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What started as an obsession with cooking shows and birthday cakes turned into a business for Syracuse local Julia Freeman.

After graduating from Niagara University, Freeman moved to downtown Syracuse with her now husband, Daniel Ostaszewski. When the pair went out to eat, Freeman shared photos of her meal on her Instagram. Before either of them knew it, those pictures sparked a business, and SavorCuse was born.

“I like to cook a lot. I bake a lot. I watch Food Network. It makes sense that I was like, you know what, this is so alluring to me. I want to learn more and work with these people,” Freeman said. “I wanted to work in the industry without being an actual chef.”

Since 2021, SavorCuse has frequently highlighted local stores and restaurants in Syracuse. Freeman works with businesses by coming up with collaboration products and promoting their businesses while getting paid in exchange.

“It’s all mutually beneficial,” Freeman said. “I always say I need a T-shirt that says that. I use (that phrase) so much when I talk to businesses.”

SavorCuse started in 2021 through a collaboration with Hope Cafe, a nonprofit Peruvian fusion restaurant with several locations around Syracuse. Freeman worked with them to create a series of pie-themed lattes that are still served today.

Many local restaurants, both in Syracuse and otherwise, are run by a small group of people. In these “one-man operations,” the first thing to get deprioritized is typically social media, Freeman said. She aims to fix this issue, especially because Instagram is incredibly important when it comes to marketing.

Freeman works in marketing in downtown Syracuse full-time. She describes SavorCuse as a “passion project” that has become more influential than she originally thought.

Many of the businesses she’s worked with have emphasized what a giver Freeman is, and how much SavorCuse impacted their business. Azella Alvarez, owner of the Filipino fusion restaurant Oompa Loompyas, has worked with Freeman multiple times.

“What makes me want to work with her is her willingness to help other people succeed. It’s not just about her. She’s always looking to promote that person and get to know them,” Alvarez said.

Their most recent collaboration with Oompa Loompyas was based on ube, a purple root vegetable from the Philippines. Freeman went on a trip to Hawaii and became obsessed with the flavor, pitching the idea of an ube milkshake to Alvarez.

Alvarez and Freeman don’t just work together, they’re also friends, a common thread between Freeman and the businesses she works with. What makes Freeman such a likable sensation, both online and in person, is her dedication to her community. Freeman is truly a Syracuse local, and a supporter of the city.

“There’s so many organizations that are working to try to help, I find it uplifting that there’s so many people that are so invested in Syracuse,” Freeman said. “Small business owners are some of the most invested in the local community you can get.”

Freeman has loved wild flavor combinations since she was young, frequently baking for her family. She claims that baking allows more freedom with flavors than cooking does.

“I started making all my siblings’ birthday cakes on their birthdays. I’d be like, ‘what do you want?’ And they’d tell me and I’d make something crazy,” Freeman said. “I still do that.”

Freeman’s currently working with the Syracuse food bank on a campaign where they create new food combinations for every month of 2023. This is just one example of Freeman giving back.

What began as a hobby is now an inspiration, both for Freeman and all the people around her.

“Some people are very negative about Syracuse, and I’m like you could be negative about Syracuse but why?” Freeman said. “It’s a huge up-and-coming city … we have a lot to offer and I feel like people need that reminder sometimes.”

SavorCuse has gone from pictures of food on Instagram to a business dedicated to uplifting the Syracuse community. From shopping locally to doing a cooking demo at the New York State Fair, Freeman is becoming a hometown celebrity by sharing her goodness.

“She definitely bought me a lot of business.” Alvarez said. “I was lacking on the instagram page. She actually helped me build that so I’m over 2,000 followers, which for me is fabulous.”

Published on September 27, 2023 at 9:34 pm