Whether you believe in chance or perhaps something more divine, I love the idea of having a place where people can slow down and connect with other people. – Erin Neill
For Erin Neill, the manifestation of the dream to own a tea room in Chardon seemed, indeed, serendipitous in its making.
The way it all came together — the coincidences, the timing and the family support — could even suggest a taste of destiny.
The Chardon mother of two held a soft opening Jan. 14 for SerendipiTEA — the new tea room housed in the same 1839 century home as the former Rosepointe Cottage Tea Room — at 107 Center St.
“My inspiration for the tea room was multi-faceted. I used to joke with my administrator that I was going to do it and a few years ago, when it was for sale, many of my closest friends said that I should go for it,” said Neill, who was a preschool intervention specialist for 11 years for the Geauga County Educational Service Center. “At the time, I had a brand new infant and that just didn’t seem like a good idea, so I waited. Then, on a serendipitous turn of events, a friend of mine peeked in the windows one night and told me how she would love a place to have cookie classes for her already thriving business, D is for Delicious.”
Neill said her friend, Denise Hagan, was ready to expand beyond the confines of her home.
“I then kept seeing her everywhere and I was so excited for her plan that I kept brainstorming ideas to see how everyone else could partner with her to make it work,” Neill said. “As it turned out, my excitement was really a way of kicking it into gear to go after something that I had joked about years before. My family has been so supportive, especially my mom/ business partner and my husband (Scott), who has encouraged me to go after a dream.”
Neill grew up in Chardon and attended John Carroll University for her bachelor’s degree and Ursuline College for her master of art’s degree in education.
Being a mom of a 5-year-old girl, Avery, and 2-year-old boy, Liam, as well as a preschool teacher for so many years, Neill designed SerendipiTEA’s atmosphere around comfort and convenience.
“I think that it was important for me to create an atmosphere of relaxation for people who patronize SerendipiTEA,” she said. “It certainly is not as formal as other tea rooms because we were going for a more approachable tea room experience. I don’t want people to worry about the formal tea experience — which is lovely, but somewhat stuffy. I want people to feel at home and enjoy the experience of taking a little break from the stresses of everyday life to enjoy a pot of tea and time with their friends and family. I want people to leave refreshed.”
Family life was also an influence on Neill’s decision to use the upstairs room of SerendipiTEA for “Wee Tea.”
“The inspiration for this room comes from being a mom and teacher. This room is a place where moms, grandmas, other family members can come with little ones and still enjoy a pot of tea while their child colors or reads a book about tea parties or even plays with the mini kitchen and tea sets,” Neill said. “The atmosphere upstairs is super casual so that a child would not be expected to sit still and a mom can feel tucked away and not self conscious that their little one can’t sit still, (which is) a perfectly normal dining phenomena.”
Neill said she also plans to use the space for birthday parties and is working with Hagan to “get things rolling and party packages together.”
Hagan is holding periodic cookie-decorating classes in the downstairs space, Neill added.
SerendipiTEA has its own unique array of menu options, she said.
“We have an entirely new menu featuring fresh made breads, soup, salads, comfort crocks and of course, amazing tea,” Neill said. “We have a signature Maple Taffy tea that was custom blended just for us. It has that wonderful maple aroma and bits of popcorn that give it a unique twist.”
The tea is mainly sourced from an Ohio entrepreneur Neill met at a Cleveland food show, Sherry Colaizzi, of Principessa Tea Company.
“She makes all of our tea except for two. Two of our teas are sourced from Colorado,” Neill said. “Even coffee drinkers won’t be disappointed with the Bolder Breakfast Tea, which is a black tea that gives that caffeinated lift with an amazing dark chocolate aroma.”
Many of SerendipiTEA’s recipes include locally made jam by Dee Ludlow, who is also the cook at the tea room, Neill said, adding she makes all the fresh baked bread.
“We have jam in our salad dressings, chicken salad, brie panini and of course, many desserts,” she said. “We are making fresh soup and crocks daily, which I think people will enjoy. The sandwiches are on fresh-baked bread including focaccia for the panini sandwiches. We also have the mini tea sandwiches as part of our afternoon tea and sometimes we will feature tea sandwich specials.”
Neill’s personal favorite tea, called Creamsicle, is a Rooibos tea that tastes and smells “just like it sounds.”
“Perhaps all the years of teaching makes me a child at heart. But who doesn’t love a creamsicle? It has the natural antioxidants that just make you feel good, too,” Neill said. “My favorite food has to be the scones. They are pillowy and delicious and I am a bread girl. Some people reach for desserts after a meal, but I love nothing better than a scone. They pair so well with our teas.”
While this is her first stint as a business owner, the livelihood is in her family’s blood, Neill said.
“My father owned a business in Chardon and several other family members as well. I was talking to my cousin prior to putting the business together and she sort of laughed because we were just raised with the mentality that you can do anything that you want to as long as you work for it,” Neill said. “I tell myself everyday, ‘She believed she could, so she did.’”
When asked what has been the most rewarding part of her new venture, Neill said the people and community she’s worked with.
“I have loved working with all the people in the community that make Chardon what it is. There are so many people that do amazing things and run small businesses, from Denise at D is for Delicious to Dee Ludlow to everyone that worked with me getting things ready,” Neill said. “We had help from so many people to get the place ready to roll. I feel blessed that family and friends alike rallied to get things rolling. So beyond the business itself, I have most loved the relationships. They really matter.
“Our challenges have been minor. I think that each one has stretched me a little more though and I’m grateful.”
While the tea room’s name plays off of the events of its creation, it was also “inspired by growing up in a small town and appreciating the nature of living in a small town.”
“We have so many ‘chance’ meetings with people. But these meetings are always a way to grow relationships,” Neill said. “Serendipity is loosely translated as a ‘chance meeting’ or a ‘pleasant surprise.’ I want people to have a place that they can meet with friends in a planned or perhaps unplanned way, a place where relationships can grow and perhaps ‘chance meetings’ can grow into something more.
“Whether you believe in chance or perhaps something more divine, I love the idea of having a place where people can slow down and connect with other people.”
SerendipiTEA is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Reservations are encouraged; walk-ins are welcome. Call 440-286-1115.
