I had the pleasure of interviewing Brayden Pleasants, the founder and president of Red Eye Cookie Co, over the telephone! We discussed Red Eye’s successes and stories and their move they just completed.
How do you feel about Red Eye being so successful?
I don’t like to say ‘lucky’, but rather we’re extremely excited about the positive reception that Richmond has shown, and it’s been so positive since before day one. There was so much excitement around the concept. We’re just thrilled that Richmond loves cookies as much as we do.
What’s your favorite memory in the shop?
We knew there was a lot of excitement leading up to our opening, but Colin and I were still unsure of how we would do on the first night at the shop. We ended up selling out halfway through the night, which was awesome. It blew our minds.
Do you plan on expanding further?
Richmond is always our home, our start, but certainly not our finish. We do have expansion plans, follow us on social media and Facebook to hear about those as they develop in the future.
How did you guys keep your success despite other competitors popping up?
It’s hard to find something you’re passionate about doing and to fault others for doing the same thing. The opening of Campus Cookies and Insomnia was hopefully exciting to customers in offering them more choices. We’re aware of competition and it keeps things exciting. We will continue to hold ourselves up to a high standard of quality and service with a unique brand that people have grown to love.
What’s something you would tell somebody who has never tried Red Eye?
Late night cookie delivery is definitely a fun concept. What people don’t always know about is that we try to take on a gourmet, local angle in addition to a fun one. All of our cookie recipes are our own, the dough is made from scratch and baked to order. We enforce high quality and local ingredients. (Flour comes from Ashland, milk comes from local farms, coffee is local, Black Hand Coffee.) I would encourage them to give us a try, see what all the fuss is about. and if they don’t like it, let us know and we’ll give you a full refund.”
Other things to throw out there:
Red Eye has an app for apple products and is set to hit other markets in October. Our delivery zones extend as far out as University of Richmond. Red Eye cookies are available at retail locations. The rumors are true, ice cream is for sale! The creation of ice cream sandwiches is heavily encouraged.
If you’ve ever visited their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram page, you have heard from Kali Pascual, the face behind their social media accounts. Brayden describes her as doing “a great job of being the voice and personality of the brand.”
What’s your official position title with Red eye?Social Media Manager
What’s your favorite part of being their social media manager?The opportunity to be creative is the best. We have a broad audience that includes families, college students, and twenty-somethings, so writing little bits that are kind of tongue-in-cheek is pretty fun.
How did you get this job? It all started with social media! I Liked their Facebook page a couple months after they opened last year and they put up a post looking for marketing staff. I contacted them saying that cookies are products I can get behind and the rest is history.What’s one challenge you face in the position?With great power comes great responsibility, and there have been many times when friends have tried to convince me to post some *ahem* controversial messages. Social media is so casual, and it’s easy to get caught up in putting too much of your own voice into a company’s message. It’s a good thing that our brand is a little edgier so there’s some wiggle room, but I always have to remind myself to keep with the Red Eye image. It’s a fun challenge, though.What would you tell someone who’s never tried Red Eye?First, I would ask where they’ve been for the past year. Then, I would put a warm cookie in their hands and tell them that their whole world is about to change.
Run on down to their new address, 935 W. Grace, and grab yourself a cookie! Cookies and Cream is my fave.