Communi-Tea
Third Places, a Way Back to the Future
Tea houses have a long, and often forgotten history in the United States - especially in today’s world where the masses tend towards sugary drinks, ordered on apps. Folks tend to struggle with understanding a beverage and place that would suggest slowing down, while connecting with ourselves and one another. Yet, as this week ushers in what many are calling the final season of democracy in America - the opportunities for a third place resurgence, particularly around tea, are quite high.
As part of understanding U.S. history, most Americans are required to diligently outline from textbooks in order to receive a high school diploma, where we learned of a tumultuous time for tea when our fledgling country was fighting for freedom1. Yet, as history does - we rarely reference the role tea and their houses played in the decades that defined independence for women and Black folks in our still, and then young, country.
A Bit of History
Another historical space, the restaurant - was divided into upper and lower class in the early 1900s with nothing in the middle that we would recognize today - as it was a class yet to be established2, and while the middle didn’t exist one rule did for any type of establishment: women either weren’t allowed at all, or only when accompanied by a man. The emergence of the tea house allowed women to come into spaces outside their home and also ended up creating “acceptable” work for women, because of course, it was tied to being in service. Women were allowed to own tea houses either in brick and mortar form or in the front rooms of their homes..
As white women formed community in city tea rooms - different types of feminist movements arose, suffrage and temperance to name two of the most notable. And while rarely documented, Black men and women were also creating tea houses in the 1920s and 30s as much needed social spaces - while still being set for a certain class level.
As the middle class continued to develop in the 1920s so too did automobile access, leisure time3, roadtrips and the evolution of tea rooms from the big cities to the countryside; again led by women, sometimes widowed or divorced, in converted spaces of their homes.
How tea houses and rooms came to be, evolved and brought strength to women and the middle class are all lessons worth reviving today, in a world that is continuing to be driven apart by isolation and capitalistic4 oppression.
A New Renaissance
Not surprising, tea houses haven’t really gone away on the east and west coasts with more international clienteles - that help boast tea as the second most globally consumed beverage in the world, only behind water. As middle America and her roadways saw houses pouring steeped leaves and hospitality dwindle - cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York still make space for the ritual, healing and connective properties of communing around tea. The latter of which is why tea houses make sense not only by hospitality, but for hospitality.
We are in desperate need of repair and wellness as a society, but also for an industry that often takes care of everyone else, before themselves or at all. Past posts at The Luncheonette are full evidence of my long-time dedicated love of corner bars - and that will never go away, however when we are typically only connecting over alcohol, which has been the case for as long as I’ve been working in restaurants - we need more to fill our minds, bodies and souls. Tea houses have always brewed a community collective of artists, craft folk and what we used to call counter culture5. As a society searching for connection, while living in fear of losing freedoms and having enough money to survive - we need third places, ritual and as we begin to welcome in the early stages of a modern renaissance, tea houses to act as a compass towards a more connected human experience.
The perfect tea house in my corner bar loving mind plays vinyl, and of course has a tape deck for any collecting Deadheads that want to pop in a cassette of 9-21-72 at The Spectrum, Philadelphia or the like; there are a ton of plants, mix of furniture for whatever your pleasure - couch or table and chairs; the bar feels like your favorite dive with a two inch raised stage in the back of the room - completed by a couple of acoustic guitars and an upright piano. Tea is flowing, as are the non-alc and functional beverages - which can also be enjoyed on the back patio, in a garden that welcomes all types of herb, and the artistry that ensues.
A Blast from the Past
Tea houses have a long connection to Chicago, and while the original style may have its roots in a wealthy class - what existed in the city thirty years ago was full of artists and grit. An example of a true third place was Urbus Orbis, which even back in the 90s went out of business due to rent disputes - as the neighborhood was in a big swing of change.
Today, in most cities and small towns, brick and mortar third places are extremely difficult to maintain - outside of religious institutions - due to venture capital and hoarding of real estate, which drives rent beyond sustainability. So the question becomes, how do we create third places to build and strengthen community at a time when it’s needed most, and often expensive to come together?
First, we get off social media - while the TikTok debacle served a number of lessons, too many learned the hard way that renting space on the platforms of technocrats isn’t going to keep folks connected to their communities during critical and vulnerable times. Can we use online tools to connect and build elsewhere? Absolutely - Substack, Patreon, and Bluesky are all spaces where users “own” their audience, meaning communication can occur through email addresses and live calls to name a few methods of connection. Second, create community virtually and in person, that doesn’t revolve around completely numbing out and avoidance of addressing our collective needs. An example is what Shannon Downey is doing over at Badass Cross Stitch - a community and movement that uses social media, to come together virtually with zoom calls and in person events.
Also, if the past few days have your creativity feeling a little stuck - that’s valid; if you’re into any kind of crafting I highly recommend the book: Let’s Move the Needle by Shannon, I started it after the 2024 election and it was a grounding, warm hug of a read - plus quite motivating.
Third places have the opportunity to grow and evolve with the digital tools we have, while also popping up in existing spaces that could potentially use community support - think: cafés, bookstores, artist studios and yes, sometimes even bars. Another example is what Sam Bail does with Third Place Bar, in New York. While Sam’s work is centered around the alcohol free world, she is an inspiration (and force!) that third places can be created in a variety of ways and spaces in order to strengthen community.
No matter how and where - we are in an era allowing us to look back into the future of third places and tea houses in order to come together in new collectives and strengthened communities, while also remembering to have fun, because as Badass Cross Stitch continually reminds us …
Do you dig on dreamy tea houses too? Want to see more wellness based connectivity in hospitality? Believe in building an equitable, creative class? Let’s have tea, in person or virtually: liz@aldeahospitality.com
Tea House Sources6
Boston Tea Party: unfortunately, the folks who voted for our new fascist regime didn’t remember how tariffs work from their teenage education.
Restaurants still very much have a class system today, with greed and lack of access trying to push out much of the middle.
Pre-WW2, workers and unions were fighting and winning for a more fair work week, which allowed for time off when the automobile was becoming more accessible. Interestingly - the five day work week and more fair wages were obtained in 1938 - right before we went to war and unions agreed to work longer hours again, for less wages to help the war effort - which of course, included women laborers.
As always, a reminder, The Luncheonette does not oppose commerce and trade with equity and equality at its core - but that is not capitalism, which is rooted the greed of production and property over people.
In a world where working class spaces and style continued to get co-opted by the extremely wealthy, it’s time to take counter culture back for the creative class.
I love this and agree. We need more real life community now more than ever. Libraries are a wonderful, alcohol free, third space option. They offer so much to our communities and can be a great place to learn a new skill, see author talks, see live music events, get discounted or free tickets to cultural attractions, join a group (many offer knitting circles, board game groups, and other activity-centric groups). I think we are going to see a shift in more real life community and less isolation. People need people.