When Debut Saturday was growing up, he found himself on the wrong side of prison bars more than a few times. Misdemeanors kept him off the streets for short amounts of time throughout his adolescence. Instead of using that time to become a wiser criminal, he used it to maximize his gardening skills. “Prison doesn’t have a lot of sunlight. I had to learn how to make the best of my situation,” he said.

The best of his situation has taken him to new heights installing urban gardens on rooftops and inside vacated warehouses. Saturday Gardens is a growing small business that thrived during the pandemic. When local grocers were forced to close their doors to prevent the spread of the virus, Cinniapolis citizens took to growing their own fresh vegetables inside their homes and on their rooftops, in place of government subsidized stale substitutes.

“We were just starting to gain some market share before the virus. Rather than close ourselves off from the community that helped us grow, we decided to share our methods and formulas with our customers.” Saturday is referencing their decision to franchise their “secret sauce” to anyone interested in growing their own vegetables on their rooftops and inside their homes. “The Cinniapolis soil is not conducive to gardening. The climate is uncooperative and may be beyond repair at this point,” Saturday said. “We wanted to share our success and help others grow healthy, tasty vegetables and fruits, instead of the government issued substitutes.”

Walking through the Reunion neighborhood, one can see gardens instead of shingles covering rooftops. The membership plans can be customized to simply grow grass and shrubs for an aesthetic appeal. But, for the more ambitious gardener, there are plans that promise to yield crops such as tomatoes or cucumbers. “Not only does it allow for a more self-sustained approach to healthy eating, it really brightens up the neighborhood,” said Saturday.

Saturday Gardens franchise packages start at $29.99 per month, depending on your seed and soil needs.