Local StoriesMarch 4, 2025

Hidden Gems: Meet Sianni Dean of Cranky Granny’s Sweet Rolls

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sianni Dean

Hi Sianni , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Sianni Dean is a 25-year-old entrepreneur and the owner of Cranky Granny’s Sweet Rolls. Inspired by the delicious food and desserts made by her grandmother, grandma, and mom, Sianni started baking at the young age of 15. By 18, she turned her passion into a business, launching Cranky Granny’s Sweet Rolls in 2017 in Willingboro, New Jersey.
In 2020, during the pandemic, Sianni moved to Austin, Texas. She quickly connected with the “Alluvione” business group, a network of entrepreneurs, and began selling her sweet rolls out of Midtown Live. This early exposure helped Cranky Granny’s gain recognition, and shortly after, Sianni was featured in both FORBES magazine and Edible Austin.
Just four months after arriving in Austin, at the age of 22, Sianni signed the lease for Cranky Granny’s first brick-and-mortar store at the Domain. Unfortunately, due to renovations, the store had to close temporarily. However, Sianni persevered, operating out of a Cajun restaurant in Round Rock while tirelessly searching for a new location.
Her persistence paid off! Ten days after her 24th birthday, Sianni received the keys to a new and larger store for Cranky Granny’s in Pflugerville. The new location has been a huge success, selling out nearly 80% of the time within the first couple months of opening.
Sianni’s story is an inspiration to young entrepreneurs everywhere. Her dedication, resilience, and passion have made Cranky Granny’s Sweet Rolls a success.
“It’s not a loss, it’s a lesson. Sit back and reflect on what happened and engrave it in your mind that it didn’t happen to you BUT for you. Don’t make excuses coming out of whatever situation. Use it as fuel and keep it pushing.”
Sianni Dean is a shining example of what can be achieved with hard work and determination.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Struggles

Leaving my family 1700 miles away

Maintaining a relationship

Moving locations and being kicked out of the domain.

Finding reliable employees

Minting foot traffic in the store

As you know, we’re big fans of Cranky Granny’s Sweet Rolls. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Cranky Granny’s offers a variety of fresh baked cinnamon rolls and delicious frozen drinks. My favorite item off of our menu is actually our caramel frozen coffees made with real ice cream and freshly brewed expresso. Dough , glaze and toppings are made in house in small batch in table top mixes just like you may have at home. One of the things that set us apart is we bake our rolls throughout the day compared to a traditional bakery that may bake in the morning and you just come and choose what you want and leave. A fresh tray of cinnamon rolls are coming out the oven just about every 10 minutes . We make every roll to order . It’s like having a bake shop and fast casual restaurant combined.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
That I’m not really a pastry eater outside of our sweet rolls . I LOVE ice cream (why I love the frozen coffees so much) . But I definitely enjoy Cranky Granny’s Sweet Rolls and I admit I’m a bit biased and like my own product lol!

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