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At just 19 years old, Kamily Flores opened Craft Protein Bar in Cranford last November. And she's got a message for the non-believers:
"Don't underestimate us."
The Elizabeth resident grew up watching her parents run a cafe of their own and knew quickly, she wanted to the same.
"I grew up around entrepreneurial spirit," said Flores, a business marketing major at Union County College. "We like to work for ourselves."
Flores felt her age worked to her advantage.
"I'm young, I have nothing to lose," she told Daily Voice in a phone call Monday, Feb. 20. "I wanted to give healthy, yummy alternatives to the community."
Motivated by developing customer relations, Flores opened Craft at 38 N. Avenue E on Nov. 26, 2022.
Craft sells a wide variety of beverages, most of which contain protein, including shakes, caffeinated drinks, pre-workout teas and more.
She says the most challenging part of the job is brushing off comments from people who have little faith in her business.
"Young people can open businesses, even if they're online only," she said.
"A lot of people underestimate us — they say we’re not experienced and that leads to people not believing in themselves. Many people say that they'll wait to open their own business until they're 30 or 40, but that doesn't have to be the case.
"If you have something you're passionate about and want to make it happen, why not?"
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