Dobra Tea House is opening on Lexington Avenue, in the former Instant Karma location. The business has locations in Wisconsin and Vermont.
From the Dobra Tea House page on Facebook:
Bohemian Tea Room, offering 90+ custom import varieties of Fresh Loose-Leaf Teas. Everything is served traditionally and skillfully brewed to order! A beautiful selection of handmade Teapots, Tea Cups and Tea Accessories!Fresh, Healthy Baked Goods made locally in Vermont!
So, would this be considered a chain?
9 Comments
Do bra tea in Asheville is a great addition to town. The atmosphere is relaxing and pressure free. Right now I am sitting here on a cushion with shoes off anc enjoying a cup of "the Tea King" having a good chat with my son. The weather is snowing and this is the perfect place to relax. If you have not been here, come on down and learn about a new tea.
Ron
Dobra Tea is a local business. It is locally owned. The profits all stay in the community. All the teas have been sourced by years of travel of the locally based owner, which means there are now direct close relationships with the actual gardens to your new local teashop, instead of buying bulk from a company in Wisconsin. Dobra Tea also strives to serve as much local sweets, produce, herbs and products as possible and is close with the local yoga and ayurvedic communities and serves it's teachers and healers on a daily basis. Mark said it correct by saying that Dobra Tea is "a network, family or community of devoted tea drinkers who are skillfully trained in the art of tea preparation from all over the world." Please go into Dobra Tea before your pass judgement and make assumptions.
Sorry, we need to support our own local economy. I will not support the starting of a chain tea shop. This is a total luxury and is not going to help strengthen our local economy.
Dobra Tea is indeed not a "chain" but a network, family or community of devoted tea drinkers who are skillfully trained in the art of tea preparation from all over the world.
Their location in Burlington, VT is truely the most remarkable place and tea house I have ever been in my life. The smells, atmosphere, music and Tea is outstanding
Asheville should be honored to have one coming to their communi-tea!
I know I will be there everyday!
I visit another of the Dobra Tea locations frequently in my hometown–another type of place where people don't need or want chains. I think you will see that it is absolutely not a chain, but a hand-built labor of love by the individual(s) devoted to the concept. The artisan teas are handpicked from all over the world, fetched by these individuals themselves, and brought to you fresh, sometimes days after their harvest. Non-tea products all come from local organic suppliers, as I understand it. I've had some amazing teas there–wild teas from Chinese forests, organic Japanese greens of a quality you can't get anywhere outside of Japan. All of the single tea rooms in various locations are connected through these individuals. I would call it more of a network, association, or movement. Just go there, take out your pad or laptop, and write for a few hours. You'll see there's nothing corporate about it.
Thanks Jenna!
Soni, thank you for your thoughts. Good points.
tofutown, a level of concern about chain stores in downtown Asheville has been an ongoing debate for some 10 years or so.
Seems to me we could make some distinctions between something really nice that has been successful and in-demand enough to sprout a few offspring (such as Dobra or Neo Burrito) and something that just sort of cancerous invades, whether you like it or not (like, oh I don't know, Urban Outfitters or WalMart).
Not sure what we'd call it. But Dobra doesn't really seem to fit the mental image I have of a chain store. To mean, the phrase has an inherent understanding of a shiny, yet boring commercial tether composed of many, many identical and mass-produced links, not a pleasant, hand-hewn piece sporting a few, individually-built and unique loops.
Why the concern over whether or not the store is a chain? I think a tea shop selling over 90 varieties is a welcome addition chain or no.
i have had tea there in burlington, this place is wonderful. really relaxing, they make a great enviornment for conversations with friends 🙂