Meet Tunji Sanni | Founder & Owner

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

Hi Tunji, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Picnics in Cali was created in April 2020, when the world shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For some of us, it was the first time we relied heavily on family, friends, and loved ones to mentally and physically comfort us during those trying times. Personally, I relied heavily on my siblings for support. I was looking for safe ways to connect with them that didn’t put any of us at risk of catching COVID-19 or spreading the virus. At the time, there were very few places open to connect with loved ones outside of grocery stores, hospitals, and the outdoors. The process behind starting my business came out of the need to connect with my family in a safe way. As a family, my siblings and I grew up having picnics and going to the park to enjoy nature’s finest moments. So, we wanted to recreate those experiences we enjoyed so much as kids with our parents. That’s when the idea was born to create a picnic experience business where we could provide a luxurious, stylish, and sensory experience to help others alleviate the mental strains in their everyday lives. We wanted to help others who were dealing with the same things we were going through during the Pandemic.

What should our readers know about your business?
Picnics in Cali was created to bring our clients the ultimate experience in luxury and relaxation. We understand how stressful times can be for some people, and our goal is to provide an experience that will give you an escape and leave you in a state of comfort and tranquility. As a Black family-owned business, it is imperative that we create experiences for people to feel their most authentic selves, and we believe that creating tailored experiences helps us achieve that. We get excited about creating surprise proposal engagements, birthday celebrations, curating wedding receptions, and working with small businesses or corporate brands to achieve their visions. We worked really hard to create a strategic plan for how we can bring our services to our clients. It wasn’t easy, and working as a family-owned business has its own set of challenges. We learned that our clients play a vital role in the direction of our business. They help us understand where we can improve and what is currently working. We learned that making mistakes is part of the process, and putting the customer first helps us achieve our goals. We want the world to know that we plan to change the world one picnic and experience at a time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d plan a Luxury Picnic for 2 with Picnics in the Cali in Santa Monica, CA. I’d give my friend an opportunity to experience the Westside of Los Angeles while providing them scenic views of Santa Monica Beach. I would pack a bag of snacks and their favorite drinks. With this Luxury 2 Picnic Experience, it comes with a Bluetooth speaker, so I would also create an amazing playlist of their favorite songs to listen to as we picnic away. After we are done, I’d take them to my favorite coffee shop located in Culver City – Millcross Coffee for the best latte in the city. On another night, I’d take them on a Swan Boat night ride in Echo Park and grab dinner after in Silver Lake at Blairs for a great meal and good wine! I’d also like to take them to get some good cinema vibes at the Rooftop Cinema Club in DTLA. And when Sunday arrives, we have to hit up Mar Vista Sunday Farmers’ Market with our favorite tote bags to get our favorite fruits and veggies. Who doesn’t love a good sunset? I have to take them to chase the sunset at El Matador Beach in Malibu.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out my siblings and business partners – Bolaji Idakoji, Olayinka Sanni, & Supo Sanni – for their countless hours in creating a business that helps everyday people create and experience their most memorable moments. Without them, Picnics in Cali, Picnics in the Chi, and Picnics in the Bay would not exist. Thank you, and I love you all.

Website: https://picnicsincali.com/

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