Honeysuckle Tea House

Honeysuckle Tea House. photo by Jasmin Flack

Just 15 minutes outside of downtown Chapel Hill, Honeysuckle Tea House is a escape from the stress of daily life.

Honeysuckle Tea House sells tea, coffee, herbal blends, and smoothies, along with apothecary items like culinary oils, bug sprays, and medicines.  It is technically classified as a farmstand and features all biodegradable, recyclable, and eco-friendly products. Nearly everything they sell is made by in-house herbalists with the plants in their very own garden.

One of their most popular teas is a blend called Cool Summer Breeze that contains herbs that lower body temperature, which is perfect for the hot summer months. They also serve a power brownie, made from black beans and chocolate chips. Another popular menu item are their smoothie bowls. These aesthetically pleasing smoothies are a big hit on instagram and bring in a lot of UNC students.

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Photo by Jasmin Flack

Along with students, locals and families are frequent customers. Ryan, a “tea-slinger” since spring, said Honeysuckle Tea House is “very family oriented”, with mothers and their kids coming in regularly. Many Chapel Hill and Carrboro natives don’t even know the tea house exists. It’s been gaining popularity, however, with some days attracting so many customers there’s a line out the door.

Honeysuckle Tea House had its beginnings three seasons ago, with owner and eco-enthusiast Tim Toban. After leading many other eco-friendly projects, Toban collaborated with architects, community leaders, and visionaries to launch Honeysuckle Tea House in 2014. Community input has been important from the very beginning and still is now. Sarah, who’s worked at Honeysuckle Tea House for a year as the assistant herbalist, said, “That’s what makes this place so successful. There was a lot of community involvement so there’s lots of love.”

live music stage

live music stage. photo by Jasmin Flack

The tea house does a lot to support the community and local business. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they provide live music from local artists. One notable performer was world-renowned violinist Jennifer Curtis, whom the New York Times called “an artist of keen intelligence and taste, well worth watching out for” after her performance at Carnegie Hall. Along with live music, there’s Wednesday morning storytime and Sunday morning yoga. They also sell items from local venders like Med Deli, Ninth Street Bakery, and LunaPops.

There are a variety of attractions surrounding the wooden tea house. There are over 70 plant beds, a wildflower garden, and six acres of camelia and berry fields. They also have hammocks, two ponds, and a small playground for children. The structure itself is styled after a Japanese Tea House and made from all repurposed timber.

Their employees suggest visiting as soon as they open(before noise pollution affects the tranquility of the morning) and when it rains because it’s very soothing. Tea Slinger Ryan confessed Honeysuckle Tea House “gets a little sweaty” during the day in the summer but people love it anyway! Honeysuckle Tea House closes in the winter months from mid November to mid March due to its open air structure. It’s open daily from 9am to 9pm and on weekends from 9am to 10pm.

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