So many people have asked me how I came up with the idea of getting into the tea business. Well here it is………….. Tea is a part of my ancestral story-a piece of my past that has prepared me for my future in offering people the simple pleasures of enjoying tea!
Although my dream to open a tea house was inspired by my Dad (Lester)-the tea drinker in our family, I named my ‘brick and mortar’ space (Lola’s Tea House) after my Mom. Ironically, Lola preferred coffee over tea but learned to enjoy Chai Tea whenever she visited the tea house! My mom was spunky, funny, and fun to be around-all the things that I wanted to include in the Lola’s Tea House space while the tea house’s interior represented my Dad-well appointed, easy going, and comfortable.
As a child, I watched my Dad drink tea 3 times a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and it was Lola who prepared his tea everyday like clockwork-for over 50 years!! So, when my Dad passed and my Mom and I said so long to him, Lola was there to help me through the completion to the grand opening of Lola’s Tea House.
With God’s grace and my Dad’s guidance, Lola’s Tea House was opened in 2007 and was a huge success! But as with any business, Lola’s had to evolve with the changing times and customer demands, so Lola’s Tea House was closed in 2012 and has now become The Tea Experience.
So, in honor of Mother’s Day, I celebrate Lola Allicks: my mom-my support and inspiration.
I know my Dad and Mom are proudly shining down on me from Heaven.