TEAHAUS
204-206 N. 4th Avenue • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-622-0460 • teahaus.com
Lisa McDonald’s plan to backpack through Europe for six months turned into a 14-year career as a business consultant abroad. During her extensive travels in Europe, Turkey, and Northern Africa, she made sure to seek out each local tea shop to sip a cup and soak in the tea culture of every region. “Tea is the conversation starter—it’s what opens the doors in these parts of the world,” says Lisa. She lived mostly in Germany, the world’s largest purchaser of tea and a country with the most stringent quality control to ensure the highest purity.
Lisa and her husband eventually moved back to his hometown of Ann Arbor. She loved the city, but she and her circle of international friends missed the teas they had enjoyed overseas. After a year of lamenting their lack, Lisa, who is a trained tea sommelier, opened TeaHaus. The shop, just down the street from the farmers’ market and the hands-on museum, is a decidedly family-friendly place that sells and serves teas only from German companies. The menu features such interesting items as Dukkah, a traditional Northern African dish, and Vesper Teller, a European board of meat and cheeses. Patrons can also enjoy traditional English tea fare.
“Everything on our menu is infused with tea,” says Lisa. “In the end, the tea is the most important thing.”
I Love This article and the Website. So interesting and informative. Makes me want to go back to Michigan and see it and experience it.