Step into the serenity of Tranquilitea Temple, set to open on North Church Street in West Chester on Saturday, June 16, and refresh your mind, body and soul.
Tranquilitea offers hot, iced and bubble teas along with sweet pastries in a soothing space designed for interaction and restoration. During opening week, Tranquilitea is offering free tea to customers with a Grand Opening Free Drink coupon.
Owner Tracey Wang Stuligross is ecstatic about bringing this tea house to West Chester, a town she adores.
Toothsome Teas
Tranquilitea Temple is a tea house in the traditional sense, with space for people to rest, reflect and interact. It’s a social hub as much as it is a tranquil temple. There are low seats in the front window and natural bamboo and wood accents abound.
Stuligross sources loose leaf teas from around the world, which are all natural and chemical-free. Hot and iced teas include black, green, herbal, chai, white and oolong as well as a variety of blends. Stuligross says oolong is very popular, as is green tea, which is often flavored with herbs and fruit pieces. Cherry, rosebud and strawberry blended green teas are quite popular as well.
Stuligross also sells bubble teas, which she notes exploded in popularity in the 1980s in Taiwan. “Young people like it because it’s a very sweet tea,” she says.
In addition to the teas, customers can choose from an assortment of delectable pastries and purchase items like tea sets, decorative tabletop zen gardens and miniature musical instruments.
A Way of Life
Born in China, Stuligross’ life has been intertwined with the traditions of tea drinking and service for as long as she can remember. As a young child, her grandparents taught her how to make tea and its symbolism in society. “In China, you offer your guests tea. That’s how you show the most respect,” she explains. “Since I was five or six, I have offered tea.”
Stuligross says tea is “a way of life” that includes communication, respect and passion. It’s also about being present.
“One major feature of our tea shops is inviting zen into tea drinking,” she says. “We call it the unity, or oneness, of zen and tea. Drinking a cup of tea is not only to quench your thirst; it is for mindfully enjoying a joyous moment right here and now.”
Choosing West Chester
“I love that town,” Stuligross says of West Chester, a place she and her husband frequented before deciding to set up shop. “I feel the culture there is very active.” She eagerly anticipates becoming a part of downtown West Chester and plans to host special events such as tea tastings, a Chinese New Year celebration and Girls’ Nights Out. “Along the way we’ll plan more,” she says.
The small town feel contrasts significantly with her other store location in the King of Prussia Mall. “In the mall, it’s more business,” she explains. “In the town, it’s more like community life. I love that atmosphere.”
Stuligross looks forward to joining and giving back to the West Chester community with Tranquilitea Temple and says, “It’s not just doing business. You want to have fun.”
Find Tranquilitea Temple at 127 N. Church St. in West Chester; phone: (610) 265-2016.
- Photos: Tranquilitea Temple
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