About Leslie
The Tea Experience is a full-service tea party catering company that has been in business since 2007 (under the auspices of Lola’s Tea House). We offer over 30 varieties of teas, themed tea parties, and our popular afternoon teas.
So many people have asked me how I came up with the idea of opening a tea house. Well, here it is…………..
My dream began about 15+ years ago. At that time, my dream was to open a boutique coffee house. But life, career, and the Starbucks craze put my dream on the back burner.
In 2005, my Dad was diagnosed with cancer in the terminal stages—which changed my entire outlook on life, family, and career. During the one year that my Mom and I took care of Dad at home, my Dad and I enjoyed a great many “good” conversations (as he called them) about our family history (we are of Caribbean descent) and the value of being happy in life. It was through those conversations that I was able to find out that not only do I come from a family of tea drinkers (via my Dutch ancestry) but my paternal great-grandfather worked at the Haviland China company in NYC (hence the reason why we had so many varieties of tea cups, saucers, and plates at home!). A real link to the tea industry.
It was during these conversations that the light bulb went on for me—the realization that maybe my dream was not to open a coffee house; but a boutique tea house.
Well, Dad passed away in June 2006, and that’s when I decided to quit my full-time job (in the healthcare industry) and pursue entrepreneurship. I must honestly say that once I stayed steadfast on the idea of opening Lola’s Tea House (named in honor of my mother), I received enormous support, guidance, and direction from a huge array of people (family, friends, church family, acquaintances, and the local business community).
With God’s grace and my Dad’s guidance, Lola’s Tea House was opened in 2007 and was a major success! But as with any business, it must change with the changing times and customer demands, so Lola’s Tea House was closed in 2012 and has now become The Tea Experience – a tea party catering business that provides loose-leaf tea and teawares for online purchase.