NEW ORLEANS – Abi Caswell, founder and CEO of BATTER a bakery, with locations in Hammond and New Orleans, is a perfect example of the entrepreneurial spirit.
A self-taught baker, Caswell began with a small operation at the Hammond Farmers & Artisans Market and quickly gained a loyal following, opening her first brick-and-mortar store in Downtown Hammond in 2022 with a $40K loan.
“I started out of my house and then expanded to the local farmer’s market,” said Caswell. She sold all 500 cookies in less than an hour at every market. “Our booth became so popular that I started looking for a storefront within the month!”
Since then, the BATTER a bakery team has expanded to 22 employees and the business opened its second location in New Orleans in 2024.
The Tangipahoa Chamber of Commerce honored Caswell with the “2025 Breakthrough Business of the Year” award which honors local start-ups within their first three years of business. “I was nominated and didn’t know I won until the award was presented!” said Caswell.
“Abi’s innovative approach, keen understanding of brand authenticity, and passion for her craft have not only grown her business but also fostered a strong sense of community and support,” the Chamber stated.
Caswell’s success is driven not only by her baking and leadership skills but also includes a healthy dallop of marketing, primarily on social media. She has around 280,000 TikTok followers with 8.5 million likes and just under 26,000 followers on her combined BATTER a bakery Instagram accounts.
A large part of her success involves sharing her entrepreneurial journey online.
“I knew from a young age I wanted to be my own boss. Baking just so happened to be something I enjoyed and was good at. But my real passion is marketing,” said Caswell. “Every day I’m glad I did it. Even my hardest, most stressful days are better than any day before I owned BATTER.”
Social media has also helped BATTER a bakery reach a much wider audience allowing it to reach customers nationwide. “I think TikTok has been a huge part of our shipping business for sure, and also local awareness. I think that social media marketing is the most superior form and also it’s free. What could be better than that?” said Caswell.
In August 2024, a candid TikTok video posted by Caswell went viral, garnering over 7 million views. The video about a customer who failed to fully pay for a custom-made, $77 cake showcased Caswell’s ability to handle difficult situations with humor and style.
As for the future, Caswell says she’s happy with the two locations for now. “I’m focused on getting these two locations to their peak performance and improving our current operations,” she said.
Caswell serves on the Hammond Downtown Development District’s Marketing and Advertising Committee and Downtown Merchant Committee.
Batter a bakery can be found here, on TikTok here and here, on Instagram here, and on Facebook here.
