About Susies Bakery and Coffee Bar

Susies Bakery & Coffee Bar - Kingston's Most Sought After Bakery and Café'

The story of Susie's Bakery began long before it opened its doors for business in 1996. When she was only a little girl of six or seven, principal owner Susie Hanna got her first taste of baking after getting her very own toy oven that churned out real, mini sized cakes. "That Christmas day I fell in love with the world of baking," the successful entrepreneur smiles.

Happy that her passion mirrored her family's tradition of great home cooked meals and sweet treats, young Susie took over her mom's kitchen, producing one tasty experiment after the next. Much to the amusement of her family who would become her first taste testers and paying customers, Susie was determined to improve on her previous attempts until she was satisfied. It wasn't long before she'd become a familiar face at her school's bake sales, where her delighted classmates and their parents were able to sample her talent.

Susie would continue baking even as she grew older, got married and became a mother herself while working at the family retail clothing business. Ironically, the idea of turning her hobby into a business of her own came to Susie one day at the gym. "I had just finished handing out my latest batch of treats to some friends, when one who owned a supermarket told me she would sell whatever I baked."

Susie doesn't remember if she completed her workout that day, but does recall immediately converting her home into a mini bakery - flour, sugar, pans, boxes and all. "I started waking up at 3:00AM to bake brownies and cookies before the children woke up for school," she says. "After dropping them off, I'd return home, package the goods, deliver them around town and then report for work at my first job."

Susie would continue to operate from home for more several years while her business expanded, eventually threatening to burst at the seams. "Our youngest child grew up thinking that it was normal to have a bakery in the home," she chuckles. "It really confused him when we finally made up our minds to move out and set up our first shop." When that time finally came, Susie and partner husband Ray held a soft opening that seemed doomed from the start. "Everything went wrong. Even the air conditioning failed."

But the setbacks were merely temporary challenges. The official launch was held the next day and was a clear success. Today, Susie's Bakery is Kingston's premier bakery and favorite daytime meeting place. As for Susie, she is still there to greet her customers as they walk through the door. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for their patronage," she insists. "We're here to serve."