Bravory Bakehouse is nearly ready to serve, in more ways than one. The concept is brought to you by Erin and Nick Vandre — yup, the same people behind Kind Cookie Company, with those same absolute units of cookies stuffed, topped and baked with a variety of flavors and mix-ins. They’ve rebranded and moved into a physical space at 974 S Bennett St., Southern Pines. They decided to pivot the brand to more closely align to their overall mission, supporting military communities and spouses, as Nick retired from active duty service back in January. They also had some confusion and issues with the name “kind” so they decided to just make their own word, as one does.
Their definition of bravory is: “The quiet strength to keep going and the courage to turn adversity into purpose. A blend of bravery and victory, rooted in heart, authenticity and grit. Unlike bold, heroic acts, bravory lives in the every day — it’s the unseen resilience to rise, endure and create meaning from struggle. Not just a moment of courage but a way of life.”
Nick says, “we didn’t want anyone to ever take the word from us,” which is why they trademarked it now because they have big plans. Erin says the word is a nod to military spouses because they show up for their partners every day. It also contains the word “bravo” which Nick says is essentially applauding spouses for their own sacrifices.
The shop’s aesthetic is going for a WWII Americana vibe with a modern twist. “Everyone seems to think about that time period in the same way,” says Nick. “We want everyone to feel like they’re a part of something. Part of the American community.”
So what’s on the menu? Erin and their COO / co-owner Rebecca Reynolds curated a lineup any sweet tooth would adore. “Erin spent a lot of time crafting the recipes down to a chemical level. She takes a very scientific approach,” says Rebecca. “But Rebecca has a lot of the classical training,” adds Erin.
In addition to ginormous cookies with rotating flavors the OG company was known for, you will also see giant cinnamon rolls, brownies (including gluten free) and the option to add premium soft-serve to anything on the menu. For drinks you can get milks, drip coffee, cold brew, juices, old-fashioned sodas or a float. Nick is excited about the soft serve being a high fat content, making it extra rich. And yes, you’ll be able to order a heated cookie with soft serve on the side.
“We want to be a destination bakery,” says Rebecca.
Eventually they want to stay open later in the evenings to reach the evening crowd *raises hand*. “We wanted to do something more fun and creative with this place,” says Erin. “There’s nowhere to get late night dessert other than ice cream.”
But the mission doesn’t end there. “We want people to be more conscious as consumers and we also want to influence other businesses to give back,” says Nick. That’s why they are going to rotate nonprofits to give back to quarterly. They will also feature a “hometown heroes” section on their website, where anyone can nominate a spouse that deserves recognition.
Bravory will accept online orders and ship all around the country once it’s fully open. The new website is still in the works but should be up and running soon. Their giant pink mixer named “Big Betty” will be putting in some work between online and front of house orders. So, they plan to get into the swing of things before maneuvering into evening hours.
Their soft opening is this Saturday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. After that, hours will be Wednesday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until sold out.
