Sweet Potato Sensations celebrate 25 years, opens new cafe

Agricultural scientist George Washington Carver’s name is synonymous with peanuts, and surprisingly, sweet potato pie too. Cassandra Thomas wants her name to be synonymous with the latter, which is why her shop Sweet Potato Sensations, is now celebrating 25 years of business.
 
"People only think of sweet potato pie during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving," says Thomas. I want people to know they can have it all year long."
 
Visitors can enjoy a variety of goods from cookies, pies, cakes, ice cream and corn bread- all made from sweet potatoes.The treats are in such demand that lines literally form outside the door and down the street. 
 
Recently, Thomas added 16 flavors of Hershey’s iced cream to the menu, and a café across the street where book clubs, block clubs, and other meetings take place. Her two daughters even hold natural hair meetups at the new location, bringing in a large crowd of women interested in the natural hair phenomenon. 

Sweet Potato Sensations is run by Thomas, her husband, and her two daughters. They also have four summer interns who are learning baking tips and invaluable job skills.
 
Thomas loves that the business is growing and thriving in a city she loves.
 
"Detroit is the place to be and I want to be the change I want to see," she says.

Sweet Potato Sensations is at 17337 Lahser Road in Detroit's Grandmount-Rosedale neighborhood.

Source: Cassandra Thomas 
Writer: Leah Johnson