Happy Leap Year Day! I can't think of a better way to wrap up the month of February than by going to tea, and that's just what my girlfriend, Lori, and I did yesterday.
I had heard that Tonia's Victorian Tearoom was closing on March 2nd, so I wanted to visit one last time. I'm sad that another tearoom is closing, but Tonia said it was not her choosing. The owners of the 1910, three-story Craftsman House at 118 W. 3rd Street in downtown Rochester, MI are selling it.
This was the first tearoom I visited after becoming 'smitten by tea' in 1998 and it was one of my first blog posts when I began blogging in 2012. I've been there many times over the years with family and friends. Loretta Curry was the first owner who established the tearoom in 1995, and Tonia is the second owner who bought it in 2017. Below is a photo of how it looked when I first visited in 1998.
A current photo taken yesterday after the house transitioned from Green to Blue.
I took my granddaughter, Tiffany, there for her 8th birthday in 1999. It was her first tearoom experience.
We went again in 2011 when she was 20. Time sure changes us!
~ Fall of 2016 with friends during the Michigan Tea Tour ~
~ The last visit under Loretta's ownership in Dec. 2016 ~
~ Spring of 2017 First visit under Tonia's ownership with girlfriend, Lori ~
~ Last visit under Tonia's ownership yesterday ~
~ With Tonia ~
The tearoom was bustling with guests when we arrived at 11:30. So many wanting to have tea there one last time before it closes. Lori and I chose the Duchess Tea and it was delightful. Our tea selection was Chocolate Strawberry Black Tea, and the meal began with a cup of Cream of Asparagus Soup.
Two-tiered server with savories and sweets.
By the time we left the crowd had thinned out but a few still lingered.
Tonia took us upstairs where we chatted for awhile. She has several ideas and options after the tearoom closes so we definitely haven't seen the last of her creativity. We wish her the best in all her future endeavors.
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Now isn't that is really sad for us tea room lovers. So many of them have closed. I do think the ones that do monthly and seasonal events and others creative approaches are smart. Really, it's all about money. If you own a building and it is paid for - you don't have that pressure every month. People do not realize all the expenses of a business.
ReplyDeleteI do hate to read of tea rooms closing - I hope Tonia can reopen in another location soon.
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