TeaScapes owner: Nothing beats good cup of tea
Though Maryland native and career physical therapist Kathleen Edinger admits that she wasn’t a lifelong devotée of hot tea, little did she know that her cup would soon runneth over with the soothing and healthful brew.
After relocating to the Belford section of Middletown in 2005 with her husband Jim and their two young sons, Edinger said that the evolution of the health care industry left her in search of a new direction.
“Based on increasing regulation in the field, I found myself doing more paperwork than treating patients and I needed a change of path,” the 52-year-old Edinger said.
She began investigating different avenues in 2014, hoping to pursue a venture from home that could enable her to be available to her kids, when her chance consumption of a hot beverage struck a surprising chord.
“My husband gave me a flowering tea to drink and I was very intrigued – it was so beautiful looking, delicate, and tasty,” she said.
“I started researching premium loose teas and my husband bought me a special tea maker so that we could taste a lot of different varieties.” Fascinated by the range of teas available and their long history dating back thousands of years, “I began wondering if I could do this as a career,” she said.
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Tea time
Training with a tea party hostess and undergoing instruction in ‘Tea 101’ and ‘Tea Etiquette’ at Kentucky-based Elmwood Inn Fine Teas helped build Edinger’s knowledge and understanding of the world of tea, while classes in marketing, financing and business plan development through Monmouth County’s Small Business Development Center at Brookdale helped hone her budding entrepreneurial skills.
After establishing a website, a brand ("Enjoy the Moment") and a range of signature flavors crafted with the owner of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, a master blender, Edinger took her skills on the road.
“We started by selling our products and hosting tea parties at events including home-based gatherings, business meetings, churches, charity events, and coffee and tea festivals throughout the tri-state area,” she explained. “We were a mobile business that brought the tea-enjoyment experience – complete with all of the china, silverware and nibbles, including my own gluten-free homemade scones, muffins and finger sandwiches – onsite to people.”
After growing the business and developing a following over two years, “I felt it was time to officially open a shop,” she said. “I’d felt limited in what I could do in other people’s homes and wanted to offer a tea experience in a relaxing space where people could truly unwind and where I had room to store all of my equipment.”
After considering many locations, she settled on Atlantic Highlands because “I love that town and there are two coffee places there but no tea shop,” she said of TeaScapes, her new 1,400-square-foot shop that she’ll proudly unveil to the public this Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration.
In the quaint and airy space, guests can choose from among 50 different teas that can be enjoyed hot or cold – from white, green, black, and oolong to pu-erh, herbal, and more – including such popular signature blends as “Beach Memories” (a light, tropical green tea), “Fireside Chat” (a rooibos herbal), and “Spring Break” (a black tea infused with strawberry and hibiscus) as well as tins of tea (3½-ounce quantities of which are sold for $15), a variety of tea accessories, and homemade edibles.
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Healthy escape
Alyse Liebowitz, photographer and owner of Middletown-based studio 3 Chicks That Click, is among the many customers who are excited about the launch of Edinger’s new bricks-and-mortar shop.
After meeting Edinger at a networking event a couple of years ago, “I sampled her tea and it was delicious,” said Liebowitz, who now gives her own clients samples of Edinger’s blends. “I especially love drinking her ‘Spring Break’ tea in iced form – it’s very fruity and refreshing and has been a wonderful substitute for diet soda,” she said.
“Kathleen is so warm, welcoming, and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what she does and I’m confident that the community will enjoy her beautiful new shop,” Liebowitz said.
Though Edinger acknowledges that tea shops have historically attracted an older crowd, “younger people and millennials are increasingly getting into tea,” she said. “There are trendy teas out there, like bubble tea, but we’ve kept our product line traditional and offer a modern décor and collection of china that’s designed to appeal to everyone.”
While the demands of running a tea shop can be challenging – “it’s just me right now,” she laughed – Edinger is preparing for a bright future.
“We’re looking forward to hiring people who are excited about tea, introducing our new “Summer Breeze” and other seasonal blends, and launching our own blending and wholesaling operation,” she said. “I’m also hoping to eventually install a convection oven in our kitchen so that we can do our own gluten-free baking on the premises.”
Most of all, Edinger said that she can’t wait to help area residents embrace the tea lifestyle.
“Tea is a wonderful, healthy way to escape and I really want people to enjoy the tea experience,” she said. “Tea is complex and there’s a lot that people don’t understand about it, so we’re excited to provide that education as well. I hope that a visit to our tea bar will change people’s minds and help spark great memories.”
TEASCAPES
Location: 68 First Ave., Suite K, Atlantic Highlands
Phone: 732-203-5100
Opened: 2014 as a mobile operation, 2017 as a tea shop
Owners: Kathleen and Jim Edinger
Website: www.enjoyteascapes.com
Join the fun: TeaScapes will celebrate its grand opening from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 29 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and free cups of tea and gluten-free edibles.