Walk up to the charming tea shop on State Street in Greensboro and start to feel the expectation of something. Perhaps you are longing for the touch of tranquility that washes over you as you step inside Vida Pour Tea. Someone from behind the counter, usually the shop owner Sarah Chapman, greets you warmly. Take a deep breath and begin to feel your energy being replenished as the herbal aromas restore you to your senses.
Vida Pour Tea’s focus is, and will always be, the more than 150 blends of tea that Sarah mixes. Organic, fair trade, fresh, and very mindfully packaged or served, the tea helps Sarah to personally connect with each customer. Non-tea lovers usually find that the popular commercial teas that they have tasted in the past are not what tea is all about.
Feeling stressed or lethargic? Suffering from a bad headache or allergy problems? Let Sarah and her staff concoct the very thing that you need at that moment. Then sit down and relax or work in the tranquil, carefully lit space and watch your neighbors come in and order their teas, coffees, and pastries after considering the chalk board menus and discussing the possibilities.
The small, warm and inviting shop somehow has room for shelves stocked with beautifully packaged tea leaves, and all sorts of tea making tools like pots, mugs, strainers and spoons. Other special items in the shop include vegan and gluten free baked goods, as well as syrups and tinctures and oils. There are so many layers of goodies in this shop that you need to spend time carefully reflecting on how in the world it can all be presented so beautifully and simply.
It is clear that Sarah Chapman loves bringing together under one roof the more than 30 small-batch makers and bakers, and supporting their businesses as she grows her own. She wants to add to the availability of herb-based products with local ingredients like those from Green Moon Apothecary, whose owner Heather creates tinctures, tonics and body care that align exactly with Sarah’s localist, small-batch vision. In the near future, Vida Pour Tea plans to feature an herbal plant stand, including edible and drinkable herbs.
Outside of the shop, there are quite a few places where you can drink and/or purchase Vida Pour Tea’s tea. Look for it at local restaurants, yoga studios, the Greensboro History Museum, and the NC Zoo. When asked if she plans to open other locations, Sarah says that she’s very happy to own and operate one location. “At the moment, I’m really happy with my little shop on State Street and my army of local suppliers. It takes a lot of love and work to build and maintain those relationships and I’d like to keep expanding partnerships rather than opening another location.”
Visit Vida Pour Tea at 412 State Street in Greensboro. Closed on Mondays.
Weekend driving trips are second only to learning everything about what is in my own back yard. Greensboro and the Triad are growing and changing and renewing in a way that no one would have predicted two decades ago.