Drag bingo, SpongeBob trivia and mocktails are things you’d least expect from a tea café or teahouse. Except, this isn’t any ordinary tea venue – this is Eli Tea Bar, where the tea and bar worlds collide, creating an inclusive sober space that serves tea, mocktails and fun.
Eli Tea bar – which has a location in Birmingham, Mich., and Chicago, Ill. – is shaking (not stirring) its local community with its innovative tea-based mocktails, tea drinks and creative events that it hosts regularly.
“I worked at Teavana in 2008,” said Eli Tea Bar Owner Elias Majid. “Teavana did something for the [tea] industry and was impactful. But I wanted to make it more tea-focused, where people can have a place to enjoy tea.”
Majid pointed out that early-on during his tea journey, having a place to sit and enjoy tea within a specific community was something that didn’t exist. The solution? He created his own bar-like experience that focused on non-alcoholic drinks made with tea.
“With the Michigan store [opening] in 2014, we didn’t initially advertise it as a sober bar,” explained Majid. “What became apparent with our Michigan store pretty quickly is that we naturally attracted a larger sober community. It wasn’t the initial intention, but that’s a large part of the demographic that came out.”
Majid said that keeping his bar open until 11 p.m. was instrumental in attracting a late-night crowd, and his venue was the only local café to do so. However, when he expanded the Eli Tea Bar concept to Chicago, he decided to market it as a sober tea bar upfront.
According to Majid, having a diverse beverage menu was key in building a successful sober bar with a focus on tea. Thus, they serve a wide assortment of tea mocktails and boba tea, and they experiment with a variety of teas to create unique drinks and weekend specials. They also have Kombucha on tap and blend their own chai in-house.
(Photo: Courtesy of Eli Tea Bar)
Majid said that being accessible and inclusive is important for building a tea community at their bars – especially if some of the customers are not familiar with tea. For some of those customers, the tea drinks at Eli Tea Bar have acted as “gateway” beverages to the world of tea, and some customers end up wanting to learn more about tea.
For its teas, Eli Tea Bar sources from both domestic and international tea gardens. Although American-grown tea gardens are only in their early stages, Majid plans to work with and support these U.S. gardens more in the future. For its international tea suppliers, he carefully selects them and takes the social and environmental responsibility of the supplier seriously. He also focuses on sourcing other ingredients and herbals for the bar's teas from within the United States. “We buy mint from origin and lavender from Colorado,” said Majid. “We even source cherries from Northern Michigan, as well.”
‘We Just Do Our Own Thing’
Eli Tea Bar is truly creating a concept of its own and running with it. “We just do our own thing,” shared Majid, who also focuses on making the bar a queer-friendly space that’s safe and accepting of everyone. In doing so, they host various events throughout the year that keep the local LGBTQ+ community and others engaged. “We had over 80 adults compete in our SpongeBob trivia night,” said Majid.
In the world of tea, there’s a strong need for more outside-of-the-box business ideas to help keep the world of tea growing and to develop new tea enthusiasts, and Eli Tea Bar helps fill that gap. In fact, Majid hears from people all over the United States who say they wish they had a place like Eli Tea Bar near them.
For the future, becoming a small, premium chain brand might be in the cards for Eli Tea Bar, while staying independent and small is the goal for now.
“I want to be in every gayborhood across the country,” said Majid.
Overall, Eli Tea Bar is an anomaly in both the tea and bar worlds. It’s a different, queer-affirming, inclusive and safe space that anchors itself as a sober bar that serves tea mocktails, while hosting fun events. And for the many obstacles the business could have faced for being a different kind of bar, it somehow works – and Majid is more successful than ever.
(Photo: Courtesy of Eli Tea Bar)
To learn more about Eli Tea Bar and its two locations, or to order their teas online, visit EliTeaBar.com.
Cody Wade, also known by his blog name, The Oolong Drunk, has been a tea blogger and tea educator for more than seven years. Wade’s passion for tea started with oolongs, but he has grown to appreciate every umbrella of the tea industry. He’s also given lectures at the Houston Tea Festival, Mid-West Tea Festival and the World Tea Conference + Expo, and he’s forward with his passion with tea education and bringing people together to make the community stronger.
Plan to Attend or Participate in
Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas. Visit BarandRestaurantExpo.com. The event will once again be co-located with the World Tea Conference + Expo.
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