Whitney Holofchak was a mother of two toddlers at Christmastime when she recognized the need for a business that curated and delivered thoughtful gifts. Her idea to create Bonnie + Bud crystallized in a dream.
On her grandmother’s birthday, Dec. 28 in 2014, Holofchak dreamed she and her husband owned a stretch of lush land called Bonnie & Bud Farms. When she awoke, she knew what to do.
She would honor her grandmother, Bonnie, known for hosting Sunday dinners for two dozen family members in Louisville, Ky., and her husband Justin’s uncle Bud, a Southern Renaissance man of sorts, who loved to garden, cook and host in his hometown of Bedford, Va.
As the business grew, Holofchak left a banking job to run Bonnie + Bud. She has honored their legacy by turning gifting into an art form, “turning a feeling into action,” as Holofchak explains.
Her goal is tangible gratitude and making gifting easy, whether it’s for corporate clients, local celebrities, mom friends or solo customers, like the widower who called recently looking for a gift after meeting a woman who made him feel like he’d been “struck by lightning” for the first time in a long time.
Holofchak and her team put together a gift of the woman’s favorite wine, a variety of chocolate, some Piedmont Pennies cheese straws and Elise cashews.
“We can’t wait to know if they’ll get together again,” Holofchak says.
She pays tribute to her family’s Southern hospitality by offering primarily local products. The shelves at Bonnie + Bud are lined with not only Piedmont Pennies, but pretzels from Queen City Crunch, popcorn and peanuts from Bear Food in Matthews, and more.
“We've always enjoyed going to farmers’ markets and other craft markets,” Holofchak says. “We’ve found so many beautiful products and met some really interesting people. I thought, ‘Wouldn't it be nice to be able to share these stories and these products with a broader audience?’”
She discovered Methodical Coffee at a farmer’s market in Greenville, S.C., and East Fork Pottery in Asheville, before it became trendy. She uses organic soaps and body care products from Whispering Willow, based in Denver, N.C., French Broad chocolate from Asheville, Shotwell caramels from Memphis, Tenn. and more.
After Hurricane Helene, Bonnie + Bud curated gift boxes filled with products from Western North Carolina and businesses that had been hard hit by the storm.
It was that attention to local small businesses that helped land her first big client: NASCAR. Holofchak was just six months into assembling gift boxes in her dining room when she got a request for 75 custom gifts for drivers at the end of the 2015 NASCAR season.
She started with flowers from Nectar, the local florist she still uses, and put together Moscow Mule kits, complete with copper mugs and ginger beer.
Holofchak still brings that thoughtful touch to her business 11 years later. She moved out of her garage and garage apartment into a 1,000-square-foot standalone space tucked away on Fenton Place in Eastover five years ago. A year after that, they got their ABC license, adding wine and champagne to their gift boxes. They now have a bottle shop, where they host wine tastings and private events.
Sixty percent of their business is now corporate, including clients in small businesses like travel agencies, local boutiques and property managers.
What sets them apart, Holofchak says, is that every gift is customized. Every order has a section for notes to list if the recipient loves sweets, a good cocktail mix, the scent of lavender, or gardening.
“Our purpose is to spark joy and a sense of community,” she says. “And that’s where it really hasn’t changed, no matter what type of gift or service we’re providing.”
One recent customer was looking for a way to say, “I’m sorry for spilling red wine on a white rug.” Others have come looking for gifts for out-of-town families hosting their children who are off at boarding school or college.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” Holofchak says. “You see this little glimpse into people’s worlds and just how thoughtful they are.”
"She pays tribute to her family’s Southern hospitality by offering primarily local products."