Cuppa?
If I was going to do one of those mid-life-crisis-induced career switcheroos—you know where a person gives up the high-pressure, successful but agonizing career X for the creative and rewarding, unstable yet down-to-earth, free-enterprise-y endeavor of Y—I’d open a tea shop. Not some snobbish, tea-and-crumpet-serving with lace doilies on the tables and garish Mary Engelbreit-wallpapered, prim-and-propa tea room for blue hairs, mind you. My joint would be über-cool and contemporary with colorful, modern decor from Design Within Reach, Topdeq and West Elm, among others. I’d serve smooth, exquisite loose-leaf blends of black, green, white, oolong, rooibos and herbal teas and infusions from Adagio, Revolution and Teavana, to name a few. I’d use tea presses and sleek glasses and cups from Bodum, Not Neutral and Vessel. I’d offer free Wi-Fi access, feature live music by djs and musicians (no ‘bands’, please), reserve room for occasional Meetups, and provide shelf space for a public Book Crossing collection. I’d sell art and accessories from local artists and cool-hunters like Elsewares, Wishing Fish, and Bling. There’d be a main room for people to converse and a quiet room for contemplation, reading or creative work. Best of all, no coffee—and no coffee twerps. Just warm, delicious tea. Boil and steep, pour and flow…
If I was going to do one of those mid-life-crisis-induced career switcheroos—you know where a person gives up the high-pressure, successful but agonizing career X for the creative and rewarding, unstable yet down-to-earth, free-enterprise-y endeavor of Y—I’d open a tea shop. Not some snobbish, tea-and-crumpet-serving with lace doilies on the tables and garish Mary Engelbreit-wallpapered, prim-and-propa tea room for blue hairs, mind you. My joint would be über-cool and contemporary with colorful, modern decor from Design Within Reach, Topdeq and West Elm, among others. I’d serve smooth, exquisite loose-leaf blends of black, green, white, oolong, rooibos and herbal teas and infusions from Adagio, Revolution and Teavana, to name a few. I’d use tea presses and sleek glasses and cups from Bodum, Not Neutral and Vessel. I’d offer free Wi-Fi access, feature live music by djs and musicians (no ‘bands’, please), reserve room for occasional Meetups, and provide shelf space for a public Book Crossing collection. I’d sell art and accessories from local artists and cool-hunters like Elsewares, Wishing Fish, and Bling. There’d be a main room for people to converse and a quiet room for contemplation, reading or creative work. Best of all, no coffee—and no coffee twerps. Just warm, delicious tea. Boil and steep, pour and flow…