Relax, unwind with a cup of tea at AntiquiTea House

Jun. 25—AntiquiTea House provides a peaceful place where customers can relax, unwind and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, and eat delicious food and homemade baked goods.

AntiquiTea House opened May 4, 2020, and is owned by Matt and Traci Stead.

"It was pretty hard to get a lot of things done and we opened a few months later than we anticipated because of the pandemic, " said Matt Stead. "We made it through the year and things have been good."

AntiquiTea House provides a spacious dining area where guests can enjoy tea and coffee, soups and sandwiches, and homemade baked goods. There is also a game room where customers can stay for a while and have fun with friends.

AntiquiTea House's motto is "Where time is different."

The Steads encourage customers to come in, slow down and relax.

"A lot of people say that there is peace here and that is what we look to provide, a place where time is different, " said Traci Stead.

AntiquiTea House is a Christian venue that welcomes any and all faiths and beliefs.

"Our mission is to build and encourage the community and bring people together, " said Matt Stead.

All baked goods at AntiquiTea House are made in-house. The Steads also make their own flavors for the teas ; some of these flavors are strawberry, blackberry, cherry, brown sugar and cinnamon, raspberry, vanilla, and lavender vanilla.

The business gets its coffee from Commonplace Coffee in Pittsburgh and the teas are from Davidson's Tea in Nevada. The shop also sells local honey, as well as flowers from Reiner Hill Flowers. Its food supplier is A.F. Wendling's Market of Buckhannon.

The shop also has two rooms customers can reserve for parties, book clubs, family gatherings and study groups. The first room is the Mountain Room, which can be reserved with a $35 gift card and can hold up to 17 people, and the other room is the Sea Room, which can be reserved through a $25 gift card and can seat up to 10 people.

AntiquiTea House will be holding many events throughout the summer. The shop will be hosting a Breath Prayer on Tuesday.

"We hope to provide a place of peace and help people explore their spirituality, " said Traci Stead.

To celebrate Independence Day, the shop will be hosting live music and small business pop-ups on July 3. Upcoming events include tea tastings and outdoor movies. An updated list of events can be found on AntiquiTea House's website.

Matt Stead is from Morgantown and is a WVU alumnus with a degree in Bible and spiritual formation. Traci Stead is from Grafton and is also a WVU alumnus with a degree in education ; she is a teacher, author and spiritual director.

They had started Ancient Relevance Ministry several years ago as writers and teachers. The couple had lived in Greenville, N.C., for 15 years before moving back to Morgantown to be closer to family.

After visiting a tea shop in Nashville, Tenn., the Steads were inspired to open their own tea shop in Morgantown to support themselves, as well as give back to those who gave them so much.

AntiquiTea House, 2885 University Ave., is open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information about AntiquiTea House, check out its website https://antiquiteahouse.com / as well as on Facebook and Instagram @antiquiteahouse.

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