Digital Menu for Bakeries: Allergens, Daily Items, and Display Cases

Bakeries have a unique menu challenge. Your products change daily. Your display case is the menu. And allergens are everywhere.

A loaf of sourdough sits next to a walnut banana bread that sits next to a croissant with butter and eggs. A customer with a tree nut allergy needs to know which items are safe and which share a prep surface with nuts. A printed menu cannot keep up with what is in the case today.

Why bakeries need digital menus differently than restaurants

Setting up your bakery menu

Step 1: List everything you make

Include breads, pastries, cakes, cookies, sandwiches, drinks, and any prepared foods. For items you only make on certain days, add them all and use the sold-out or availability toggle to show what is current.

Step 2: Tag every allergen

This is the most important step for a bakery. Go through every item and tag which of the 11 Canadian priority allergens it contains. Pay special attention to:

• Tree nuts: walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts in breads, muffins, and pastries
• Wheat: present in nearly everything (note gluten-free items explicitly)
• Dairy: butter, milk, cream in pastries, breads, and drinks
• Eggs: in most pastries, some breads, all cakes
• Sesame: on bagels, buns, some breads
• Soy: in some chocolates and commercial ingredients

Note cross-contamination risks honestly: "Prepared in a kitchen that handles tree nuts" is important information for a customer with a severe allergy.

For a free allergen template: Free Restaurant Allergen Menu Template (Canada)

Step 3: Add photos

Bakery items are visual. Customers decide with their eyes. Photograph your products with natural light and add photos to your digital menu. A customer who sees your croissants on their phone before arriving is more likely to walk in.

Step 4: Place QR codes

• On or near the display case
• At the counter where customers order
• On your front window
• On packaging (bags, boxes, stickers)

Daily updates

Each morning after baking, update your digital menu from your phone:

• Mark today's items as available
• Mark yesterday's items as sold out or remove them
• Add any new specials

This takes 2 to 3 minutes. Your customers always see what is actually in the case right now.

Allergen filters for bakery customers

The most powerful feature for a bakery menu is interactive allergen filtering. A customer taps "nut-free" and sees only the items that do not contain tree nuts or peanuts. They do not have to read every label on every item in the case.

This is the kind of experience that earns repeat customers, especially from people with allergies who are used to feeling anxious in bakeries.

EasyMenus supports allergen tagging and dietary filters on every item. Customers tap their restriction and see only safe options.

• How to Add Allergen Labels to Your Restaurant Menu
• Canadian Food Allergen Requirements: What Restaurant Owners Need to Know
• Free QR Code Menu Maker for Restaurants

Ready to create your digital menu?

Join thousands of restaurants already using EasyMenus. Free forever — no credit card needed.