DETROIT – Many families in Metro Detroit get a head start on Thanksgiving by turning to local bakeries to complete their holiday meals.
This year, Sweet Potato Sensations in Detroit’s Old Redford neighborhood continued its tradition of working around the clock the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to do just that.
Inside the family-owned shop, which staff describe affectionately as a kind of holiday “Super Bowl,” bakers rolled up their sleeves to produce pies, cakes, cookies, and traditional sides for a steady stream of customers.
Lines wrapped around the corner as loyal patrons waited to pick up favorites that have become part of their family traditions.
Espy Thomas, who describes herself as the bakery’s “chief awesomeness officer,” said the team is preparing an extensive selection of sweet potato–based desserts alongside other pies and cobblers. The list includes:
- Sweet potato pie (including a sugar-free option)
- Sweet potato coconut pie
- Sweet potato pecan pie
- Lemon chess pie
- Sweet potato cobbler
- Apple cobbler
- Peach cobbler, and so much more
Customers praised the bakery for its pies and the holiday draw they create.
“They have the best — their pies are the best!” said Alicia Paulding.
Another customer, Patrice Johnson, pointed to the long line as proof. “They’re delicious. Look at the line. You can just tell. We are wrapped around the corner. Literally.”
For some shoppers, buying a pie from Sweet Potato Sensations is a Thanksgiving ritual.
Caleb Brown shared that his wife sent him on a mission to bring home a pie, no matter how long the wait.
“She was like, look, you’ve got to go to this place and get these pies. I don’t care how long the line is. I need you to get these pies. I was like OK,” Brown shared.
The bakery’s origin is a personal one. Owner Cassandra Thomas said the business began with a family love story: her late husband loved candied yams, and she did not.
She compromised by making him sweet potato cookies; those early recipes grew into a business.
“We started a business with the cookies. And the rest is history,” Thomas said.
Sweet Potato Sensations also prepares a regular menu of comfort foods and savory sides for holiday tables, including fried corn, candied yams, sweet potato cornbread dressing, and a popular black-eyed pea collard green soup.
Sweet Potato Sensations is located at 17337 Lahser Road.
Click here to learn more about Sweet Potato Sensations.
With demand high in the days before Thanksgiving, the shop said its team had been working long hours to keep up. If you plan to stop by, expect a crowd and a wide selection of traditional Thanksgiving sweets and sides.