LeBow MBA Grad Combines Love of Food and Business Savvy
Sarah Levine opened Luna Café in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood with two weeks left in her MBA program at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.
“I may have jumped the gun a little, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity,” she noted in a profile on the University’s website, pointing out that she made an offer on the space just hours after a tour of it.
A native of the Pocono mountain region of Pennsylvania, Levine received her undergraduate degree from Temple University and worked in restaurants throughout her time there. Upon graduation she relocated to Los Angeles to enroll in culinary school, but realized that professional cooking was not her niche. This realization pointed Levine to business school back home.
One of five children, Sarah’s desire to bring her love of home cooking to the public was encouraged by her parents, both entrepreneurs themselves. In a recent article in the Jewish Exponent, Levine said, “[My parents] came down with my sister and brother-in-law from the Poconos the weekend I took possession of the building and helped me paint, lay a new floor, install booths … They’ve been just amazing. [They’ve offered to]… bus tables, serve, help in the kitchen. [My Mom] is an amazing cook; our family dinners were always multi-courses with tons of leftovers.”
The menu at Luna is filled with ingredients grown on farms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and the coffee and baked goods are sourced from Philly businesses. Work by local artists decorates the restaurant’s walls.
“The location is great,” Levine said, “and I’ve talked about this as my dream for years. So I did it.”
About the Author
Maggie Boccella
Maggie Boccella, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, is a freelance writer, artist and photographer. She has consulted on various film and multimedia projects, and she also serves as a juror for the city's annual LGBTQIA Film Festival.
