We’ve seen a lot of good things come from the cutest pink truck in Buffalo, so we knew we had to find out more! Here’s our exclusive interview with Sassi Cakes cupcake truck owner, Danielle Sass.
What made you want to start your own cupcake business?
It all started as a hobby when I was 21 years old. I was going to Buffalo State for graphic design at the time, where I learned to love and appreciate all kinds of art. This same year, I visited a famous bakery in New Jersey and thought how cool it was to see two worlds combine, art and sweets. After that I started doing it for fun and that fun turned into people asking to order some for special occasions. When I saw that there was money that could be made while doing something I loved, I went for it.
Who taught you how to bake?
The two people that taught me how to bake would have to be my grandmother and mother. They are who I call if I have any questions. Other than them, I kind of taught myself. I love any and all kinds of sweets, so I would eat a chocolate chip cookie and the next day try to make a cupcake that tasted just as gratifying as the cookie. Usually it’s a lot of trial and error to get it the way I want, but that’s the fun part.
Did you start small and work your way up into a cupcake truck?
Yes, I started really small because I still had a few years left in college and was working other jobs. One day the thought came to me that I should try setting up a table at our local farmers market, so I called around to see what I had to do to make it happen. At this time there were no baked goods being sold at the market, so I thought it would be a great marketing tool that would separate me from everyone else. After doing the market for a few years and continuing to cater, I knew it was going to be time to move on to something else. One of my professors for a business class I took always said “When you are starting a business always ask yourself what separates you from the others?” This always stuck with me. I knew I didn’t want a bakery, I wanted to do something different. That summer I was outside with friends when a ice cream truck went by and I thought how cool it would be to have a truck with cake and ice cream. That night I started looking for a truck. I wanted a vintage truck and that is exactly what I found in Cleveland, Ohio. I drove out there twice; once to look at it with my father and another time to pick it up with a trailer. Needless to say it needed a lot of work, so we started right away. As this was all going on, food trucks began popping up in Buffalo and Larkin Square was about to have their first season of food truck Tuesday. Once the truck was completed, we decided to join the food truck team and wait on the original idea. We not only do private and public events with the truck, but we also deliver for all kinds of occasions, and soon you will be able to order online.
What do you love most about being a female entrepreneur?
What I love most about being a female entrepreneur is what it does for other women. Little girls come to the truck and tell me that one day they want to open up their own truck or have their own business and I love hearing that.
What advice would you give to other women who want to open their own business?
Never give up. Owning a business is a lot more work than anyone can really ever explain. Even if you are done physically working for the day, you still have emails, phone calls, invoicing, paper work, billing and inventory. At first it seems overwhelming, but if you don’t give up and keep going, you will learn to love the work and the long hours. Not giving up also goes along with other aspects such as people saying “no” to you. If they say no, keep trying – don’t give up – and if that doesn’t work, try another approach. I think not giving up and hard work are key to any great businesses and are the qualities I see most in the women entrepreneurs who I admire.
Who inspires you?
The list of women who I admire include Anita Roddick, Sara Blakely, Joy Mangano, Tory Burch, and Lori Greiner. All of these women have different stories and history, but they all have a few traits in common; they all are strong, educated, self made entrepreneurs who never gave up and worked extremely hard. It’s women like them who have carved a path for women in business and for us to be taken seriously.
Where do you see your business in 10 years?
I have a lot of big ideas for the business including a storefront. I won’t go into too much detail, but it will be like nothing anyone has seen before. As for the truck, we are going to start selling online so that you can send cupcakes as gifts to loved ones for all occasions. We will require 24-hour notice, but we will deliver all over the area to home residents, business, and hospitals. The cupcakes will be wrapped and tied with a bow. Attached will be a typed message to personalize each package.
For more information on Sassi Cakes, visit www.sassicakes.com or follow Sassi Cakes on Instagram.
If you’d like to have your business featured on Sweet Buffalo, email us at sweetbuffalo716@aol.com to learn more.
