How a Two-Location Bakery Uses Digital Checklists to Open Consistently Every Morning

Running one bakery is hard enough. Running two means every opening shift needs to happen the same way at both locations, without the owner standing over anyone's shoulder. Abi Caswell walks through how she uses the Connecteam app to manage opening checklists across her bakery locations.

The Setup

The bakery is called Batter, and each location has a morning crew that needs to execute the same sequence of tasks before doors open. The checklists live inside the Connecteam app, where each task is listed in priority order so staff know what to tackle first and what can wait until closer to opening time.

Exterior of the Batter bakery storefront with its pink circular sign

How the Checklists Work

Each morning, the team opens the app and sees every task laid out: bake cookies, make pop tart frosting, frost and sprinkle pop tarts by flavor, plate croissants, get cinnamon rolls into the oven no later than an hour before open, cut and frost brownies while cinnamon rolls bake. As each task gets done, the staff member marks it complete.

The Connecteam app showing the HMD Opening Checklist with items like frosting pop tarts, plating croissants, and timing cinnamon rolls

The morning shift gets the most guidance because that is when precision matters most. Everything needs to bake correctly and look right before the first customer walks in. Abi can check the app remotely to see what has been completed at either location without being physically present.

Bakery supplies and piping bags organized on shelving in the kitchen

A staff member loading items into the commercial oven

Beyond Checklists

The app handles more than opening tasks. Abi also uses it for team communication, shift scheduling, and employee training. Having all of this in one place reduces the number of tools the team needs to juggle. Connecteam is free for up to 10 employees, with a 14-day trial available for larger teams.

Key Takeaways

Digital checklists in priority order keep two bakery locations opening the same way every day
Remote visibility lets the owner verify task completion without being on-site
The morning shift gets the most detailed guidance because baking timing and presentation are critical
Connecteam bundles checklists, scheduling, communication, and training into one app

Resources

Connecteam -- team management app with checklists, scheduling, and communication tools