Christian Sassani
Founder, Owner, Homegrown Cafe & Creations
Philadelphia, PA
“I was in fifth grade. We had to pick what we wanted to be when we grew up and define the career in a 20 slide presentation.
I asked “What do you call the owner of a business?” He responded “A CEO”. The first slide on my PowerPoint proudly displayed “CHRISTIAN SASSANI: A CEO”
Photo by: Hadiya Gaiters
Christian Sassani always knew he’d own his own business. From landscaping gigs in high school to building a recording studio, find out how he landed in the Philly cafe scene as the founder of
HomeGrown Coffee and Creations.
We first met up with Christian back in early 2019 as part of our Owning It Series, and checked in this week to see what HomeGrown is up to as we kick off 2021.
Let’s catch you up:
From the time he was in the fifth grade, Christian knew he was destined to own his own business.
“My teacher gave us a Powerpoint project. We had to pick what we wanted to be when we grew up and define the career with 20 Powerpoint slides.
Even as a kid, I was always fascinated with someone who owned their own business, I felt they could do whatever they want.
I asked “What do you call the owner of a business?” He responded “A CEO”. The first slide on my PowerPoint proudly displayed “CHRISTIAN SASSANI: A CEO”
Photo by: Hadiya Gaiters
What inspired you to make Philly the home for your first cafe?
Family was one of the big factors. I have about 30-35 family members in this neighborhood; my father only lives a few blocks away.
With all of this, passion got involved…passion took over…and the success followed after. Both of these passions were tied to each other for me. Bringing people together is just as important as the quality of the products I serve them.
Catch us up: How was 2020?
2020 has forced us to think outside of the box; to push us to do things we were stalling on for months. Offering our own delivery, for instance, has helped take us to the next level.
Photo by: Hadiya Gaiters
So, besides Christian Sassani, CEO…who are you? How do you spend your free time?
In my free time I like to learn how to invest. I watch a lot of videos and do research on the stock market. I've lost a lot of money starting my own business, but have learned a lot of lessons along the way. I’m hoping for big things in 2021.
Any big plans to look forward to in 2021?
We're moving! In 2021, my uncle and I will be opening our new location this year, in February to be exact. The space has everything we've been looking for--more space, a full kitchen, and amenities that will help us serve the city like never before. We're hoping to make 2021 the best year yet.