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I have enjoyed many pizzas from Back Alley Bakery and am quite fond of them staying open on Thursday nights. I also enjoy that friends and I can sit down in the bakery and enjoy our pizza as well. However, I find myself thinking about the bakery being open more often in the evenings – and for more than just pizza.

Something I admire about Back Alley Bakery is its ability to be open during business hours as a hot spot for lunch and baked goods but also the ability for its staff to leave come five o’clock. Maybe part of its success is the fact that it is only open for lunch. However, the bakery’s brand is fresh, local, homegrown ingredients, different from the Hastings alternatives. People are willing to pay for such a brand and I think expanding evenings and menus could be beneficial.

There are a few examples of potential expansion I could see. First, featured menu items. Being open extra nights could bring a need for a feature menu with items like flatbreads, entrée salads, or specialty chicken breasts. Even a special four-course meal (soup, salad, entrée, and dessert) could attract attention. Second, consider afternoon tea. To compete with wine and cheese, tea and a dessert could attract some attention in the early evening. Finally, consider live music. With such talent from Hastings College, use them for live performances to gain exposure not only for the bakery but for the students too. All the ideas could be potential ideas for expansion.

Even if Back Alley Bakery just stays open for lunch and the business day, it will still be a Hastings treasure. Maybe it is our nature to constantly look for ways to improve instead of being satisfied with what we have, but I think the bakery has a lot of potential. After all, everyone that I know enjoys having a pizza and an evening at Back Alley Bakery.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

About the author: Josh Wooster

I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where I attended Millard West High School. I chose Hastings College because it gave students personal attention, extracurricular options, and music ensembles better than those of other colleges in the state. I am currently the leader of 1-2-5, the men’s a-cappella singing ensemble, while also being a part of the Hastings College Choir and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the men’s music fraternity. Other commitments include being an intern for the Hastings Chamber of Commerce and membership in the Student Environmental Action Coalition and Society for Collegiate Journalists. “Free time” for me involves arranging music for 1-2-5, working at the Lochland Country Club, and searching for a job. I am a jovial spirit with a diligent attitude towards work, and a keen eye for detail. I hope to stick around Hastings after college to work and give back to the city and college that have offered me so much.