Donut Digest

I help mom-and-pop dessert shops turn followers into customers with the power of online marketing.

Founded in 2016, Donut Digest is a destination for marketing and social media consulting for mom-and-pop donut shops and bakeries. Based in Dallas, Texas, serving independent operators across the country.

03/19/2026

Think reviews are just about stars?

There are actually 4 review layers that impact whether your bakery shows up when people search online:

⭐ Star rating (aim for 4.0+ average rating to appear in “best” searches)
🔢 Volume (keep up with competitors)
⏰ Recency (fresh reviews matter a lot to Google)
📸 Details (text + photos = visibility in search)

Pay attention to this last category.

AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are pulling phrases straight from reviews like: “gooey cinnamon rolls that always taste fresh” or “cozy café with free WiFi.”

The more context customers provide about the food, the experience, or the shop vibes, the better chance AI recommends you.

Comment REVIEWS and I’ll send you a link to my full playbook to get more reviews and turn feedback into growth.

03/17/2026

If your revenue depends only on what sells in your pastry case each morning, you’re riding the feast-or-famine rollercoaster.

Here’s the shift I’m seeing with smart bakery owners right now👇

They’re not just selling food products…

They’re building community experiences that require authenticity and consistency. Over time, these efforts naturally lead to sponsorships, collabs, and bigger orders (hello, catering 👀).

Here are 3 underrated ways to make money outside of retail sales, whether you’re a storefront, cottage baker, or pop-up:

🏠 Apartment cafés and private gatherings ( is the OG)

👤 Dining with strangers (check out solo ticket events from and .cafe)

🧑‍💻 Blogging 2.0: monetized newsletter platforms via Substack and Beehiiv ( and do it right!)

Want the full breakdown + examples? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter - link in bio!

02/13/2026

Pregaming Valentine’s Day weekend with some of the best 😍 What are you offering in the shop?

02/07/2026

The person who sent you this wants you to know: flowers are cute. Pastries are correct.

01/23/2026

Tag your favorite bakeshop, bagel shop, coffee shop, or cafe so they feel the love!

Thanks to the inspo from my Texan pal

01/21/2026

A winter storm is coming for half the country… 🥶 And that might mean your bakery closes this weekend.

Make a push for non-perishable foods this week and update your employees and customers on your plan. Stay safe out there!

01/20/2026

Incorrect, incomplete, or confusing listings? You’re missing out on sales!!

If customers can’t confidently find you, order from you, or show up, they just choose another bakery that’s easier…and those losses add up fast.

Have you claimed and optimized your listings? Start with Google Business Profile and Yelp!

01/10/2026

Bagel shop owners: it’s time to start promoting your specials for January 15! The secret hack to selling more bagels on that day? Have a purpose behind the day, and don’t just leave it up to the social media algorithms to spread the word.

Yes, post on social, but don’t forget about a pop-up banner on your website, an email to your subscribers, a text message to inspire quick action, and most importantly… An Update on your Google Business Profile. Not a lot of restaurants are using this feature, but Google has stated explicitly that they are going to feature these posts prominently, not only on your GBP, but in organic search results, in AI overviews, and Gemini search results too.

Drop a comment if you have questions for how to apply this to your shop.

12/20/2025

Holiday treats drive demand. Incorrect hours quietly kill it.

Most bakeries think customer service issues come from long lines or sold-out items. During the holidays, the bigger problem is simpler and more damaging…bad information online!

Customers are not calling to double-check.

They’re trusting Google, Yelp, Apple Maps, and ChatGPT results. When your hours are wrong, you create frustration before they ever walk in.

What this leads to:
• People showing up to locked doors
• Staff stuck explaining instead of serving
• Missed or rushed orders
• Negative reviews over something preventable

Accurate holiday hours are not a “nice to have.” They set expectations, reduce friction, and protect your reputation when traffic is at its highest.

Before the Christmas and New Year’s rush:
✔️ Confirm or update holiday hours on your Google Business Profile
✔️ Check Apple Maps, Yelp, and ordering platforms
✔️ Add a pop-up banner on your website
✔️ Bonus: Create a Google Post promoting any last minute pre-orders or extra bundles for walk-in’s

This takes five minutes.
The damage from getting it wrong lasts much longer.

SHARE this with a bakery owner who needs the reminder!

12/15/2025

NYC bakery crawl ➡️ Google HQ ➡️ Real tips for bakers

Earlier this week, I hopped a train to Moynihan Hall, walked my way through NYC, and wrapped the day at Google’s St. John’s Terminal, with a lot of excellent bakeries (and conversations) in between.

Stops along the way:
🥖 at : ALF is closing soon, go if you can! Loved the pastries but also the rosemary focaccia straight out of the oven.
🍰 : Obviously went for the chocolate cake but tried few pastries from the case.
🥐 : hard to pick favorites. Loved the pistachio rose croissant, seasonal squiggle, and golden disco croissant decor.
🍪 : standouts included the chocolate chip cookie, pistachio halva Rice Krispies treat, and the cinnamon roll.
🍩 : Loved the scallion pancakes and mochi donut

Yes, there were carbs.
But this crawl led to something bigger: the Google Restaurant Summit.

A small group of food & hospitality operators and creators got a BTS look at how restaurants will actually get discovered online in 2026. Spoiler alert: it’s not just “bakery near me” anymore.

I just published a full breakdown covering all the factors driving discovery in the age of AI search.

👉 Link in bio for the full article.

Over the next few days, I’ll break this down section by section with bakery-specific examples.

Can’t wait to hear how search is changing? Drop your questions below!

11/28/2025

Do this one thing today to turn your Thanksgiving rush into future catering orders.

⭐️ Encourage online reviews ⭐️ 
More reviews = more trust, more visibility in search, and more orders.

Didn’t use a QR code insert like ? No worries, just send a quick email to your customers today:

Subject: Quick favor from (Bakery Name)  Body: “Hi (first name)! Thank you again for choosing (bakery name) for your Thanksgiving desserts. Could you do us a quick favor? If you enjoyed your order, we’d be so grateful for an online review (photos or videos are amazing, too!). It helps our local bakery get discovered by others: [Google review link]

If anything about your dessert missed the mark, please reply directly to this email and let us know what we could’ve done better.”

Need help automating review requests for the rest of the season? Send me a DM!

11/22/2025

Thanksgiving is less than a week away! Time to edit or confirm your holiday hours for your online listings like Google, Yelp, Apple Maps, and TripAdvisor.

Swipe for screenshots of what this looks like for Google Business Profile. DM me if you need help!

Bonus: Add a website pop-up, hang up in-store signage, update your shop’s voicemail, and send an email to your subscribers.

P.S. Norman Rockwell-inspired dessert photo brought to you by the latest Nano Banana model by Google.

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