Photo provided
This was the first flyer that KMS student A’Naria Williams released for her homemade cookie business. She has since grown the business to be successful in Michigan City.
Krueger student A’Naria Williams excels with baked goods business
By A’Niyah Fly
Staff writer
MICHIGAN CITY – A’Naria Williams delivers service with a smile.
A’Naria, an eighth grader at Krueger Middle School, sells her delicious cookies as the Kute Kookie Kid. She started the business in 2022 and now sells cookies all around Michigan City.
“I feel like it opened my eyes to how food can really bring people together,” A’Naria said of her business.
It all started when her grandmother encouraged her to start a business because her family members enjoyed her cookies so much.
“When I first started I did feel like it wasn’t going anywhere,” A’Naria said. “But, after I advertised and after I actually built my clientele I feel like it took off, and it gave me motivation to keep going.”
A’Naria’s mother, Kiera Williams, helped A’Naria pursue her business by helping her build her professionalism, how to work with quality over quantity and how to market her business to the public.
A’Naria started working at small business events such the First Friday Art Walk Summer Series, MC SOULFEST & Small Business Expo and an event held by FLUID Coffee Roasters.
“(A’Naria’s) really a people person,” Kiera Williams said. “They started off just buying her cookies because they loved her personality, and then they were like, ‘Oh, these cookies are good!’”
Krueger vice principal John Boyd is one of the people who likes her cookies.
“They melt in your mouth,” Boyd said. “I don’t know what ingredients she uses, but they are amazing. As people would say in the old days, she put her foot into making those cookies.”
He was also impressed by A’Naria’s creativity and her product in general.
“I think she has a very bright future,” Boyd said.
KMS educator Brandon Williams also thinks A’Naria’s cookies are excellent.
“It would not surprise me if years from now (A’Naria) is a multimillionaire,” Brandon Williams said.
He hopes the community will build A’Naria up.
“Young adults, especially young black male or female adults, when they have something going for themselves we have to support it,” Brandon Williams said.
A’Naria does volleyball, is in advanced classes, plays basketball, participates in Michigan City Soul Steppers Drill Team Inc., is a member of her school’s student council and also is in journalism. Because of that, she gets tired.
“Sometimes I just don’t have the energy or feel motivated to bake, but the people I give back to give me motivation,” A’Naria said.
In the future A’Naria wants to continue to grow her cookie business into adulthood. She also wants to be in the babysitting business, and she is going to work hard to pursue that goal.
“She has the support of me and my mom, and we’ll back her 100 percent,” Kiera Williams said. “I just want her to go for whatever she wants to be and not limit herself.”
Destiny Elliott contributed to this report.
Video by A’Naria Williams, edited by Destiny Elliott and staff
Even as a youngster, A’Naria was a people person. This is a snippet of a video she created on her aunt’s phone as part of her personal vlog.