At the tender age of six, budding culinary entrepreneur, Cory Nieves, took to heart that time old adage, “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade” turning to baking to help alleviate a challenging situation for his family.
He and his mother, Lisa, were newly transplanted to the North Jersey suburbs from Manhattan and found themselves struggling to get around and transition their new life without a car.
Ever-enterprising — Cory was once known for selling hot cocoa and, no surprise: lemonade, in front of Chelsea Piers when still living in the city – he decided he wanted to sell cookies to help his mother purchase a car. And after spending a few months experimenting in the kitchen with recipes from the folks at The Food Network, Cory (with some help from his mother) landed on a chocolate chip cookie recipe that he could call his own.
And that’s literally what he did, naming his company, Mr. Cory’s Cookies.
Mr. Cory – and his cookies – have become quite the sensation in Bergen County. Set up at Farmer’s Markets throughout the area, you cannot miss his supercool style. His charm and poise have him well suited for a career in sales, but have also afforded him some amazing opportunities in the fashion and entertainment industries (Mr. Cory also works as a child actor/model).
And his cookies are pretty darn tasty. Boasting all-natural ingredients with no preservatives, each cookie is hand made and has a shelf life of just about two days. Mr. Cory tells me his most popular variety is the Chocolate Chip, but his menu of options ranges from Oatmeal Raisin and Peanut Butter to Madagascar and White Chocolate Chip. In total, he offers approximately eleven varietals but the menu changes daily and is always evolving. They’re priced at $10 per dozen but they can also be purchased a la carte at his Farmer’s Market stands for about $2 a bag.
Mr. Cory is nine now, and as he is growing, so is his business. As Farmer Market season starts to wind down, his cookies can be found at Englewood establishments like the Market Place (TMP) within the Brownstone Condo Complex, as well as Flea Markets in New York City. His mother tells me that they are looking to expand his cookie offering into area restaurants and he’s currently running a crowd funding campaign through GoFundMe.com to purchase a delivery vehicle.
There’s also a reality show potentially in the works.
Is there anything this kid can’t do? He’s one smart cookie, that’s for certain.
Lisa Pisano is a Bergen-county based lifestyle blogger, PR/Social Media consultant and content director. Her love and appreciation of food began at an early age, in the kitchen of her Italian-American home, and then extended to a fascination and enjoyment of all things foodie as an adult. Food is very much a central part of Lisa’s personal life — from partaking in culinary vacations and walking tours to dining throughout the NY/NJ Metro Area and developing original recipes. Professionally, she’s worked as the first in-house PR Manager of Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education and has provided consulting and content creation to food websites and restaurants. Lisa brings her passion for food, fashion, family and pop culture to life through her blog,mom a la mode. Follow Lisa on Twitter @momalamode and onFacebook.com/momalamode.
