For Lora Biron, the opening of her business, Brew and Bake, is a dream come true.
As a child, she always wanted to do something with food.
She spent summers with her great aunt in Oklahoma, learning to decorate cakes.
“This is why I really got into wanting to make desserts and making everything look pretty,” she said.
She lived in New Hampshire for almost 23 years while working in sales and baking on the side. Last year, she moved to Bennettsville to be closer to her family.
“When I got here, I realized it was time for me to go ahead and make my dream come true,” she said.
The ribbon-cutting and grand opening for Brew and Bake, located at 404-C Cheraw Street in Bennettsville, will take place at 8 a.m. on Nov. 8.
“I am very excited about the opening,” she said. “It felt weird for me to go after a dream so late in life, but I realized I am the only one who can make me happy. If I don’t go after it now, it won’t happen.”
During the Nov. 8, there will be samples and raffles.
Regular hours will be from 6 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The business has a drive-thru window.
The business will serve various coffee drinks (drip, espresso, chai tea latte), breakfast sandwiches, and fresh-baked items such as muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cupcakes, and whoopie pies.
Her goal is to have a hearty and simple breakfast.
She will have later hours for people who need to pick up custom bakery orders.
Brew and Bake uses the Grounds and Hounds Coffee Co. brand. Twenty percent of the company’s profits go to canine rescue organizations.
Once Biron decided to open the business, it took five months to renovate the former Sandhill Connextions office. “We did everything ourselves except for the plumbing and electrical,” she said. “It has been a lot of fun seeing what I had in my head in person, it is very surreal.”
On the front wall is a sunflower made from 7,000 buttons and three pounds of coffee beans. It took 47½ hours to complete.
Working on the business has been a family affair for Biron. She received help from her son Hunter, her mother Deborah Cunningham, and sister Janelle Bakogiannis and brother-in-law Daniel, who own Dairy Dream.
“I am lucky to have the support of my family,” she said. “It has been a family effort. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
The business is currently hiring part-time baristas.
Biron has been pleased with the response from people who have purchased baked goods from her booth set up during the quarterly Downtown Market events.
“The response has made me feel good knowing that there are so many customers out there looking for a bakery but also a quick bite to eat in the morning,” she said.
Biron added she liked new things, such as the whoopie pie, which is going over really well.
“I like introducing new items to my customers,” she said.
For information, a menu, or to apply, visit www.brewandbakesc.com or email her at Lora@brewandbakesc.com.