I am starting to worry that a visit from me is the kiss of death for a tea shop.
Over the past two years I have found my way to numerous shops, both cafe-style and loose leaf vendors. I have loved seeing the diversity of offerings and styles and the passion of the owners. What I have noticed of late is the closure of some of those that I thought of most fondly. Is my taste so out of touch with that of the buying public? OK, probably. I am a confirmed tea obsessive and most people aren't. But these places have felt comfortable and warm and have offered an excellent product. Several of them have even earned the love of my husband, a confirmed coffee drinker, who appreciates a well-planned, independently owned store of any kind.
It is for these reasons that I was crushed to find that one of my favorite spots, one I've raved about for a few years, has closed its doors. Licorice & Sloe of Newburyport is no more. Tea from Licorice & Sloe was the VERY FIRST I ever reviewed here on Tea Pages. They had a tea menu that was unrivaled and I always appreciated that they took the time to do a bit of education, by listing the tea by provenance. It wasn't enough to say "oolong." The menu was divided by China oolongs, Taiwanese oolongs, Nilgiri oolongs....They are also one of the few teashops I've seen that offered a yellow tea.
A combination of factors led to their closure last September - primarily the economy. Meg and her husband, Bil, had developed an amazing spot that did suffer a bit from its location on a side street.
If this had been a one time thing, I would have been sad, but wouldn't have been troubled by the bigger picture. That is, that FIVE of the teashops I've reviewed over the past two years have gone the way of the dodo. It's a troubling moment of realization. I will continue to explore, seeking those special places, and hoping that we see more teashops opening rather than closing.
Here are links to the five teashops that I am officially saying goodbye to today:
- Massachusetts - Lowell - Cafe Aiello (closed 2008. Reopened with new owners, but only selling Two Leaves & a Bud teabags, versus the old Aiello's loose leaf from Zoka)
- Massachusetts - Newburyport - Licorice and Sloe (closed Sept. 2008)
- Massachusetts - Salem - New Civilitea (closed Dec. 2008)
- Massachusetts - Westford - Java Mama (closed 2008 - OK, not one of my favorites, but a closure nonetheless)
- New Hampshire - Nashua - Herbata (closed 2008. Was selling online still, but site is now closed.)
4 comments:
It's definitely not you! You are making a positive contribution to the tea industry through your blog!
It's just that it's so hard for any small business to make it these days.
No, not you - this darned economy! But it is a sad, sad thing.
It's sad to hear that any tea house is closing shop even in this economy since the tea industry is growing so much here in America right now. I'd say it's safer to do mail-order than it is to have a local bricks-and-mortar presence. That's where location can kill you even if you offer great products. --Jason
Katrina,
As a small business owner myself, who had to close one of her shops, let me tell you, it's CERTAINLY not you.
This economy hasn't been kind to any small businesses and what's more, even the seasoned ones, that know what the heck their doing, are throwing in the towel.
I can definitely say that your support has probably meant the world to these small shops.
--Leah
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