Dine and Discover Queens: Celeste Sassine, CEO and Owner of Sassy Sweet Vegan Treats
It’s “Dine and Discover Queens” time! “Dine and Discover Queens” is a monthly spotlight on some of the best food and drink options from around the borough! This month, we are featuring Celeste Sassine, CEO and Owner of Sassy Sweet Vegan Treats, a bakery offering delicious vegan options. To learn more, go to https://sassysweetvegantreats.com/.
What inspired the creationof your restaurant, and how did you get your start?
The inspiration came from my daughter, Cheyenne. She wanted to attend a mission trip to Texas to help rebuild houses after a hurricane. We needed $1700 to send her, so we sold cookies. God blessed us to sell cookies at her school: two for $1 in a ziplock bag. We sold cookies for two weeks and paid off the trip! I told her that we are done, but Cheyenne said, "No, we are not; we can help someone else go." We sold more cookies and were able to donate $400 to help another child attend. God is so good.
What makes your products unique?
I became vegan in 2017. I've always had a sweet tooth and could not find anything that tasted good. The items were hard, crumbly, too sweet, overpriced or tasted like hay! I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe I liked, tried it, tweaked it, tweaked it some more, and Sassy Sweet Vegan
was born. We are unique because we use the best clean ingredients, no artificial additives, or preservatives, and you don't need a dictionary to read our labels.
Are there dishes or drinks that have become beloved by the Queens community, and how do you get involved in the surrounding community?
I LOVE BAKING. I could do it all day. The community continues to order many items: cookies, challah bread, cinnamon rolls, and cakes. I love going to farmers' markets; we meet so many different people. I get tickled when they taste it and say, "No way this is vegan." They are always shocked when they see us & say, "I have been looking for vegan, my daughter or cousin is gluten-free." All of those comments make me smile.
