MACON, Ga. — This week kicks off the Great Macon Baking Week, with 16 businesses going plate-to-plate with a special dessert they've added to their menu for a week.
The 16 small businesses will compete from July 21-28, and people can choose a winner at the end of the week by voting on their favorite dessert.
Each business has a baking passport to stamp for customers, and customers can get prizes for trying at least five desserts.
If you collect five stamps, you can turn in your passport at Visit Macon to get a Macon Baking Set, and if you collect 10 stamps, you can turn in your passport to win a t-shirt.
If you try every business, you can be entered to win a KitchenAid mixer in the color of your choice. To learn more about the competition, see Visit Macon's website here.
At Z Beans Coffee in downtown Macon, they're hoping people consider adding something new to their coffee ritual.
"We have a special icing this week, which is a raspberry icing on top, on top of the cinnamon roll," owner Dale Fordham said. "It's really good. It's not too tart, it's really sweet, and it just adds a little bit more flavor to that nice cinnamon roll,"
Fordham said it's her first time entering a Macon food competition, and she's looking forward to seeing more customers stop by for it.
"It's been exciting. We've had several people come in and get their passport stamped. They're excited about coming and trying out the different bakery items," she said.
She said it's a good way to put her business on the map for more than just their coffee selection.
"It brings 'em in to our restaurant to realize okay, so we're Z Beans Coffee, but we don't only carry coffee, we have other items as well," Fordham said.
Over at Cashman's Pubb, they're riding high as they freshly crowned winners from the last Macon food competition, the Macon French Fry Fight.
"We participate in the burger week competition, we participate in pretty much any competition that come around cause it's good for business," executive chef Reginald Perkins said.
He said it's been so good for business, it's become the week to beat.
"Burger week was the very first one we did the first year. Yeah, and we actually did more business that week than we did the entire year," Perkins said.
He encourages all other businesses in Macon to sign up for the competitions to help them reel in more repeat customers.
"It brings new customers who haven't had a chance to try us and they become returning customers," Perkins said.