Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
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but it's also dynamic and changing because of where it comes from. Every tea tells a story; every tea is unique." Jennings strives to communicate those stories to her customers through everyday, on- the-go education. "We get thousands of questions a day," she says." She also offers private tea tastings, which essentially pack a lifetime of knowledge into an hourlong course called "Tea 101." Jennings says she keeps thinking consumers will want to narrow down their study—like learning about only matcha, for example—but so far most have told her they want the basics on teas as a whole. A sit-down reserved hour costs $25, and customers sample five to seven different teas as part of the process. 8 ennings' shop design reflects the store's status as the only "urban" teahouse in Oklahoma City. Stainless-steel tables, white chairs, recycled concrete and a glass bar made by local firefighters help the shop achieve a sleek, minimalist feeling—not Victorian or country-style, but cozy and warm. With Wi-Fi, music that "reflects what's going on in the shop" and local art that changes monthly, Jennings says she actually has more in common with local coffee slingers than other tearooms. "It's kind of funny," she says. "My relationships are with the local coffee shops. They carry my tea. With the tea places, I feel that we are miles apart in our phi- losophies." Though T, an Urban Teahouse is in a more commercialized area than Jennings would have liked, her May Street location is in the most affluent, highest-traffic neighborhood she could find without being on a highway. She would have rather been in a walking area in the city's downtown or midtown areas, but Jennings says doing so would have cut down on her initial customer base. "I'd rather be in a cool area where a hip little teahouse fits in, but at the same time I needed the visibility to get going," she says. "But things are changing, and I do feel fortunate to be a tiny part of the progressive growth movement here." Regulars and food bloggers alike love her for it. Katie Johnstonbaugh, who pub- lishes the blog Dishin' and Dishes, writes of the shop: "It was a very hip thing to do in Oklahoma City, when sometimes you just don't want to go to another movie or restaurant." Those who don't stumble across the spot while driving might discover its tea through Jennings' involvement in local events. A business owner who remains true to her local calling, she teams up with catering companies and specialty coffee shops when they need a tea service that matches the quality their customers expect. Jennings has served her tea at unique gatherings—during Japanese weddings, for example, and at an architecture firm that was hosting Chinese diplomats. Jennings' approach to food is equally focused. From day one she has offered baked goods from Oklahoma City's Prairie Thunder Baking Company, brought in fresh each morning. But despite her purist approach, Jennings isn't closed-minded to auxiliaries like savory dishes. She even serves coffee. In fact, she points out, it's her relationships with other local business owners that have allowed her to thrive while other tea operations have shuttered. Jennings recently worked with a local caterer to add lunch items like an Asian chicken salad wrap with fresh green beans, carrots, scallions and cilantro. Recently, she also added an individual- sized quiche to the menu. "I was so committed to not doing food when I opened that I didn't add a vent hood or a stove or anything like that," Jennings laughs. Her caterer helped her use what she had—counter space and a convection oven—to create menu options that are "simple but not boring, on the gourmet and healthy side." A French press coffee option will likely be added to the menu very soon, featuring locally roasted beans. "You start off with these super elitist ideas, but if at the end of the day you can do something to make your regulars happy, why not?" she asks. And how is business going? Jennings says that the walkable Midtown district will probably be enjoy- ing T—and tea—in the very near future. FRESH CUP MAGAZINE $