Teen starts a cookie business to give him and his mom a fresh start
Cory Nieves started Mr. Cory’s Cookies at six years old in 2010 because he wanted to raise money to buy a car for his mother. They had recently moved to New Jersey and Cory didn’t want to take the bus to school.
He and his mom started with a hot cocoa stand and other seasonal drinks but then got the idea to switch to cookies because people buy them year-round. Instead of recipes online, the novice bakers came up with their own formula. Eventually, they made the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
Before they knew it, Mr. Cory’s Cookies were a hit.
“We grew so fast that we had over 10,000 backorders,” Cory told In The Know.
Things weren’t always ideal for the mother and son. Howard had Cory when she was 16 years old and Cory moved from foster care to homeless shelters before New Jersey offered a fresh start.
“We moved to New Jersey for a better life and we’re building this business for a better future,” his mother, Lisa Howard, told In The Know. “So we’re able to help single moms and at-risk kids to show them if we could do it, they can do it too.”
The mother encouraged Cory to keep up the business to start a college fund. They expanded to a bigger kitchen and obtained all the required licenses to properly start a business.
“My mom and I, we have a great relationship,” Cory said. “She helped me with the business… She’s not like no one else you know. You can’t make a second copy of her.”
The pair invited In The Know into their test kitchen to create an Independence Day version of their signature birthday cookie. When the cookies are ready, Cory takes a bite. He’s given up on being humble.
“I used to be so humble about my cookie business,” he declared. “But now I understand, mine are the best.”
If you liked this story, check out In The Know’s article on this 15-year-old gamer who makes six figures a year playing “Fortnite”.
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