It’s Tea Time! Tracy’s Tea House Now Open
May 04, 2011
KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Tea is the most popular drink in the world besides, water. The South is known for our “sweet tea,” in the North they drop the “sweet,” the West Coast made it a national trend to drink “green tea” as a healthy alternative and I’m sure you’ll find William and Kate drinking a classic cup of Earl Grey in their North Wales home. Tea has been a source of medicine, meditation, congregation and inspiration for thousands of years and the Chinese and other Asian countries have been drinking a variety of teas for their numerous health benefits.
Tea lovers and non-traditional medicine seekers rejoice! Tracy's Tea House offers a wonderful chance to experience a wide variety of unique Eastern and Western tea blends with mouth-watering meals on the menu! Currently, there are 19 organic and special blend teas offered and prepared in house. The teas on the menu were selected by owner, Tracy Law based on different varieties of tastes and more importantly most of the teas provide non-traditional healing elements.
Let’s not forget the other items on the menu! The tea house offers a variety of soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches/quiche and desserts. The crab rangoons and veggie spring roll appetizers are excellent and you can’t go wrong with the garden salad. If you’re a fan of quiche, you must try the spinach quiche which is served with fresh fruit and a small green salad.
All sandwiches are served on a buttery croissant with fruit and chips and you can select roast beef, chicken salad or a turkey sandwich. Saving the best for last, there are a variety of cookies, cakes and scones. Tracy’s specialties are the mini desserts, where you can choose any combination of carrot cake, mango mousse cake, raspberry mousse cake and black forest cake.
They are the newest business addition to the Colonial Heights area, located at 216 Colonial Heights Road, Kingsport. For an intimate setting ideal for any church groups, book clubs, civic groups, business meetings, lunch club meet-ups or specials events and occasions visit them at the former location of Two Sisters Tea Room and Gifts.
KOSBE Clients, Daniel and Tracy Law owners of The Plum Tree opened their second restaurant in March with a recent ribbon cutting in April by your Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. You can find photos of that event on the Kingsport Chamber’s Facebook Page, Your Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce.
“For thirty years now, I have called Kingsport my home, downtown my heart, cooking my passion and serving people my greatest honor,” said owner, T. Law. “The people in our region are so wonderful and have been so kind to us. Daniel and I want to take this great opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has ever supported us. Our customers are not just customers; they have truly become our friends and family, we could not accomplish anything without them.”
Being a small business owner is a challenge all in itself, but the Law’s consider themselves blessed. “We are very fortunate to live in a country with such a great system that allows anyone to follow their dreams and open their own business,” said Law. “It’s even greater to know that as a minority and as a woman I also have the same opportunities, if not more.”
“I do not limit myself on what I can do, I tell myself that I believe I can achieve my goals and encourage myself to purpose them. KOSBE has helped me make my dreams possible my giving me personal one-on-one business counseling and offering me educational opportunities for myself and my business.”
Tracy is also thankful for the Literacy Council of Kingsport, the Colonial Heights Baptist Church and the many teachers and customers who have taught her English over the years. This is a true testament that our country is great because of the people in it.
Believe it or not, tea is actually beneficial to thought and activity. Tea is more than just a drink, it’s a pure element that is detoxifying and is notably health-promoting, assists the body cleansing and healing from deterioration and generally has an uplifting, engaging effect on the brain and the conscious thought processes.
One example found on the menu is a unique Japanese Genmaicha Brown Rice Green Tea. This tea has a blend of tender, organic sencha green tea leaves and roasted organic brown rice. There is a light yellow hue to the tea after it is steeped. The mild soothing taste of spring in the leaves and the nutty flavor and aroma of roasted grain reminiscent of fall complement each other. This is a staple tea at any Japanese restaurant found in Japan. Studies have linked a wide range of health benefits to green tea including lowering the risk of certain cancers and heart disease as well as weight loss and protection against Alzheimers.
Another tea that is ideal for body cleansing (a great way to kick off your weight loss plan) is Pu-Erh Tea from China and is considered a special delicacy and an indispensable part of daily health care. This is a post-fermented tea with a dark reddish color after steeping. It has a strong earthy taste and very popular in Canton and Southwestern China. For generations, Chinese drink this tea after rich meals to "cut the grease." It has since been shown to help reduce body weight by increasing metabolism and many report that drinking it after meals relieves any overstuffed feelings and aids digestion.
It took Tracy a few minutes to decide what her favorite tea was, but she narrowed it down after a moment and selected the Osmanthus Green Tea. This is a top quality green tea blended with osmanthus petals. When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green hue with a smooth taste and a pleasantly sweet, light floral aroma with a lingering aftertaste. Osmanthus is an evergreen shrub with attractive foliage and clusters of small, very fragrant flowers. These flowers are also used in some of the world's most famous and expensive fragrances. Tracy then shared an early childhood memory of being in a garden with the wind blowing around her; the floral aroma of the tea reminds her of those memories. She recently discovered that the osmanthus plant can be grown in our area and has already started planting her garden!
Two customer favorites are Berry Melange and Strawberry Hibiscus. Berry Melange is a caffeine free herbal tea that consists of a mixture of hibiscus, cranberry, apple, strawberries, orange peels, rose hips and lemongrass. Some of the healing elements herbal teas offer are relief of headaches, stomach aches and digestive trouble. The aroma itself of certain herbal teas is stress reducing, plus it is a fun, sweet summer drink!
Strawberry Hibiscus is an enticing blend of rose hips, strawberry, orange peels and lemongrass. Hibiscus teas contain a number of different antioxidants that may help to protect against cell-damaging free radicals. These teas also may help control high blood pressure. A popular drink throughout central and south America and the Caribbean, it contains a number of nutrients which are important for supporting the systems of the body and is useful for general well-being. Being another great summer-time drink!
A tidbit Tracy shared is that any hot tea on her menu can be served as an iced tea. The staff can assist in creating the perfect pairing with your tea and entrée for the ultimate tea house experience.
Tracy and Daniel have become the true American success story. Tracy was born and raised in Taiwan and Daniel is from Hong Kong; both of their families moved to the United States in the early 1980s, Tracy’s family selected Kingsport as their new home. Tracy and Daniel met in North Carolina while he was attending graduate school for business at East Carolina University. The couple moved to Kingsport after they were married in 1985.
Shortly after, they opened their restaurant, The Plum Tree and have owned and operated that very success business for nearly 20 years. They have two children; a son and a daughter both attending South High School.
Tracy’s Tea House hours of operation are Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and private parties may be booked on Sundays if desired.
They can also provide catering for business meetings, specials events and occasions. Available for private parties such as, bridal showers, baby showers, book signings, bible study, birthday parties, church groups and Red Hat Society parties. Men’s groups are welcome and appreciated! Contact Tracy Law with any questions at (423) 239.0080.
For more information about Tracy’s Tea House, call (423) 239.0080 or follow them on Facebook at, Tracy’s Tea House.
Don’t’ forget to visit The Plum Tree located at 4260 Fort Henry Drive, Suite 18, Kingsport, call (423) 239.8500 for more information.
It is the intent of KOSBE to be the go-to organization in the Tri-Cities for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to start or grow their businesses, by creating and developing the right tools and resources and cultivating the right partnerships. In partnership with Tennessee Small Business Development Centers (TSBDC) at ETSU, KOSBE can more effectively serve the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses. For a complete listing of services, tools and resources, visit kosbe.org.
The cooperative agreement between KOSBE and East Tennessee State University is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA’s funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions or services. SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Additional funding is provided by the Tennessee Board of Regents and the state of Tennessee.
To schedule your free confidential counseling appointment in a private setting by TSBDC-certified counselors in person, online by phone or e-mail call Marybeth McLain at (423) 392.8825 or e-mail, mmclain@kosbe.org.
For more information about the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office and your Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE), visit tsbdc.org and kosbe.org or call (423) 392.8825. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook, Kosbe – The Small Business Connection, Twitter, @KOSBEConnection, LinkedIn group, KOSBE — The Small Business Connection and our YouTube Channel, KOSBEConnection.
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