After working for several large franchise bakeries, Leah Clark decided it was time to fulfill a longtime dream and open Batch Bakery.

Clark opened Batch Bakery in April 2020, initially selling pies, but she eventually began to offer cookies and cakes as well.

“We literally had five flavors of pies,” Clark said. “That’s it.”

The backstory

Clark said she has always enjoyed working in bakeries, adding that she was the field training manager for Nothing Bundt Cakes, where she trained new franchisees on opening bakeries.


“I was like, ‘You know what, I think I can [open a bakery],'” Clark said. “It's been my dream to open and own a bakery.”

What’s in a name?

Clark said she decided on the Batch Bakery on the name because she wanted her store to sell the goods the community needed.

“It could be a batch of cookies or a batch of brownies,” Clark said.


Clark knew she didn’t want her business to have a long name because, despite being well known, she said people often called Nothing Bundt Cakes by the wrong name.

“I wanted [the name] to be short and snappy,” Clark said. “Something that people would remember.”

What makes it special?

Clark used her experience working in franchise bakeries to ensure Batch Bakery looked modern. Additionally, her experience as a trainer also helped to ensure uniformity in the baked goods for sale.


“We do mess up from time to time,” Clark said. “We pull those out and put them in the ‘graveyard,’ meaning staff get to take them home.”

Clark developed standards, including how many dollops of frosting goes on each pie.

In addition, Clark says that customer service is her main focus and wants staff to greet anyone coming into the store with a smile and enthusiasm to help.

“If you’re greeted within the first five seconds, then your anxiety goes down,” Clark said. “If it's your first time in, you don’t know, ‘Do I go up to the counter to order, or are they going to come to me?’”


What’s on the menu?

Batch has six regular flavors—key lime, apple, chocolate cream, coconut cream, pecan chocolate and peanut butter, as well as one or two seasonal flavors on the menu. To develop the flavors Batch Bakery would offer, Clark visited several pie shops in North Texas to see what was popular.

Seasonal flavors are often recommended by staff or customers, Clark said, adding that she will experiment in the kitchen trying to create a new flavor based on the recommendations.

Quote of note


“I wanted to offer flavors you can get at a diner but just a little more elevated,” Clark said.