|
"Miss Melanie's Tea Room & Gourmet Tea Emporium" opened it's doors on Thursday, November 17, 2005. It is owned and operated by Keith and Melanie O'Hara-Salyers.
"It's a dream fulfilled for me," says Melanie. "I always had a pot of tea with my mother after school and one of our favorite things to do when we traveled was to visit tea rooms.It was only after my summer living abroad in London that I experienced authentic Afternoon Tea and my passion for tea was ignited!"
"Many of the recipes I use for our Afternoon Tea Trays and Lunch Menus come from my grandmothers, Essie and Ellen. Grandma Ellen was a wonderful baker and her cheese cake was legendary as well as her cookies! My grandmother, Essie, actually owned her own restaurant and allowed me to take guest's orders at the early age of three! Of course, one of her servers was standing by to make sure it was turned into the kitchen correctly, but I can vividly remember how exciting it was to visit her at her business.
Essie's famous key lime pie is always on the lunch menu and I enjoy calling her down in Florida to tell her how many guests enjoy her recipe each day. She would actually parcel post to me key limes from her backyard until Hurricane Charlie blew the tree away. She is a wonderful southern cook!
Melanie and Keith both have a passion for Victorian Homes and antiques, a specialty that Keith has turned into a thriving business. He not only refurbishes antiques and furniture, he owns "Old World Antiques & Fine Furnishings" in Johnson City, Tennessee. The couple has incorporated Keith's antiques into the tea room, furnishing the entire downstairs with period pieces that enhance the 104 year old Victorian tea room.
"Keith was my inspiration for opening the business. He has encouraged me every step of the way. He encouraged me to attend tea school and take it to the next level. It has been wonderful how our two businesses complement each other."
All of the antique furnishings in the tea room are for sale. He has also added an architectural salvage store at is Minga Drive location. "Keith is a perfectionist when it comes to his furniture restoration work as well as refinishing antiques, wood trim, mantles or creating reproduction cabinets and mantels," Melanie said. "We actually met by chance when he refinished my antiques for me. The rest is history!"
The latest addition to the tea room is the gift shop and online store. You can click on the "our shop" button at the top left corner of this page or go to www.missmelaniesgiftbaskets.com. "Gone With The Wind" themed tea gift baskets, loose teas packaged in tins, tea pots, candles and music are available for purchase! "Miss Melanie's Tea Room" bath and body tea gift basket line in Earl Grey with Green Tea, Blood Orange with White Tea and Gardener's Fresh Herb Blend with Green Tea are all best sellers! Each of the three fragrances are available in lotion, bath salts, room spray and hand soap with pump dispenser! They have been flying off the gift shop shelves!
*********************************************************************************
Announcing our "Grand Opening" at www.shabbylaneshops.com ! Click on the Shabby Lane Village Shops to see us online! Look for us in "Tea Time" Magazine- on newsstands now!
*********************************************************************************
Melanie is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas as well as a graduate of East Tennessee University in Johnson City, TN. She has earned certification in tea education and continues taking professional level classes. She is a member of The Southern Association Of Tea Businesses (www.teabiz.org) which encourages its members to educate the public in the preparation of loose teas.
The tea room located at 123 East Unaka Avenue in downtown historic Johnson City has eight antique fireplaces and gorgeous original oak woodwork and winding staircase in the entry. "We are so blessed to be able to be part of this home's history. I feel as though we are caretakers of a vital part of this neighborhood," Melanie said.
|
