag decorations.
“We love being a part of life’s special moments,” Adriene shared. “Putting a smile on someone’s face with sweet creations is an amazing way to do that.”
Photos courtesy of Deerfields Bakery.
Krispy Kreme
The iconic donut creator introduced its Olympics lineup, inspired by classic Parisian desserts, in its “Passport to Paris” collection.
Krispy Kreme aimed to provide consumers with access to culturally significant flavors — without the additional expenses of airfare. By giving the collection a catchy name and including Parisian-themed donuts, the brand invited customers to be “transported” to the event.
“Most people can’t be in Paris to cheer on their country’s team,” said Dave Skena, global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme. “We’re giving them a ‘Passport to Paris’ in the form of delicious donuts with Parisian dessert flavors.”
Donuts in the French-themed dessert box include Creme Brulee, Double Chocolate Eclair, and Raspberry and Vanilla Creme.
Photo courtesy of Krispy Kreme.
Bonjour Bakehouse
Bakery owners Francois Bernaudin and Ingrid Sarlandie both hail from France. Ingrid was born and raised in Paris, making the 2024 Olympics a prime opportunity to create authentic offerings that showcased her roots.
“As a bakery with two French owners, when we saw that the Olympics were going to be in Paris, we knew we had to create something to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime occasion,” said Francois, head pastry chef. “My goal was to create something that honored the spirit of the Paris Olympics by using my sugar cookie recipe. They’re made with high-quality ingredients, like local butter, and crafted using French techniques to elevate this nostalgic classic — and they’ve been a big hit!”
Bonjour Bakehouse’s exclusive Paris Olympic Games Assorted Cookies collection features sprinkled cookies representing the five Olympic rings and Eiffel Tower-shaped shortbread cookies adorned with French flag colors.
Of the Olympic cookie proceeds, 20% will go to SolMateo, a local organization dedicated to mental health awareness, to support its volunteer work and raise money and awareness for mental health issues in the community.
Photo by Nadia Andreini.
Laduree
As an official licensee of the Paris 2024 Games, Laduree is set to showcase its French pastry-making expertise to worldwide visitors. Its Olympic-themed products will only be available in France.
Two new macaron flavors join the bakery’s signature macarons in this limited-edition offering, available in 12-, 18-, and 28-count gift boxes. Macaron flavors include lemon, pistachio, strawberry, rose, vanilla, chocolate and the classic Marie-Antoinette (black tea and citrus).
Laduree also debuted special-edition packaging for each box, combining the traditional brand colors with the gold motif and Olympic Phryge mascot of Paris 2024.
This lineup recreated these classic consumer favorites and added an exclusive new bakery item: the Olympic Mango Cardamom tart. This product is made with sweet pastry, covered with almond and mango cream, Duja almond, and mango and green cardamom compote. It’s topped with a candied Paris 2024 logo.
Laduree curated excitement for the collection well before the Olympics’ official start date. By capitalizing on its own branding and creating new offerings, the bakery boosted this limited collection with minimal marketing needed.
Photo courtesy of Laduree.
Creating specially made offerings that celebrate culturally significant events and highlight a bakery’s dedication to its community is key for retail bakers looking to leave a lasting imprint. By reinvigorating classic menu staples through the lens of pop culture, retail bakers can create fun iterations that excite regular customers, attract new ones and boost profits.
