Never Knew I'd Be Having So Much Fun

Interview with Liz Fife

Creator of Batter & Cream

www.batterandcream.com

with Kathryn Gordon of Food Startup Help

Kathryn:  Hi Liz!  How’s everything going for Batter & Cream – it’s been a few months since you’d hired Food Startup Help to get you launched with the whoopie pies!    What’s new?

Food Startup Help worked with Liz for completing a business plan, product R&D and production efficiency optimization.  

Lineup of Batter & Cream Whoopie Pies

Liz:  Things are going great!  I was in Brooklyn Flea outdoor market thru till the holidays.  I will definitely do that again this spring – and may actually take a booth in the new indoor Smorgasborg market, depending on availability for February-March.  It was great being able to meet my customers directly.

        Liz at Brooklyn Flea in the fall

Kathryn:  How were sales?

Liz:  We sold out every weekend!

Kathryn:  And are you still doing your production at Hana (an incubator kitchen in Sunset Park, Brooklyn)?

Liz:  Yes, I am with 1-2 baking assistants depending on my sales volume.  I am however a bit frustrated with sharing the ovens – sometimes I have to fight bigger companies for oven space, so I am looking at “my next production options” for this year as well.

Kathryn:  I can see from your social media that you’ve been doing some events. Tell me about the one with the Brooklyn Nets?

Liz:  Deron Williams has a charity to raise funds for autism.  I had reached out to an events planner I knew and was very pleased to be able to provide whoopee pies for the fundraising event.

Liz and Deron Williams at the autism fundraiser event; Batter & Cream was the dessert sponsor 

Kathryn:  Remind me when you started working on Batter & Cream, and why you decided to focus on whoopee pies? 

Liz:  The company official launch date was September 25, 2013 – but I think I began working with Food Startup Help around April, batting around potential product ideas, and then worked throughout the summer getting the recipes down.

Why whoopie pies?  I wanted to open my own business.  I had made a bunch of desserts for a party, and it just kind of occurred to me nobody was doing whoopie pies in the tri state area.  I knew people were sick of eating cupcakes, and looking for the “next thing,” here I am with delicious whoopie pies!  Which are much easier to eat than messy cupcakes!

Kathryn:  And you have a variety of flavors and sizes?

Liz:  We feature the flavor-of-the-month, and have seasonal specialties that rotate in and out throughout the year.  I offer flavors that are sophisticated – not too sweet – and appeal to adults equally as children.  The whoopie pies are also available in 2 sizes, so people can pick up one to eat right away, or order a selection in a special package for a party.

Selection of whoopie pies from the website in custom, clear packaging

Kathryn:  What’s next for Batter & Cream?

Liz:  I feel like we’re in a phase where we have to “go for it,” to drive up our sales volumes.   I can reach some customers through direct sales at farm markets and sell on the website – but I really need volume.  In the beginning, I think new businesses rely a lot on “friends and family” sales.  Now we’re ready to grow, not just hold our heads above water.  So this week I’ve narrowed it down to 2 PR companies, and will be hiring one to help me get more market exposure.

Kathryn:  Can I ask you how much a PR firm costs?  Knowing that would help our blog readers who have thought about doing that for their food companies, but aren’t sure if they have the budget for it.

Liz:  $3,500 to $5,000 a month. 

Kathryn:  I think that will really pay off for you.  I’m happy you will be able to do that for the business.

 A delicious, unique  flavor with goat cheese, fresh figs and honey

Liz:  At this point I am constantly talking about the business, and figuring out how to expand.  I have also been looking at pop up stores, to try a location with good foot traffic for a few months.  I know I will get a good profit margin also offering beverages – and can offer other ancillary products like “fillings in a jar,” if I have a retail location.  I expect to be open in a pop up within the next few months; an excellent location is waiting to tell me when the next dessert slot is available.

Kathryn:  Then you’ll need more employees!

Liz:  That’s right!  One of my bakers is interested in helping with weekend sales, and I recently hired a friend as my right hand person to help me with the business end, paperwork, etc.

Kathryn:  What has been the biggest obstacle to starting the business?  Was it some of the production obstacles you and I encountered when we first transitioned from R&D at your apartment to a commercially licensed kitchen? 

Liz:  No, I knew that would work itself out.  I’d say that the website was the issue – it took 3 times as long as it was supposed to, and still doesn’t do everything exactly as I want.  I recently parted ways and have hired a new website company.  It really was a horrible process because every time I lined up my production and marketing to begin selling – the website wasn’t ready yet and I lost customers and sales.

An early event for People's Style Watch Magazine

Kathryn:  And what’s the overall conclusion so far, as you leave a “friends and family phase” and are poised for growth?

Liz:  This has been an amazing experience overall – I constantly find myself doing things I never thought I’d be dealing with.   There are so many different parts to opening your own business – it can be overwhelming at times, but it is so much fun!

Liz Fife

Want to Get Started with Low Start-Up Money? You need an Incubator Kitchen

Interview with Michasel Hu

Pastry Chef/Owner Hana Enterprises

www.hanaenterprises.com

With Jessie Riley, Jeff Yoskowitz and Alan Someck

(Editor’s note: Michael Hu, acclaimed Pastry Chef, is owner of a wholesale pastry business and an incubator kitchen)

Jessie:  Hi Michael; since I worked with you here about 6 years ago, you’ve really expanded your space here in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Michael:  We now have 12,000 square feet total space.  I actually expanded after the economic downturn because my own wholesale clients weren’t ordering as much product.  People who had lost their jobs wanted to start their own food businesses.  But not all entrepreneurs have the business financing they hope for to fulfill their dream.

My open commercial kitchens were the perfect match for entrepreneurs to rent.   We’re open 24 hours a day for 3 production shifts a day. It’s fully equipped, offers office space, laundry and cold storage. Parking is possible and it is near the subway. 

Jeff:  How do clients find you?

Michael:  We have an open house the first Saturday of each month (10 am – 2 pm).  Everyone is welcome!

Section of Hana Enterprises Checklist for Incubator Clients

Alan:  How many kitchens do you operate?

Michael:  Currently we have 10 kitchens here.  Not all are operated for pastry – it ranges from candy to BBQ, mac and cheese to macarons, sausages to granola, and organic dog food to ice cream. 

Jeff:  So you have USDA oversight?

Michael:  Yes. We email the production schedule to the USDA inspector, so they can choose whether to be onsite or not. 

 

Chef Michael with the production schedule

Jessie:  Are you still doing some of your own production here?

Michael:  Yes, I am still producing and selling kosher pastries.

Jessie:  How do you juggle your own production and that of all your clients?

Michael:  We have a central scheduling system.  In fact, I have staff that runs all the centralized machinery for everyone, and it is also inspected after each use.  For example, we have direct wired the Hobart mixers so they have to be turned on by my staff – not people renting the kitchen. That ensures it is all fully operational and maintained for everyone.  

Some of Hana's Hobart Mixers

Alan:  Kathryn knows you from 1995 and we know you were the Executive Pastry Chef at the Waldorf-Astoria, have competed internationally and you have been named Top Ten Pastry Chef of the year.  Having that experience for an entrepreneur to draw on, what else distinguishes Hana from other incubator kitchens?

Michael:  Our management staff is quite experienced in the food field and are valuable resources for anyone starting or growing a food business.  We are also an approved vendor for Birch Street, which makes it possible for you to sell your product to all Hyatt and Marriott hotels. 

 Birch Street vendor

Jessie:  How do you decide what products you will back up for distribution through Birch Street?

Michael:  It has to be made with really great ingredients and it has to taste really good, and I have to believe it will be sustainable at a higher production level.

Jeff:  You have supported some very successful start-ups here; what do you see as the key signs if a food entrepreneur will succeed, or not?

Michael:  Assuming they have a good product, it is hard to find the right sales margins.  Then when they are able to optimize that, they need to streamline their production.  Some just increase production of product without optimization – and eventually that stunts growth.

Alan:  What outlets do your clients sell through?

Michael:  80% of my tenants sell in farm markets, and/or wholesale to stores.  Direct sales have a higher profit margin than going through distributors.  Incubator clients typically do not have the funds for building a brick and mortar location.

 Edible Brooklyn's picture of a production kitchen at Hana

Alan:  Is the incubator commercial kitchen here to stay? 

Michael:  We have good tenancy here now; I believe there is strong demand for incubator resources now, given the number of people who want to be entrepreneurs.  I’ve actually been looking at opening another location in the Bronx. 

Alan:  What’s next for you with Hana Enterprises?

Michael:  I want to attract bread bakers.  I see a need for a “central oven,” like when people years ago made their own dough and brought it to the baker to bake.  Except this could be for multiple artisan bread manufacturers, not just individuals. I would like that to be a center point where one day I can open my facilities to also become markets where the incubator clients can easily sell their products.

Alan: That sounds great Michael We’re really impressed with what you’ve done here.

Hot Bread Kitchen

Wholesale, Retail and Incubator Space

Hot Bread Kitchen

Interview with Kathryn Gordon, Jeff Yoskowitz and Jessie Riley

Food Start Up Help recently visited Hot Bread Kitchen, and met with Molly Crossin (Communications & Development Director) and CBO (Chief Bread Officer) Ben Hershberger for a tour.   Hot Bread Kitchen is located in Spanish Harlem’s historic La Marqueta at 115^th Street and Park Avenue, and is open Monday – Saturday 8 am – 6 pm.  Visit their website, www.hotbreadkitchen.org to learn more about their artisan products, on-the-job training programs, and community events.

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Kathryn:  Hi Ben, I haven’t seen you since you were at Per Se.  And now you’re here, in Hot Bread Kitchen!  Molly, it’s nice to meet you!  Can you tell us about Hot Bread Kitchen?

Molly:  Our mission is to increase economic security for foreign born and low income people.  We work with the community through:  on-the-job training programs to work with our bakers and produce wholesale/retail breads, and also offer an incubator commercial kitchen space available for lease by entrepreneurs. 

Kathryn:  Ben, what are the differences from working in a traditional production kitchen and here, where you do production but also are a training program at the same time? 

Ben:  It’s challenging, but I love it.  In the outside world, I had complete control over who was hired, and fired.  Here, we work with people to figure out how we can train them for future, outside jobs.  I figure out who’s best suited for what tasks.  For instance, some people are excellent at shaping breads while others are really good at the actual baking of the product.

Jessie:  I see that you have some great training/kitchen organization materials here for the trainees.  How long do the trainees work, here at Hot Bread Kitchen?

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Molly:  There is no typical length of time.  For some it’s a year, for others many years. 

Kathryn:  And besides the production facility, you also have a classroom.  You have lots of great bread books here!

Molly:  We do counseling, and English-language classes.  It’s very one-on-one with each of our trainees.  Someone is having a review right now, in fact.

Jeff:  How often do you take on new trainees?

Ben:  I’m evaluating one today.  She’s working in the shaping room, and just came to me through our application process.  So far, she’s picking it up well.  I have to look at how someone “fits into the team,” and how quickly they can pick up a particular skill to determine if they are a good fit.

Right now, they are all shaping bialys.

Kathryn:  I see spiral mixers, proofer/retarders and other bread making equipment I recognize, but I don’t recognize all the equipment!  Can you tell us what’s new in the kitchen?

Ben:  This is our tortilla production line.   We just got a machine for the corn nixtamalization – which is the process to treat corn with lime to increase its nutritional content. 

Jeff:  Where do you source your ingredients?

Ben:  We try to work with organic and local ingredients when I can.  I am getting some of my corn and flours from western NY State.  It’s good:  the bakers learn how to interact with the dough and evaluate the hydration, because the flours vary between deliveries.  They learn more that way, which is useful when they get outside jobs.

Jessie:  Molly, can you tell us about the incubator kitchen facility?

Molly:  We work with up to 50 clients at a time here, and offer incubator client workshops to help support them.  The application process and rates is outlined on our website, www.hotbreadkitchen.org.  In addition, we lease to a certain number of commercial clients; they have to be “up and running” before they can apply here, with a developed product and a bit of a customer base. 

You can also take a virtual tour of the facility on the website.

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Jessie:  Thank you so much for the tour and your time!