Meet Emily Sgambato | Caffeine Addict & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Sgambato and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always loved coffee, but I love the community that surrounds it most of all. Ever since I was in high school, I thought “Oh if I ever make enough money, I hope I can open a coffee shop on the side of [insert whatever dream career I had at the time].” Flash forward to my junior year of college, I had been unhappy in most every internship within my major’s field, and felt like I’d lost direction of what I wanted to do. I’ll try to keep this brief, but coming from a background of faith, I felt led very early on in life to pursue something around missional work, specifically with an orphanage in Thailand. In my loss of direction, I had the epiphany that community around coffee doesn’t have to stop here, and I don’t have to have a savings account full of money to start what I really wanted to do. That’s when I decided to start very small – I’m talking an $100 cart off Wayfair & a tiny home espresso machine – and that’s when Cassia Coffee was given life on my front porch. There’s something special in taking an everyday item, such as a cup of coffee, and allowing it to change the trajectory of someone’s life. Really my only thought process was: I want to create community locally, but make an impact globally.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Cassia Coffee is a full service coffee bar on wheels, complete with handcrafted syrups & a specialty menu. Cassia Coffee has gone through many different seasons & iterations, but for right now, Knockin Roots Plant Co in East Nashville houses my sweet cart every Thursday & Friday. I do mobile events the rest of the week / weekends. This allows me to have space for regulars / locals, but also be able to meet new friends & share special moments like wedding days.

What I’m most proud of is the way this little cart can make global & local impact – A portion of profit is donated to an orphanage in Thailand helping students aging out go to college. Knowing this makes every cup special for me, and feels like my small way of showing up for people. One of my biggest goals is for people to come to me for the quality of coffee & come back because they also loved the environment.

There really is so much love & labor that goes into every cup – It starts with the farmers who grow quality beans, to the roasters who take their time perfecting the tasting notes, to the small business owners like me who wake up early to serve it & spend countless hours prepping & creating — coffee carts can seem so romantic on the outside, but it truly is a LABOR of love through a chain of hands involved. There’s so much vulnerability in starting a business from the ground up, giving it your all, & just praying people show up too.

I care so little about if I’m remembered. I really just want to be known for creating spaces where people felt loved and welcomed, and most of all, quietly making a difference beyond just coffee — like supporting this orphanage that’s so close to my heart.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh my goodness, this is tough. I’m a coffee snob, so for the best coffee in town I’d go to Elegy or Subliminal Coffee. For food, I go crazy for Ladybird Taco, Little Hats, Smiling Elephant & Curryboys BBQ, but upscale, Iggy’s is one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Jeni’s for ice cream, of course.

I love a view, so the pedestrian bridge is a go-to, but Fort Negley holds a sweet spot as well. Narrows of the Harpeth for sunrise. I’m sure there are a million things I’m forgetting – So many favorites!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To my village : My wildly supportive husband & friends. I would be nowhere without you & all the dollars you spend on my silly little coffees.

Instagram: @cassia.coffee

Image Credits
Penny Kapadoukakis (@pennykapa)