Society Bakery & Tea Room
1926 Skillman Street • Dallas, TX 75206
214-827-1411 • societybakerytea.com
After running a successful business for 17 years, Roshi Muns and Emily Cassady, the owner and customer-turned-friend-and-now-co-owner of Society Bakery & Tea Room, had to pivot their business plan to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. They came up with the concept of afternoon tea in a box, with all the tasty delicacies that the cherished tradition is known for conveniently housed in three coursed packages.
“When COVID concluded, we opened up the tearoom out of Roshi’s bakery in the front,” Emily tells. “We felt like people were hungry for this idea; we knew there was the demand. We signed a lease for a bigger space [in 2023]. That space is the home of the bakery and tearoom and can serve the demand that we think is there to have an afternoon-tea experience that is English-inspired with great bakery products.” The talented duo behind the bakery-tearoom hybrid makes an ideal pair to run this multifaceted operation. Roshi is a magnificent baker, creating picturesque cakes, cookies, and more for the ultimate indulgence, and Emily is a certified tea sommelier. It seems to be a match made in teatime heaven.
When visiting the Society Bakery & Tea Room, it is paramount to have an empty stomach, high expectations, and enthusiasm for what is to come. Emily methodically selects a specific tea to correspond with each course. The teas are sourced from numerous shops, such as The Cultured Cup and Rakasan Tea Company located in Dallas, and The Skirted Soldier, Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, and Harney & Sons. A lovely oolong might be chosen to go with the savories, and Cultured Cup’s Crème de Earl Grey is served with the desserts. To start the meal, five traditional tea sandwiches, such as cucumber and cream cheese, chicken salad, egg salad, pimiento cheese, and turkey, are served. Next, two scones—one classic bake and one delectable flavored wild card that is chosen depending on the time of year—will be presented accompanied by strawberry jam and clotted cream. For the impressive finale to afternoon tea, sweets could include one of their award-winning and flower-adorned petit fours, Victoria Sponge Cake, a chocolate chip cookie, Queen’s Biscuit Cake, and/or a triple berry cake. In the spring, a satisfying carrot cake cupcake and bunny-shaped cookies will come into the mix.
With the brand-new location, which opened in late 2023, the potential for the bakery-tearoom is limitless. The new space is much larger than the previous and includes a garden room that is reserved for baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, and more. “There’s tons of places to have afternoon tea around the world, but right now in Dallas, there’s just a handful of small proprietorships . . . compared to restaurants and coffee shops where there’s three on every corner,” Roshi notes. “There’s definitely the demand for this experience. The hotels are selling out for afternoon tea.” Contrasting to the fast-paced culture of today’s society and the “more and immediate is better” mantra that is pushed in consumerism, afternoon tea provides a tremendously slow and much-needed change of rapidity to culture’s norm. “We want people to slow down and feel like they can savor the food, the tea, the time, and the experience,” Emily remarks. “That’s what COVID taught us: We all want connection. Tea is not rushed. It’s a longer process because it’s coursed.”
Though the future looked grim at the onset of the pandemic, in hindsight it is clear that without that tribulation, the expansion of Society Bakery & Tea Room would likely have never happened. It is through rose-colored glasses, perspective, a revitalizing cup of tea, and perhaps, an indulgent petit four or two, that we can grow from our experiences and adopt the perseverance and entrepreneurial adeptness of Roshi and Emily.
The Society Bakery & Tea Room is open for afternoon tea Thursday through Sunday, with seatings at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Reservations are required.
