Planning Guides from The Magpie Bakery

Every good bakery order starts the same way: a date, a headcount, and a clear idea of what the day needs. These short guides collect what to gather for each kind of Magpie order and where each conversation actually begins — so that by the time you reach out, the bakery can answer quickly instead of asking for the basics.

Everyday and future orders

Magpie splits ordering into two clear paths, and knowing which one you need saves a trip. Today's case lives on the live same-day menu; planned pickups are arranged directly with the bakery by phone or the contact form. The ordering gateway lays both paths side by side.

• Picking something up today? Check the live menu first — the case rotates, and what is listed there is what is real right now.
• Need a specific date? Send the date and your list through the contact form or call — the bakery confirms exactly what it can make for that day.
• Still browsing? The bakery & café menu explains how the pie, pastry, cookie, and cake categories each work.

Custom-cake planning

Before starting an inquiry, gather five things:

1. the event date and your ideal pickup day;
2. the occasion and who the cake is for;
3. the number of servings you need;
4. a design direction — colors, a theme, or inspiration photos;
5. flavor preferences, including anything the guest of honor loves or avoids.

Then read the custom-cake guide and start an inquiry. Requests remain subject to the bakery's review, and busy celebration weekends fill first — so the earlier the conversation starts, the more design options stay open.

Wedding-dessert planning

Start with the event date, the venue and its town, an approximate guest count, and the kind of presentation you are considering — a tiered cake, a dessert table, favors, or a mix. Popular months book ahead, so open the conversation early even if details are loose. The wedding-dessert page explains how the conversation continues from there and how portions are usually thought through.

Catering and business gifts

Note the date, the guest or recipient count, the occasion, and the presentation you have in mind — trays, platters, or individual boxes — along with any pickup logistics you want to talk through. Recurring office orders and branded gifting are conversations too, not checkout buttons. Continue with the catering and business-gift guide.

Vegan and ingredient questions

Review the vegan bakery page, then contact Magpie directly about the current selection — vegan items rotate through the case like everything else. Because vegan bakes share the kitchen with everything else, the bakery does not promise an allergen-free environment; call (973) 291-6756 to talk through cross-contact concerns before an order that depends on them.

Visiting the storefront

The visit guide collects the regular hours, address, map, parking notes, and live directions in one place. If seeing the fullest case matters to you, earlier in the day is the safer bet — and a quick call ahead never hurts before a longer drive.

Go deeper with the articles

These guides are checklists. When you want the fuller reasoning — lead times, portion math, seasonal timing — the articles are longer pieces written from the Magpie kitchen. Three useful starting points:

• How to Order a Custom Cake — the full baker's checklist behind the inquiry, and why lead time matters so much.
• Planning a Wedding Dessert Table — portions, variety, and the cake-versus-table question couples ask most.
• The Holiday Pie Order-Ahead Guide — how small-bakery holiday windows open, fill, and close.