Our Story

Founded in 1982 by Barbara Dollar, Susanna has become a mainstay on Mass. Ave in the Porter Square neighborhood of Cambridge, MA. Currently owned and operated by Amy Driscoll, a former employee of Susanna since 2007, Amy has kept the charm and warmth of the store while also bringing it up to date and current with the trends. She opened the Jamaica Plain location in September 2019, launched the e-commerce website in July 2020 and The Men's Shop in 2024. Susanna continues to be a well-loved place for people to gather, shop, have fun, talk about life, but also a place where one can leave feeling taken care of and good about themselves (and their purchases!)

The origin of the store's name, Susanna, dates back to Barbara's childhood. As a young girl, Barbara was shy and anxious but dreamed of being more confident. She invented an alter ego, Susanna, who embodied the fearless, brave girl she wanted to be. As Susanna gave Barbara the courage to chase her dreams, we like to think the Susanna namesake inspires us all to have the courage and confidence to be our best selves.