Grandma’s cookies bring back a wave of nostalgia for a lot of us. The smell, the gooey texture, the taste, all of it delectable. For Bryant Jones, founder of Bee J’s Cookies, Grandma’s cookies were more than a tasty treat. They were his future. A baker at heart, Bryant has spent his life perfecting the art of cookie making. Now, with three flavors ready to go, he and his business partner, Andrea O’Neal, are set to share his tasty concoctions with the world through their company, Bee J’s Cookies.
Based out of Washington D.C., Bee J’s Cookies is the brainchild of Bryant Jones and Andrea O’Neal -- two millennials who believe in the convening power of food. On a mission to “make quality sweet treats worth a second helping,” these cookies are available in three delicious flavors: Black Out (double chocolate), Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip, and Florida Sugar. These cookies will satisfy any sweet tooth, or “sweet teeth,” as Bryant and Andrea like to say. Bee J’s Cookies are available online and in Union Kitchen stores.
The story of Bee J’s Cookies doesn’t begin in one location, but in many. The child of a military mom, Bryant spent much of his childhood in various parts of the United States. No matter where he went, though, Bryant would always find a way to spend his summers with his grandma, Sweetie. Making everything from scratch, Sweetie taught young Bryant the art and patience of baking desserts. Years later, Bryant met Andrea, his future business partner, in Washington, DC.
Like Bryant, Andrea grew up with a passion for food and science. One of five, Andrea’s home was always busy. Nevertheless, she managed to secure her time in the kitchen, which was at the heart of her childhood and many amazing memories.
Impressed by Bryant’s cookies, Andrea started bringing them in to her work and received rave reviews. The two soon realized that they were on to something and decided to enter the world of food business. Bryant would supply the baking experience, and Andrea would bring her marketing and communication expertise, gained from her time working at National Geographic.
While looking for a commercial kitchen space to kick start their food business, the two came across Union Kitchen. Excited at the opportunity to be a part of the DC food startup community and impressed by growth opportunities, Andrea and Bryant decided to apply for the accelerator program.
Working closely with Union Kitchen, Bryant and Andrea set up their online store. This gave them a way to test their products and sell directly to consumers, even as coffee shops closed their doors this past spring due to COVID. With their site and subscription service locked and loaded, Bryant and Andrea turned to launching a packaged product into stores. They understood that consumers shop in many ways and to be successful, they needed to launch into retail outlets as well as online. Fast forward a handful of months and BeeJ’s Cookies are now available in three flavors:
Black Out, Florida Sugar, and Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip at all Union Kitchen locations and expanding rapidly. For those with a real hankering for some cookies, you can also try their Cookie Crew Subscriber Box. This means you get get three of their everyday flavors and one exclusive cookie flavor every month. Yum!
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