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Moon Goddess Burgers & Shakes is in Deep Creek
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
The summer tourism season is in full swing in Swain County and several new businesses have opened their doors the past couple of weeks.
Located to be perfectly paired with a day of tubing in Deep Creek, Moon Goddess Burgers & Shakes offers a fresh-made ¼ pound burger, hand-battered fried chicken sandwiches and a selection of moon pie shakes.
Opening the business is a goal realized for Jennifer Chatham. The theme is a play on her maiden name, Moon. In addition to the moon pie shakes, in-house sauces all have a celestial theme and the new logo, designed by her daughter, features Jennifer as a celestial superwoman with a burger in hand.
“We’re having fun with it,” Chatham said.
Angela Barnes and Matt Huett have partnered to open Appalachian Tea Company and Matt’s Bookstore at 300 Everett Street. If you’re looking for a place to take a break from the hustle and bustle, this is the spot.
Barnes runs the teashop that offers about 35 premium loose-leaf tea blends. Each day, a selection few are brewed for cold tea and those teas include ingredients that align with the harvest calendar, according to Barnes. If you want to cool off, order a fresh fruit popsicle.
“We were looking at what isn’t here, and we thought premium loose-leaf tea would be good for Western North Carolina in general and Bryson City in particular,” Huett said.
The shop will have a grand opening on July 1.
At 230 Main Street, the space has had a recent facelift and is now home to Foggy Moon Photography.
Suzette and John Engelke have both always loved photography. The coupled started their own business in 2014, starting with family events and portraits and adding weddings.
“We started small and we built it up,” Suzette Engelke said.
The couple’s business continued to grow when they moved to Bryson City 3 ½ years ago with offering portraits on location. Now, they are adding studio sessions and offer a discount for local residents. Over time, they have also continued to upgrade their equipment and have recently added real estate photography to their portfolios.
“We’re really excited about this new adventure of having our own studio,” Engelke said.