Kathleen Madden
Susanne Blumer was a farmer, a bridal shop owner, a model and a children’s book author, all before moving with her husband and children to Black Mountain to open Sassafras on Sutton in 2017. “Her father-in-law was a Presbyterian minister, so her family used to come up regularly to visit Montreat,” says Sassafras manager Kathleen Madden.
“Sassafras on Sutton, also a toy store and coffee shop, was named after the North Carolina native plant, and for the alliteration,” says Madden, who studied arts management in college. Madden has managed Sassafras for five years, since the store opened, and is in love with her job. “You’ll never see a grumpy customer in this store,” she says. “We have something for absolutely everyone, and it’s just such a happy place to be.”
Sassafras on Sutton is located at 108 Sutton Avenue in Black Mountain. Learn more at SassafrasonSutton.com.
