Sassafras on Sutton fills a void in Black Mountain
Karrigan Monk Asheville Citizen Times
Sassafras on Sutton general manager Kathleen Madden said the store sells "books and toys and gifts and coffee."
The store, owned by Susanne Blumer, opened in February 2018 in the basement level of 108 Sutton Ave. Madden was there to open the store, starting the previous month.
After Cherry Street Kids closed, Sassafras on Sutton decided to expand upward. The store installed stairs going up in January 2020 but was not able to open the expansion until May of that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The newly expanded upstairs section focuses on kids toys and books.
"We had some children's stuff, mostly books, but there was a gap in the toy shop in Black Mountain," Madden said. "We figured, 'Why not fill that void?'"
The store continued to expand in 2021, this time with another location opening in Waynesville, Sassafras on Main. Each store is named after the street it's on, and Madden said the original name was chosen in part because "alliteration is fun."
Madden said she loves working at the store because of her love of books and the customers that come in.
"Our customers are the happies customers," Madden said. "We very rarely have grumpy people who come in here. That's what I tell people all the time. You come into a bookstore with coffee and toys and you're generally in a good mood."
Despite not owning the store, Madden said her vision for the store is intertwined with the owners.
She said she enjoys the products Sassafras on Sutton sells and takes joy in creating "beautiful displays" with the products.
Madden said many of the items in the store are from small businesses, many of them women-owned. The store also uses local vendors for items such as stickers and cards.
"That's the kind of stuff I love," Madden said. "The stuff you'd never find on the internet, that they only sell to independent businesses."
Looking toward the future, Madden said she hopes the store continues to thrive.
"I do see this location, the original location, thriving and surviving for however long we want to be here, which will hopefully be forever," Madden said. "For the future, I just see keeping on keeping on."
Madden said the store is looking to add more author events and kid-centric events that they had originally planned pre-COVID.
"It's kind of set everything back a little bit," Madden said. "I think growing our brand and growing our customer base is our inevitable future."
Madden said one of the successes of the store is growing their customer base through word-of-mouth. She said people come into Sassafras on Sutton and love it so much they tell others they meet to visit.
"We're just grateful to be here and for the people in the community and the tourists that continue to support us and keep us alive," Madden said. "It's been a great journey so far and we're just looking forward to the future."