Selling and marketing
Almond Croissant Wholesale: Buy or Bake, Cost per Unit
Compare buying frozen almond croissants with baking your own, then price them so a cafe order leaves you a margin.
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What to remember
- A frozen case saves you time. Baking your own saves money on every unit.
- Wholesale usually lands at 50 to 60% of your retail price, not at retail.
- Labor and overhead decide your margin, not the flour.
- Quote a price per croissant and a minimum order, not a tray price.
If you are searching almond croissant wholesale, you are likely holding two questions at once. One is what a case of frozen croissants costs you. The other is what a cafe will pay for the ones you bake. Both come down to the same number, and it is not the price printed on the case.
Buying frozen almond croissants by the case
A frozen case is the fastest way to add almond croissants without changing your whole week. You thaw, finish, and box. Before you order, ask the supplier four things. How many pieces are in the case, whether they arrive par baked or fully baked, the minimum order, and the delivery day. Then divide the case price by the piece count. That is your starting cost, and it is only the start.
A case price on its own tells you nothing about profit. It tells you what the supplier charges. Your profit is what is left after you finish, box, and deliver the croissants, and after you pay yourself for the hours that takes.
What to check before you commit to a supplier
Freezer space is the first thing to check. A case takes up more room than you expect, and almond croissants need to stay frozen until the day you finish them. Measure your freezer before you read the price list.
Next, check the delivery schedule against your market days. If the truck comes Thursday and your market is Saturday, you need freezer room for two days. If it comes the day before, you need almost none. Ask about the minimum order too, because a low case price with a high minimum can tie up more cash than you planned.
Finally, ask what happens when a case arrives damaged or short. Get that answer in writing before the first order, not after it.
How to price an almond croissant for a cafe
Pricing for a cafe is the same math as pricing for a market, with one extra cost: the delivery run. Our guide to how to sell wholesale baked goods works through the cost and the first order.
Cost one croissant
Add up the ingredients for a single almond croissant from your own recipe. That is your base cost, and it is usually the smallest part.
Add your time
Pick an hourly rate you would pay someone else, then work out how many croissants you finish in an hour. Divide to get the labor cost per croissant.
Add overhead
Boxes, labels, gas, the delivery run, and your monthly Brevl fee spread across the order. Every one of these is a real cost.
Set the price and check the margin
Start at 50 to 60% of your retail price, then subtract all three costs. If the margin is thin, raise the price or cut the delivery run.
The math on one cafe order
For example, our croissant cost guide puts ingredients at $0.39 per croissant and a retail price near $7. Say a cafe orders 60 almond croissants a week at 50% of retail, which is $3.50 each. Ingredients come to $23.40. Pay yourself $15 an hour and finish 30 an hour, and labor is $0.50 each, or $30. Boxes, labels, gas, and the delivery run add $0.30 each, or $18. Total cost is $71.40, which is $1.19 per croissant. The order pays $210, so your margin is $138.60, or $2.31 each.
Change one number and the margin moves. If the cafe orders 40 instead of 60, the delivery run costs the same, so your cost per croissant rises and your margin per croissant falls. That is why a minimum order is not you being difficult. It is the number that keeps the account worth having.
Selling almond croissants wholesale to a cafe
A cafe wants the same thing every week. The same size, the same finish, and the same price. Put four lines on your quote. Price per croissant, minimum order, delivery day, and when you get paid. Keep it to one page.
Start with one cafe and treat the first month as a trial. Deliver on the day you promised, at the size you promised. If the order grows, you can add a second delivery day, but only after you have priced the extra run. If your cafe also wants muffins, our guide to wholesale baked goods for a coffee shop works out the price per muffin.
Mistakes that cost you money
Watch for three mistakes. Quoting from the case price and forgetting your own labor. Pricing the first order low to win the account, then never raising it. And agreeing to a second delivery day without adding the run to the price.
The fix for all three is the same. Write your cost per croissant on paper before you quote, and keep that paper next to the phone when the cafe calls.
Getting paid and keeping the account
Set payment terms before the first delivery. Weekly is easier to track than monthly, and it keeps each amount small enough that nobody argues. Send the invoice the same day you deliver. If you are new to selling to businesses, the rest of our selling guides cover first orders and pricing.
Brevl is $20 a month flat, with no cut of your sales. You take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. It works on a computer and on a phone, and there is a 14 day free trial.
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Common questions
Is it cheaper to buy frozen almond croissants or bake my own?
It depends on your time. A frozen case removes the mixing, shaping, and proofing, so you pay for that work inside the case price. Baking your own costs less per unit but takes hours you could spend selling. Work out your labor cost per croissant before you decide.
What percentage of retail should I charge a cafe?
Our guide to wholesale vegan baked goods puts wholesale at 50 to 60% of retail. On a $7 croissant that is $3.50 to $4.20. Check that price against your full cost per croissant, including labor and overhead, before you agree to it.
How many croissants should a first cafe order be?
Start with what you can finish and deliver in one run without rushing. A minimum order protects you, because the delivery costs the same whether the box holds 40 croissants or 60. Set the minimum at the point where the run still pays for itself.
Do I need a license to sell almond croissants wholesale?
Your state decides this, and the answer changes with the food and the buyer. Look up your state's rules for selling food from a home kitchen before you sign anything, and ask the cafe what paperwork they need from a supplier.
How do I keep the margin when butter and almonds go up?
Build a review date into the account. Once a quarter, recost one croissant with current prices and compare it to what the cafe pays. If the margin has slipped, tell them before the next order rather than after, and give them the new price with a date.
This is general information about costs and pricing, not legal or tax advice. Check your own state's rules before you sell to a business.