Ran bakery consulting for a few years before starting Donut Buddy, and the same 3 mistakes show up over and over in donut shops that struggle to get repeat customers:

1. Inconsistent glaze ratios. If your glaze-to-dough ratio shifts batch to batch, regulars notice immediately — even if they can't articulate why. Weigh your glaze, don't eyeball it.

2. Proofing on a schedule instead of by feel. Dough proofs faster on a humid day. If you're pulling trays at a fixed time regardless of conditions, you're getting inconsistent crumb texture, which is the #1 driver of repeat-customer churn in this business.

3. No 'flagship' flavor. Shops that win have ONE donut people specifically drive across town for. If every flavor on your menu is equally forgettable, you have no word-of-mouth engine.

Fix these three things before you touch marketing spend — retention is cheaper than acquisition, always.