Baking runs deep in Luke Karl's family. His grandparents, Henry and Catherine Karl, were the third-generation owners of Karl's Bakery in Kansas City. Karl's Bakery served in its community from 1909 until 1977. Even after the bakery shut its doors, his grandfather kept baking at home, filling the house with bread, cookies, and cakes. Those early memories, Luke says are what first tied him to the craft.  

Luke would go on to run Dinkel's Bakery, a family-owned operation in Chicago, starting with 2 a.m. shifts shaping Danish pastries. Today, as Head of USA Operations at Cybake, Luke draws on both his bakery background and his training in statistics to help bakeries simplify operations. 

We caught up with Luke to hear more about his family's bakery roots, his path from baker to software advocate, and why he sees technology as a helpful tool for bakers.  

Luke's grandparents, Henry and Catherine Karl, pictured in the late 1930s at Karl’s bakery at 1914 Quindaro Blvd. K.C.K.  

What was your journey into baking? 

I grew up in a baking family. My grandparents, Henry and Catherine Karl, were third-generation owners of Karl's Bakery in Kansas City. By the time I was born, the bakery had closed, but my grandfather kept baking almost daily in his basement. His house always smelled like a bakery. 

I actually started my career in statistics, working in consumer analytics at Nielsen. When the 2008 recession hit, I was laid off. I walked into my then-wife's family bakery and asked if they needed help. I started out with little things, gingerbread houses, one thing led to another... 

At Dinkel's Bakery in Chicago, I worked the 2 a.m. shifts shaping Danish, then moved into purchasing and inventory, eventually becoming general manager. I loved community connections and creativity. Even something simple, like a peach-habanero donut we made for a while, was a highlight for me.  

How did your background in statistics play into your baking career?

It gave me attention to detail and a mindset for measuring and being precise. That's what baking is about...it's not a "dash of this, a dash of that." You have to quantify. That carried over from statistics into baking and now software too. 

Why is it important for Cybake to partner with the Guild? 

Community. When you're part of the Guild, you realize you're not going through challenges alone. Someone else has faced it and often figured out a solution you can learn from instead of reinventing the wheel.  

Where do you see baking technology making the biggest impact in the future? 

Forecasting and predictive modeling. We're not fully there yet, but it's going to make things like predicting sales based on foot traffic, weather, and local events. That kind of modeling could really refine production and reduce waste. 

How do you see technology helping bakers? 

A lot of people romanticize the industry. They imagine Willy Wonka. But the reality is long hours, six 12-hour days, sometimes 20 days in a row with no real break. It can take a toll.  

Technology helps bridge that gap. There aren't as many people willing to work that hard anymore, so tools that streamline communication and organize production give bakers their lives back. One baker I know in Utah told me software gave him Mondays to take a hike with his dogs. He still works hard, but it gave him some balance and helped him grow more consciously and more organized. 

It's not about replacing people; it's about reducing errors, saving time, and making operations more sustainable for owners and their teams.  

Learn more about Cybake and Luke's work in his Guild session, "Putting Bakery Management Software to Work," here.