Cookies N Pints ‘N’ Success

By Aleesia Benkey

More than two years ago, Andra and Kyle Corral first connected with the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network (OCIE SBDC), seeking help opening their dream business. Andra is a trained pastry chef who always dreamed of opening her own bakery, and Kyle and their family motivated her to take action.

On January 1, 2023, Andra and Kyle opened Cookies N Pints in Historic Downtown Upland. What once was a dream became a sweet reality. To celebrate their first year in business, Cookies N Pints hosted a grand opening event on December 9. Surrounded by community members, elected officials, and local business owners, Andra and Kyle said thank you to the OCIE SBDC and the Upland community for their support along the way. 

With the support of OCIE SBDC business consultants Robert Usher and Carla Panzera, the Corrals were positioned to succeed. “From the beginning, Andra and Kyle took the initiative to get things done. Over two years of consulting, they went through multiple city sponsored grant and funding programs with the OCIE SBDC and showed the perseverance to get where they are today,” shared Robert. 

The Corral family has always loved Historic Downtown Upland and knew it would be a perfect place to plant their roots. “We love the small tight-knit community that Upland is, and we appreciate the organizations that support its growth,” said Kyle. 

The OCIE SBDC and the city of Upland connected the Corrals to resources and opportunities for building their small business. “We have been able to take online classes from industry professionals through the SBDC that helped us grow our business. We continue to learn about valuable resources the more we get involved,” said Andra.

Andra and Kyle are committed to building their small business not for themselves, but for their children and their community. “It’s not so much what we’re doing, it’s about who we’re doing it for. We’re doing it for our family and our community. We’re here as a part of the community and we are here to stay,” said Kyle.

Cookies N Pints is open Tuesday through Sunday at 181 N. 2nd Ave., Upland, California. Find them on Instagram as @Cookiesnpints. 

Looking to start or grow your own food-based small business?

Connect with the OCIE SBDC today. We offer business consulting, training, and access to resources to entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties at no cost. As the go-to resource for small businesses, the OCIE SBDC  solutions and opportunities for all small businesses to become successful. Call 1-800-616-7232 or schedule a 15-minute intake appointment

Looking to start or grow your business?

We at the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC, are here to help you with every aspect of your business to help it grow and become successful.
Give us a call at 1-800-616-7232 or schedule a quick, 15-minute intake appointment at ociesbdc.org/consultation to see how we can help you start, grow, and succeed.

Cookies N Pints ‘N’ Success

Mike Daniel is the network director of the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC Network, which assists aspiring entrepreneurs and current business owners throughout Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Mike was formerly the director of the SBDC office at Long Beach City College. As business owner and entrepreneur himself, he started his career as the owner of a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory location in Manhattan Beach and went on to open a second location in Long Beach in 2001. In 2007, Mike sold the Manhattan Beach store for an above-market offer then invested in several additional locations as a minority shareholder. Mike further expanded his candy empire with venture located in Shoreline Village in Long Beach called Sugar Daddies Sweet Shoppe, based on fill-it yourself candy options.

Mike has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.