By Karen Murphy

karen.murphy@gaflnews.com

Twitter: @karenmurphytte

THOMASVILLE — SASS, a new Cajun and Southern restaurant, will conduct its grand opening on June 27 at the Historic Train Depot on Jackson Street with special guest Paula Deen. The ticketed event will feature a low country boil, an open beer and wine bar, live music by partner Andy Martin and the opportunity to meet and mingle with Deen, the queen of southern cooking and a family friend of SASS owners.

The grand opening will serve as a formal introduction of SASS, which stands for Sweet and Savory Sisters, and its owners/operators to Thomasville and the surrounding communities, as well as a fundraiser for the Easter Seals Vocational Program and Deen’s The Bag Lady Foundation.

Co-owner Suzette Dupuy Wagner (the sweet sister) said, “We have been so blessed on our journey by others who have reached out and supported us to get us where we are today that we just feel in our hearts that the right thing for us to do is share our blessings. And Easter Seals and The Bag Lady Foundation are two organizations that are very near and dear to us.”

Amy Dupuy Martin (the savory sister) has a long history with Easter Seals.

“Our family has been affiliated with Easter Seals for over 25 years. I used to volunteer for the telethon, I volunteered with the traumatic brain injury department. I worked there for eight years, left for five, and went back to work there until we opened the restaurant here. They’ve always been a big part of our life. And the vocational department is such a blessing. They put people to work and give them an opportunity to give back and be a part of the community.”

Of the 400 tickets originally available at $50 per person, 50 are left. Persons interested in purchasing six or more tickets are encouraged to call the restaurant directly at 229-236-6006.

SASS is the collective dream child of sisters Wagner and Martin, and their husbands, Rick Wagner and Andy Martin. The restaurant pays homage to the sisters’ upbringing serving Southern and Cajun dishes such as shrimp etouffee, gumbo, jambalaya, sweet tea brined fried chicken and many others.