How Bäcker Schmidt manages peak times through online pre-orders – at 3 locations

Bäcker Schmidt uses SO'USE web shops for online pre-orders and on-site self-ordering kiosks – ensuring shorter waiting times, predictable processes, and reduced workload for staff.

+ 11%

Increase in revenue for breakfast and lunch business

-3 min.

shorter waiting times during peak hours

Customer Bäcker Schmidt - Genießertreff Roth

Bäcker Schmidt is an established family business with three branches in the Nuremberg metropolitan region – in Schwabach, Roth, and Hilpoltstein. The bakery stands out for its artisanal quality, a daily changing lunch menu, and a regular clientele that visits reliably for breakfast, lunch, or coffee. This popularity brings a major operational challenge: when everyone arrives at once during peak times, operational bottlenecks occur.

Location

3 branches in Roth, Schwabach, and Hilpoltstein

POS Systems

Vectron

Products

Customer since

May 2020

The challenge

Full counters, limited staff – peak times as a daily stress test

Peak times are central to Bäcker Schmidt's revenue. During breakfast and lunch, regular guests, local office workers, and walk-in customers gather at the counter. The team does its best: advising, processing payments, packing – all simultaneously and under time pressure.

The problem: counter capacity is limited. Those who wait might go elsewhere next time. Because orders are unplanned and spontaneous, the kitchen faces the same calculation problems daily: producing too much or too little – both cost money.

The solution

Pre-order & pick up – SO’USE SOTs relieve the counter

With the SO’USE web shop, guests place their orders online in advance – arrive, pick up, done. For the kitchen, this means predictable quantities, less waste, and more reliability in daily planning. The system runs across all three locations and integrates directly with the Vectron POS, eliminating double booking or maintenance effort.

Complemented by SO'USE self-order terminals, guests at Bäckerei Schmidt can also place orders independently on-site – without queuing or waiting for a free staff member. The counter team handles fulfillment, rather than managing advice, data entry, and payment at once. This significantly reduces staff workload when pressure is highest.

Conclusion

Higher throughput, less pressure – without losing artisanal charm

Before SO'USE

Counter bottlenecks during peak hours

Advice, order entry, and pickup were handled by the same employees simultaneously. Queues formed during peak hours, deterring guests with limited time.

Hard-to-predict demand

Orders arrived unplanned and spontaneously. The kitchen produced based on estimates – with the resulting consequences.

Staff at their limit

During peak hours, the team juggled customer advice, register management, and fulfillment. Little room remained for personal service or quiet conversation.

After SO'USE

Pre-ordering via web shop at all 3 locations

Guests pre-order online – arrive, pick up, done. The counter handles fulfillment, not queue management.

Predictable kitchen instead of daily estimates

The kitchen sees incoming orders in real time – including special requests and guest notes. Production matches demand. Less waste, less stress, more reliability.

Staff focused on quality

Without counter stress, the team focuses on what defines Bäckerei Schmidt: craftsmanship, advice, and personal contact with customers.

Convinced? Start now with SO'USE

Bäckerei Schmidt shows that digitalization in the bakery business does not contradict artisanal quality – it is the prerequisite for maintaining it even during full operation.

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