Seven Great Years at Teacup!

Today marks my 7 year anniversary at the Teacup. The Teacup is a wonderful teashop on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. It was started in 1990, which makes it one of Seattle's 3 oldest teashops (along with our friends at Teahouse Kuan Yin and Perennial Tea Room.)

I didn't know very much about tea when I started back in 2001, but thanks to my first tea mentor Donna Fellman (then manager) I really got bit by the "tea bug!" I can still remember when Donna brought in a small gong fu tea tray, a clay pot, and some special Tie Guanyin oolong to teach me how oolong is traditionally brewed. Once I had a taste of Chinese tea culture (中國茶文化), there was no turning back! I knew I was beginning my life-long quest to promote tea drinking in America, and I felt that Teacup would be the perfect "home base" for me to achieve my goals.

Teacup has always been a great place to work and my coworkers and customers (both past and present) are like family. COWORKER SHOUT OUTS (in no particular order): Elisabeth (Teacup's owner), Sara, Mary, Tiffany, Jessie, Robert, Heidi, Darald, Krissy, Brian Keating, Anastasia, Ariana, Heather, Monica, Laura, Dan, Jim, Norelle, Victoria, Avery, M-Jo, Zen, Anton, Jessica, Aja, Donna, (I'm sure that I'm forgetting some folks. Sorry, I really didn't mean to, it's just that I've worked with so many people, so please let me know and I will add you!)

September 2002
Check out that old floor, and those old white walls:

January 2004
Closed for a Snow day!
(Yes, those are dread locks under my hat.)

Summer 2004
Check out those old wooden shelves: