On Jan 23, 9:34 am, "Dominic T." wrote:

People want mediocre, fast, impersonal, loud, uncomfortable, and
hurried.

Dominic,

I can't believe that people really want impersonal, loud, and
uncomfortable. We all want calm, comfortable, and intimate, but many
of us just can't figure out how to fit it in our lives. We're always
in a rush.

I know a number of tea houses that seem to keep afloat, and they all
have a take-out counter for quick daily-brews, loose-leaf teabags in
paper cups, baked goods, and random novelteas (bubble tea, matcha
smoothies, books, accessories). I'm sure it's the counters that pay
the bills, but in the back there's a nice place to sit and relax,
Louis Armstrong is cooing quietly, a gas fireplace defrosts your
bones, and there are tables where small groups of friends gather. I
think that, sometimes, even the frantic caffeine junkies up front need
a breath of air, and when the do they look beyond the front counter
and sit down for a moment with a cup of tea.

Tea is an acquired taste, and many will opt for the decaf caramel
mango tango at first, but a teashop full of possibiliteas will
definitely win some converts.

It's no starbuck's through..

m