Wednesday, Feb. 03, 2010

Tea time comes to Cleveland

The antique wooden table is set with fine china, teacups and candelabras. A porcelain doll stands watch from across the dimly lit room.

Customers might easily mistake the tearoom at Cornerstone Tea for their grandmother's dining room. They're not far off; owner Denise Simmons has furnished her new business with family heirlooms and named the back room after her late mother, Ruth.

"Most of our stuff has history behind it, and that's what gives it the personality," Simmons said. She's happy to talk about things her family picked up while living abroad during her father's military career. But first-time customers might be preoccupied instead with the tearoom's unique menu offerings.

Cornerstone Tea is open for lunch and afternoon tea at 41-C Technology Drive off N.C. 42. It's among the few tea-centric businesses in the area -- other tearooms in Johnston County have closed, Simmons said.

Cornerstone Tea serves 17 varieties of private-label tea, including black, oolong, chai and herbal flavors. It also offers quiches, cold pasta dishes, wraps, finger sandwiches and pastries. The staff is working on creating chocolate truffles as well. "We really enjoy the pastries and baking end of things," Simmons said.

The back room can be reserved for groups of up to 20 people, with full table service available. Simmons hopes it and the other room will be popular date spots come Valentine's Day. "We want folks to use the place to celebrate," she said.

For those who prefer to take their tea at home, tins of dry tea leaves are available up front, along with teapots and other accessories. Simmons said some tea fans have driven from around the state to stock up on Cornerstone teas, which aren't available anywhere else.

While Simmons wants to avoid the stereotypical "stuffy tearoom," she does enjoy educating her customers about tea. Many people, she notes, don't realize that dry tea leaves don't stay fresh forever. "Shelf life doesn't go beyond six months," she said. "We can guarantee [Cornerstone teas] have been picked and packaged to us within nine days."

Cornerstone also promotes the health benefits of drinking tea, which some say, include cancer prevention and lowering blood pressure. With America becoming more health-conscious, Simmons thinks more people will choose tea over coffee, assuring the success of the new venture.

"We'd be just fine to be the next Starbucks," she said.

Cornerstone Tea is open from 11:30 a.m. till 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. on Saturday.