We recently connected with Jen Musty and have shared our conversation below.
Jen , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?
Batter would not be where it is today if it were not from the support received from friends and family over the years. Beyond “cheerleading” from the sidelines, my support network has truly stepped up in times of need, especially in the early years. I have fantastic memories of my entire family helping make & box pies at Thanksgiving; friends coming in for late night cookie icing marathons; neighbors dropping off snacks for me during the holiday season to help keep me fueled for the long hours. Above all of those close to me, my brother was absolutely the number one supporter of Batter. A designer by trade, he created amazing graphics, signage, and visuals, helping us solidify our brand over the years. He would show up to physically support as well – whether it was helping scoop cookies when we had a huge unexpected order and I was working late into the night; or building pop-up shops with my now husband. The longer we have been established, the more reluctant I am to ask friends and family for hands-on support, now that we have staff and resources for operations. Still, a handful of those near to me love volunteering for an evening or two to help during the busiest times of year- a small dose of holiday cookie making is festive and enjoyable for them! I share treats with them, and it’s a happy exchange, with holiday music as a soundtrack to the comraderie!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
The early days of Batter began in 2006, when I was still working full-time as an accountant, just out of college. After two years of tinkering and slinging some baked goods on the side, I took Batter full-time in May of 2008. I could not resist the entrepreneurial draw, and the creative opportunity that starting a bakery presented. With absolutely no experience in the food industry prior, I dove in with ambition and naivety! A self-taught/mom-taught baker, I laugh a bit now at my 23-year old self who was certain she could make a name herself in the competitive food environment of the Bay Area.
Batter was built on nostalgic, classic baked goods, elevated with premium ingredients and unique recipe twists. Even now, I find it interesting to watch flashy pastry trends come and go. Batter has always offered cozy, approachable baked goods that people love to enjoy daily. While we may not be the bakery that people stand in line for an hour for, just to get their Instagram shot, we are the bakery that customers return to time and time again. Baked goods are appropriate for everything! Celebration, catching-up with friends, consolation, indulgence, and even just simple enjoyment.
While operating a bakery is far from idyllic, the joy that our goods bring to customers is what keeps me motivated after all these years. Whether it is a facial expression, a warm email, or a twinkle in someone’s eye, people are truly passionate about their baked goods, and I love being a part of that experience.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I think resilience is one of the most essential qualities of a small business owner. I always joke that being a business owner is like being a pop up punching bag. You’ll be knocked down over and over. If you want to survive, you need to be prepared to pop right back up, no matter how defeated you feel. I can recount many stories of resilience. One of the earliest was when trying to start our first retail presence, a tiny kiosk on a street corner of the financial district of San Francisco. In early 2009, there were not yet food carts, mobile food facilities, or ghost kitchens. I happened upon an empty kiosk that had been a flower stand for 15 years. I resourcefully hunted down information on the building management, presented my idea, along with a business plan and renderings, and was thrilled when they loved the idea. Then, I was hit with “No. No. No.” multiple times from the SF Health Department when I submitted an application. Long story short, through an incredible amount of persistence, some wise advice from a colleague, and several more rounds of applications, we finally received approval to open our kiosk in August 2009. The kiosk has been open ever since. If it were not for the punching bag popping back up after each now, our iconic SF kiosk would never exist!
After that – I can’t even count the number of knockdowns we’ve had. Flooding in our kitchen (multiple times, different kitchens); rejection for funding; major staffing issues; challenging landlords; broken equipment or power outages; COVID!; overdrawn bank accounts; theft. You name it, we’ve probably experienced it. Pop right back up, or give up.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.batterbakery.com
- Instagram: @batter
Image Credits
Karl Nielsen Photography