Interview with Liz Fife
Creator of Batter & Cream
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.
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.
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!
