Bakery Names. Cute and Creative Name Ideas for Bakery Businesses
January 10, 2020 • 16 minutes
Naming a bakery might seem like a piece of cake, but it’s more like making a hot water crust pie. You're creating something out of nothing, and there are endless possibilities that can lead to frustration and decision fatigue. Bakery names and logos can be classic, or trendy, or modern, or retro, and the massive variety is what makes it so challenging.
When thinking about how to open a bakery, look at your personality and what you hope to bring the community with your bakery. Are you the serious and edgy baker who hopes to change the culinary world? Or do you want your brand to be playful with a funny name that people will remember because it makes them smile? The name says a lot, and customers reading your business name online or on the sign outside your shop will immediately have a vision of what they expect to experience. «Stairway to Leaven» may give the sense of a fun 1970s laid-back bakery. Whereas «Le Marc Patisserie» gives the impression of a more upscale French shop. Here we have ideas, examples, and basic guidelines to help you create the right name for your business.
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What makes a good bakery name
There are a few rules that can set some boundaries over your bakery name and make it easy to rule out ideas that fall short. Good bakery names stand out because they are snappy or quick and easy to remember. To accomplish this, you'll need to be a bit creative and find something unique.
When you find a bakery name that you love, do a three-way spell check. Check it on the computer, write it out yourself, and ask a friend to write it down without checking the spelling on their phone. Is it easy to spell, and do people naturally spell it correctly?
Bakery names should follow all of these basic rules:
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Use of proper spelling and grammar structure. You might want to actively avoid any word that is easy to misspell, such as «which» often left as «wich» or «until» often spelled «untill.» But avoid the apparent attempts of attention-grabbing with spelling such as «cakez» or «Pyes.»
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The name must be easy to spell and remember. While «Weird Gobbledygook» might be memorable, no one will be able to spell it, and «Cakes and Pies» is easy to spell, but who will remember it? The good thing about this rule is that it makes you creatively plan for a name that is somewhere between strange and boring.
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A good bakery name should be creative. How many people have their first name followed by «bakery» and settle on that as their business name? It’s common far beyond the restaurant industry, but bakeries are meant for sweets and indulgence. People love the type of creativity that takes a strike at novelty or tradition. Creative names can take on many different forms, but for inspiration, here are a few favorites: Bread Pitt, Bake My Day, and Go to Bread.
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Catchy bakery names get customers. There’s a reason why «Nothing Bundt Cakes» has been such a hit with over 300 franchise locations across the U.S. it’s catchy. Catchy names, however, need to meet some specific criteria. They should age, or they should be «future proof,» they must be user-friendly, and original.
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The business name and storefront must be unique. In the U.S. and many other countries, part of registering a business requires that you ensure the business name is unique. But that doesn't stop companies from «doing business as» a widespread name and using that on their storefront. Don't recycle a great name; make your own. Check business directories on various levels and different social media platforms to ensure that no one else has taken your great name.
Brand name consistency is so vital in the digital age. Secure consistently named business profiles across all platforms of social media as soon as you decide on your business name. That will be the same branding that you’ll use on your internal systems, for example a bakery POS, an online ordering, table reservation, and third-party delivery services, as well. Then when you have a few names that you like, you should search through business directories and social media to see if they're already in use somewhere. Finally, decide on your business name and create any online pages necessary to secure a consistent brand name across multiple platforms.
The organization and bakery, For Goodness Cakes, is funny to people who enjoy «clean humor.» But there is no «one-size-fits-all» joke. To others, it's cringy until they see the good-hearted notion behind this organization that delivers birthday cakes to foster children and other at-risk youth.
The names of bakery shops can have a real impact on their success. Don’t rush forward with a name just because it’s available or because it has a good pun. Explore every guideline for constructing a business name that will be good for years to come. Start with brainstorming and come up with as many as possible. You'll probably find that your first few ideas that sounded great were just the warm-up before you started creating some outstanding names for a bakery.
Ways to brainstorm a perfect bakery name
Are you stuck and need a boost to get the creative juices flowing? You're not alone. Many people don't know where to get started. Choosing the name of your business is something you can spend weeks or months worrying over. It doesn't matter if you are going to open a chain of bakeries or a private home baking business. Stop worrying because brainstorming bakery names ideas should be a fun step in the process of opening your business. Use these different aspects of your business, as various naming conventions to dive into different name ideas that might work for you!
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Signature treats. Tie your signature item right into the name; it's a great way to get creative while also building a brand around your premier products. Winner of the British Pie Awards, Turner’s Pies, explicitly says in the name that they make pies and little else.
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Your name. Countless famous bakeries throughout countries that nearly revolve around baked goods are simply the name of the owner. Dominique Ansel, a French-born pastry chef, opened a bakery in New York after his own namesake and reached remarkable levels of success.
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Cooking methods. While, of course, baking is the foundation of a bakery, there are plenty of other cooking methods employed that you can use in your business name. If you freeze, bake, turn or roll, then consider implementing something that acknowledges that in the name. You might serve much more than croissants or turnovers, but «Turn it down» could be a fun name.
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Alliteration. Alliteration has a psychological power over us. It's memorable, which makes it catchy and fun. Think of famous alliterations in business names such as Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme for inspiration. Create an alliteration with your name, or with your signature treat for a unique and catchy business name like Priscilla's Pies, or Crafty Cakes.
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Location. Use your location for inspiration. World-famous patisserie «Crosstown» in London came to the name because they operate «across London.»
72% of the world’s best brand names include completely made-up words or acronyms. Don’t be afraid to step outside of the box when it comes to a business name. Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and Aryzta all use made-up words, and all have a strong international presence.
Finding bakery names for a business is something that doesn’t happen overnight. But going through the particular aspects above can help you explore options that you might not have considered.
Get inspired by famous bakery names
Not all bakery names are cute or girly. Many famous bakers have simply named the store after themselves, or something that invoked a great sense of wonder within them. These famous bakery names stand apart from the others for a variety of reasons, but there's always that special «extra» something. Famous names for a bakery often follow one of a few different patterns. They are either the standalone name of the founder, a baking pun or joke or is a nod to classic baking or a bakery term. Many famous bakeries could end up on this list, but these examples make up a well-rounded sample of different naming methods. Turn to these famous bakeries for a few ideas for bakery business names:
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One Last Bite. In Brisbane, Australia, One Last Bite is an excellent play on many people's guilty pleasure of deserts. Deserts happen to be this bakery’s specialty. It's memorable and fun because people have a way to associate the shop with a particular habit (treating themselves).
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Konditori La Glace. The oldest confectionery and bakery in Denmark is world-famous. A rough translation of Konditori or Conditori La Glace is «confectionary ice.» This name stands apart because it doesn't follow any general thought process, it's merely something that sounds nice, and if you like it, you should consider exploring languages other than English for your bakery.
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La Mallorquina. Madrid’s most famous bakery is over 100 years old and hasn’t changed its name ever. The timeless name came from the founder, Juan Ripoll, who was from Mallorcan, and the name La Mallorquina translates to «woman from Mallorca.» A prime example of using a location meaningful in the founder’s life, accompanied with the spice of romance, to name his bakery. To tie everything together, the logo is of a baker woman.
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Patisserie Tomoko. A well-celebrated New York bakery, Patisserie Tomoko, was founded by Japanese baker Tomoko Kato. This bakery crafts French-Japanese delights served in an ornate style accompanied by wine, coffee, or tea. The name is simply the founder's name and the French word for «bakery.»
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Du Pain et des Idees. An acclaimed bakery in Paris opened in 2002, sits within an ancient bakery first opened in 1875, the translation is «Bread and Ideas,» which is just two fun words that work well together. Don't be afraid to put your values front and center like Du Pain et des Idees.
From these three examples, you can see that there are funny bakery names, cool bakery names, and retro names that all tie to famous establishments. Many famous French bakeries, a country revered for its bread, are simply the founder's name, or the founder's name combined with «patisserie» or 'bakery' in French. Such examples include the can't miss bakeries of Paris, Gilles Marchal, and La Patisserie Cyril Lignac.
Don’t limit yourself by one language
Expanding your language options can change your entire outlook on naming a business, especially if you're in a part of the world where pastries, baked goods, and bread haven't played a historical role in that culture. Where Asia is fast picking up in baking trends, they've historically had a very different take on savory and sweet treats, which rarely included baking. Most of the top bakeries in Tokyo, for instance, have French or Spanish inspired names, such as Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki. The same can be said of bakeries in America that rely on French-sounding names to appear more authentic.
There are a few countries that have played extraordinary roles in baking and how the world views baked goods. When using another language, look up words that you would associate with cooking or baking, such as tasty, delicious, or fresh. Refer to these languages for inspiration:
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French bakery names. A love language that runs in tandem with all things related to baking. Bread is a substantial part of daily life in France, and the country is largely responsible for shaping much of the culinary world. For French inspiration, you can look at a few keywords: Patisserie(bakery), pain(bread), sucree(sweet), sarriette(savory).
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Spanish bakery names. Bread is a staple on nearly every kitchen table in Spain, and it primarily takes the place of tortillas that are popular among Mexican culture mistaken as traditional Spanish cuisine. Key Spanish words to use in your bakery business name include Pan(bread), panaderia(bakery), and «La Merienda, ” a popular afternoon snack mostly rotating around bread.
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Bakery names in German. Another culture that celebrates bread full-heartedly. Bread is a part of daily eating, and it's present at nearly every meal. Explore German variations such as «Backerei» or «brot» for bread when brainstorming business names.
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Italian bakery names. Italian is a language where you can get fun and playful. Villa, viva, dolce, and vita are all excellent Italian words occasionally found in bakery names because of their meaning but also their musical quality. «Dolce vita» flows off the tongue so well you almost have to say it with an Italian accent.
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Indian bakery names. Bakeries in India are something otherworldly. Naan, kulchas, and dosa are lovely sounding words, and drawing from the Indian culture of bread and treats can be a great way to kick out any creative block.
Consider ideas for bakery names that go beyond your native language. Panera is an example of this in action. The fast-casual restaurant specializing in baked goods, founded in Missouri, USA, initially used the name Au Bon Pain (French) and later changed it to Panera, which is Spanish for breadbasket or granary.
There aren't strict rules on how to draw from foreign language inspiration either. You can use bits of foreign words, or create phonetic «plays» on names for your business such as «Pan-demonium» of «The Pan-isher.» But, be aware of words that appear in multiple languages with multiple meanings such as «pain, ” „pan, ” and „pane.“ Where Pain is French for Bread, but in English refers to the unpleasant sensation of physical hurt. Pan, Spanish for bread, is also a cooking utensil, and Pane, is Italian for bread but also refers to a piece of glass in a window or door. You can use these words to make witty puns in high tourist areas where many people will get the pun and understand the language association.
Working beyond your language barriers is exceptionally challenging, and you may need to bring in some help with this idea. Don't always trust Google Translate, and be careful not to use words that may have dual meanings such as «buns» being rolls but also English/American slang. If you're really stuck, a good way to generate some new ideas that can mix words and twist them in new ways try an online tool.
Use online tools to get ideas for bakery names
These first two tools use A.I. and various algorithms to produce bakery names so you won’t get any good quips or puns from them. But, you will often get a unique delivery of the concepts you were already exploring. These tools can be great ways to step out of the box or to start brainstorming if you're at a loss for good creative ideas.
Namelix. A fun tool that you can use as a bakery name generator. It lets you enter keywords to generate short and easy to brand business names. It’s simple, easy to use, and fun. You enter a few keywords, then choose the name length and choose a style. Do you want the feel of «FedEx» or something more like «FireWire» or «Flickr.» For the «bakery japan» keywords, Namelix turned out «Matsuematsu, ” „Japanita“ and many others. The options suggested by this bakery business name generator go far beyond what most people would get when simply brainstorming with pen and paper.
Oberlo. Another popular online tool for naming businesses. This one takes a slightly different approach than Namelix. It only allows for one keyword and then instantly delivers popular or often-searched words and combines them with the keyword in any number of ways. Although none of these are exceptionally unique, they can spark something special so the tool still can be used as a cute bakery name generator. «Colossal Bakery» might be just what you’re looking for if you specialize in giant-sized treats. «GameOn Bakery» might be excellent if your concept includes an attached internet café, or if your location is near an internet café that hosts gaming competitions daily such as the many found throughout South Korea.
Bakery Name Generator. Common among fiction writers, but a hidden gem to the rest of the world, Fantasynamegenerators.com has a generator for everything, including bakery names. It's easy to use, and it's full of funny names, serious names, and puns. You can simply keep hitting refresh until you find something you enjoy.
It's always good to thoroughly research any business name that comes from a bakery name idea generator. One of them produced the bakery name «Great Buns», which is already the name of a well-known Las Vegas, USA bakery that produces hearth-baked rolls as well as deli bread. Using online tools to find bakery business names is a way to think outside of your typical realm.
Everyone has general creative circles, and it can be hard to break away from the obvious. Even if you don't end up using any of the names you get from these bakery shop name generators, it's clear that you can use them as inspiration for not only the business name but for logos, marketing slogans, and more.
You should also evaluate whether your bakery name and bakery company names will be the same. If you're looking to incorporate and allow people to franchise, then you'll need to consider having a formal business name that your customers may not ever encounter. Overall, you should put a lot of time into researching possible business names. Keep in mind that you can make up words, use smart jokes for your name, or put yourself out there and use your name to represent the business.
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