About Us

What are the major products and services LBTB offers ?

At Loafing By The Bay (LBTB), we manufacture satisfaction for our customers through the creation of culinary delights, more commonly known as bread. We offer free home and business deliveries, made-to-order fresh sandwiches, corporate catering, relaxed outdoor dining, superb coffee and a fresh approach to customer service.

A brief history of LBTB including special achievements to date and innovative approaches that have contributed to our success.

Stephen & Chris started operation from scratch July 2004. Our first significant achievement was the Quest Business Achievers "New Business of the Year" award after trading for only three months. We entered our first Bread Show in Canberra, ACT (Feb 2005) and now have a wall of trophies and certificates from a diverse range of national competitions (ACT, Toowoomba, Nth Qld, RNA).

Other achievements to date include:

•     Winner of the Baking Industry Association of Queensland (BIAQ) Bakery of the Year 2007 (Brisbane South Metropolitan Area)
• Winner of the Quest Business Achievers Award for "Food & Convenience Stores" category for 2006 & 2007,
• Inducted into the Quest Business Achievers' Hall of Fame (Bronze) 2007,
• Finalist in the annual BIAQ Bakery of the Year 2006,
• Member of the Rotary Club of Wynnum & Manly (Stephen)
• Sitting Members of the State Management Committee (BIAQ - representing Qld independent bread retailers 2004 - 2006),
• Vice-President - National Baking Industry Association (Chris)
• Member of the RNA Judging Panel (Chris)
• Participant at the 2005 BIAQ Demonstration Bakery at the Ekka,
• Invited guest speaker to Wynnum State High School (Chris)
• Use of the latest and up-to-date baking industry technology (Genesis Baking System)

Competitive Advantage

Our customers always tell us that we have great tasting, fresh products and a large variety. We provide all our customers with a range of specialty breads during the course of the week and have a daily bread list available for their fridges. All bread products baked on site are preservative free and we also cater for some special-dietary needs (gluten-free, organic. low GI and sugar & fat free).

Customer loyalty programs.

We find that our customers return to us because we treat them in a manner that they like and often miss from other businessess. We often reward our customer's loyalty by randomly selecting names and giving away meal vouchers (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) from local restaurants (who are also our customers).

Last year (2006), our major customer reward program involved trialing breads from around the world (over a 10 week period). Customers were issued with a special "LBTB Passport" and a stamp was recorded each time they made a purchase. At the end of the promotion / world trip, the passport with the most stamps resulted in one of our loyal regular customers receiving a weekend for two at a Sunshine Coast resort.

LBTB Mission Statement

To provide our local community with the best possible product, using the latest advancements in technology and drawing on years of expertise to create an enjoyable atmosphere and rewarding experience to our customers, staff and family alike.

And to quote Aristotle, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

Team Culture

The team culture is evident at Loafing By The Bay through the after hours activities undertaken by our staff. To date, we have staff entertainment days, sailing on Moreton Bay, corporate lawn bowls, staff dinners, sponsorship of staff and their family members' sporting teams and church activities. Both our staff and their families have provided us with verbal feedback that they enjoy working with us and are always learning new skills. We continue to be the first place of employment for our junior staff members and are now learning from the community that we are a preferred place of employment. We are also keen to support local junior sporting teams and school fetes and fairs.

Training

Our staff are still our biggest asset. We wouldn't have been as successful if it weren't for them. We provide regular and ongoing training sessions (workplace health & safety, correct machine operational procedures, first aid, complaint resolution & customers service issues) for team members and encourage staff to better themselves through self-appraisal and the monitoring of each other with the completion of daily operational tasks. The senior staff members of each shift then signs off their completed duties on a printed form. Our coffee supplier (Merlo Coffee) provides regular on-site professional barista and refresher training for all staff. We also employed a school-based apprentice (who transferred to full-time) and now have two apprentices on board.

Use of technology

Our success and expertise is reliant on the most advanced and innovative technology available in our industry. The Genesis Baking System enables us to streamline our production time, thereby reducing costs that we can then pass on to our customers. Our involvement with the BIAQ (now NBIA) and BITA helps us to keep abreast of the latest advancements and new ideas in both baking and retail industries. We subscribe to professional industry publications and attend business and industry related seminars where possible.

Innovative business practices

We constantly negotiate with restaurant owners and chefs to provide them with exclusively prepared / developed breads for their new / improved menus.

Loafing By The Bay is the home and birthplace of the "Kool Dog" (TM).

We treat our loyal wholesale customers with all expenses paid activity days (golf, sailing).

We have personally adopted a "management by doing" approach to managing the running of our business, which show our staff, customers and general public that we are part of the team that is the success behind Loafing By The Bay.