DENVER — A lot of entrepreneurs will tell you not to go into business with family. But two cousins out of CU Boulder have found a way to make it work, and now they're helping energize Coloradans on the go. You're in good company this week with Byte Bars.
Sabina Rizzo and Casey Nunnelly are in business now. But first and foremost, they're family.
"It's tough," said Rizzo, who co-founded Byte Bars with Nunnelly. "Because it's hard to put on the work hat, versus the cousin hat, versus the friend hat."
They've turned their active lifestyles and experience as high school and college athletes into a new line of energy bars.
"Growing up as female athletes, we realized that the market was in need for a better-tasting, better-for-you energy bar," said Nunnelly. "So we gave the energy bar market a Gen Z makeover."
That's how Byte Bars began.
"When we were first making the products, it was just a tablespoon, a food processor, and five ingredients," said Nunnellly. "When we scooped it out of the food processor, it was just like one little bite."
The wholesome snacks come in four flavors packed with organic nutrients to get you through your day.
"We heard from a lot of people with nut allergies, so we made a nut-free, vegan protein bar," Nunnelly said about their Lemmy Razz-flavored, high-protein bar. "It's 11 grams of high protein, eight grams of fiber."
Colorado has been a perfect proving ground for their product. Byte Bars are now available at Leevers Locavor, several Whole Foods locations, and King Soopers in Summer 2022. But the company initially got its start in the CU Boulder library.
"It was kinda like, 'Hey, we are/were students here, and won't you support us?'" said Rizzo. "That's where we were studying, and it's the best place for a quick snack for people at the library."
So, whether it's pulling all-nighters or hiking 14ers, they hope it's the right boost for your adventure, just as it's been for them.
"The best energy bars on the market!" said Nunnelly.
Byte Bars just signed on as sponsors of the Denver Colfax Marathon, and will be available at Yoga on the Rocks at Red Rocks Amphitheater.
