Our Story
Cassandra Chen began CC Made with a simple idea, a flavorful and quality caramel. As a caramel lover she was never satisfied with the flavor of mass manufactured caramels. Through trial and error she learned that to develop the flavor she was craving she only needed a few simple ingredients: sugar, water, an open flame, patience and perfect timing. This simple but time consuming recipe is why mass manufactured caramels lack the depth of flavor that Cassandra was craving.
She began making caramel corn and candies in her kitchen in 2009 intending just to have a small booth at farmers markets that she could run with her family. With the caramel products gaining in popularity, Cassandra began to experiment with more items and sell beyond the farmers market. “I remember sitting at baseball games, when the kids were little, when Cassandra said she was working on caramel sauces as her next step. We were all very happy taste testers.” Says longtime friend and taste tester Camille.
With her business growing Cassandra needed to move from her kitchen at home to a commercial kitchen. She tried a rent by the hour kitchen, but needed more. In 2012 she bought Café Fanny granola from Alice Waters and moved CC Made into the Café Fanny kitchen where she began to grow her product line even more.
In the early hours of the morning on August 3rd, 2017 a devastating electrical fire tore through the production facility of Café Fanny Granola and CC Made caramel, leaving Cassandra Chen with a difficult decision, close the business she had worked so hard for, or find a way to survive. After looking through the debris, Cassandra realized that with a little cleaning and creativity she could salvage quite a few things from the fire, but she would have to find a new production facility.
With support from family and friends Cassandra was able to find a new kitchen for production that also had space for a café. The café was a perfect place to showcase the many ways to use CC Made and Café Fanny products. Soon, Zazzi Foods was created with a delicious menu inspired by healthy and simple foods.
For a couple of years Zazzi flourished as a café, but in March of 2020 the Bay Area shut down due to the Corona Virus. The initial shut down was supposed to last 3 weeks, however Corona Virus cases continued to rise all over the country causing a shutdown with no real end in sight. Many restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops were forced to either adapt or close. For a while, Zazzi closed its doors to the public and focused on production of granola and caramel corn, but after 6 months it became apparent that things would not be going back to normal any time soon and it was time for a new plan.
Zazzi Foods reopened its doors in October of 2020 with a limited menu and a market. The market was a perfect way to continue to share delicious whole foods without endangering staff or customers. Many items that were on the menu when Zazzi was only a café have been adapted to sell so people can bring them home to share with friends and family.
Despite the many reincarnations, the various locations, and hardships Zazzi has faced, our core value of providing good quality food will always remain.
She began making caramel corn and candies in her kitchen in 2009 intending just to have a small booth at farmers markets that she could run with her family. With the caramel products gaining in popularity, Cassandra began to experiment with more items and sell beyond the farmers market. “I remember sitting at baseball games, when the kids were little, when Cassandra said she was working on caramel sauces as her next step. We were all very happy taste testers.” Says longtime friend and taste tester Camille.
With her business growing Cassandra needed to move from her kitchen at home to a commercial kitchen. She tried a rent by the hour kitchen, but needed more. In 2012 she bought Café Fanny granola from Alice Waters and moved CC Made into the Café Fanny kitchen where she began to grow her product line even more.
In the early hours of the morning on August 3rd, 2017 a devastating electrical fire tore through the production facility of Café Fanny Granola and CC Made caramel, leaving Cassandra Chen with a difficult decision, close the business she had worked so hard for, or find a way to survive. After looking through the debris, Cassandra realized that with a little cleaning and creativity she could salvage quite a few things from the fire, but she would have to find a new production facility.
With support from family and friends Cassandra was able to find a new kitchen for production that also had space for a café. The café was a perfect place to showcase the many ways to use CC Made and Café Fanny products. Soon, Zazzi Foods was created with a delicious menu inspired by healthy and simple foods.
For a couple of years Zazzi flourished as a café, but in March of 2020 the Bay Area shut down due to the Corona Virus. The initial shut down was supposed to last 3 weeks, however Corona Virus cases continued to rise all over the country causing a shutdown with no real end in sight. Many restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops were forced to either adapt or close. For a while, Zazzi closed its doors to the public and focused on production of granola and caramel corn, but after 6 months it became apparent that things would not be going back to normal any time soon and it was time for a new plan.
Zazzi Foods reopened its doors in October of 2020 with a limited menu and a market. The market was a perfect way to continue to share delicious whole foods without endangering staff or customers. Many items that were on the menu when Zazzi was only a café have been adapted to sell so people can bring them home to share with friends and family.
Despite the many reincarnations, the various locations, and hardships Zazzi has faced, our core value of providing good quality food will always remain.
