A new storefront is coming soon for a Cooper home baker. Ashlee Follis of The Sweet Life Confections by Ashlee will open Bryarly Rose Bakery near the Cooper Town Square in coming months.
Follis confirmed with What Now Dallas that her new bakery will be located at 21 North Side Square in Cooper, which is on the eastern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. She said they are working with an architect and need to finalize paperwork before construction begins, but she is hopeful Bryarly Rose Bakery will open in late summer 2023.
The bakery will offer a full-service lunch with soups, salads, and sandwiches, Monday-Friday. They will also offer on-the-go lunch service that will allow people to come in and grab pre-made lunches. The bakery will offer an assortment of individual servings of sweets including her well-known macarons, cookies, cupcakes, and cakes. She also plans to have customizable whole cakes available for last-minute events.
“We’re also going to have an area where you can come in and sit. We’re going to do the free WiFi, so you can come in and get a cup of coffee, grab a pastry, and sit down and chat with friends or if you have some work to do,” Follis explained. A small retail area will feature specialty products and Bryarly Rose merchandise. She plans to add a candy-by-the-pound section for customers to select their own sweets.
In the future, Follis would like to add Saturday service, plus catering and space rental for events. “I would love down the road to be able to do some cookie decorating classes, cake decorating classes, have some events where it’s a Mommy and Me Tea or maybe a women’s brunch.”
Follis’ mom was a culinary arts teacher, and the kitchen was the heart of the family. “I grew up in a family where food was a really big deal, so I’ve always spent my time in the kitchen.” Follis started her home bakery business during COVID. “Before I knew it, I was getting orders each week.” Her husband supported her to continue the business, and now, she is moving on to the next step of opening a storefront.
“It’s a really big endeavor,” she said. “I very much believe this entire endeavor has been a God blessing. My customers have just been absolutely phenomenal.”
The building is owned by Kevin and Lisa Carter, and Follis feels like the opportunity to open Bryarly Rose Bakery in the space was sent by God. “I’m very strong in my faith, and I know that God is not going to set me up for failure,” she said. “I know that it will be a success, but my mind likes to tell me, ‘Oh, you’re not ready for this.’ So, I am excited. I’m scared. I’m ready to get it going,” she shared.
Follis supports small businesses and looks forward to serving the local community. “Our little town needs more business,” she shared. “It’s very important to me to keep that going and to keep our community alive.”
When Bryarly Rose Bakery opens in Cooper, it is sure to become a local favorite. “Whether they stay for 30 minutes for a quick lunch, or whether they end up sitting there hanging out with friends for two hours, I just want a place where people can come in, sit down, eat good food, and spend quality time with each other.”
