After 20 years, Mrs. Teapots Tearoom and Eatery on Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue has new owners, and they plan to keep traditions alive.
Co-owner and executive chef Jacob Perry said that he has had an eye on the space for a long time. Perry’s partner has owned and operated Le Sorelle Boutique next door to Mrs. Teapots for over 15 years, and when the former owner, Paula Gallo, announced her retirement, he jumped on the opportunity.
Perry told LINK that he and his co-owner and director of operations, Ricky Meirovici, previously worked together at a Holiday Inn. Meirovici being the front desk manager, and Perry the chef.
“We learned a long time ago, between us, we can handle anything front or back of house,” said Perry. “So when I went to buy the tea house, and I stopped by Ricky’s house, and said, ‘I think I’m going to do this.’ And he’s like, ‘What do you need? Let’s do this together.’”
Meirovici handles everything front of house, running the social media (other than their TikTok, which Perry said is his baby), designing menus, murder mystery themed nights and more.
“Coming from a Jewish family myself, my mother always had an extra chair at the table,” Meirovici told LINK nky. “And every time the family grew, there was always an additional chair at the end of the table. And I used to say, ‘Who is that for?’ And she’d be like, ‘it’s not for Elijah the prophet, no, it’s so that there’s always room at the table for somebody that needs it.’ And so for me, feeding extra people is just like second nature.”
Perry said that when they purchased the teahouse, they wanted to put their own spin on it while keeping true to its roots.
“I had a lady come in, and she had her baby shower here, and now her daughter is having her baby shower,” said Perry. “And that was a great way to show kind of how I see the business as a whole. Paula [Gallo] had the first generation. Ricky and I are getting the next generation.”
Perry told LINK that the former owner lost her first husband, had three children, worked a full-time job, took night classes in culinary arts at Cincinnati State and earned her degree to open Mrs. Teapots.
After 20 years of operation, the tearoom had to be temporarily closed due to structural issues in the apartment above the shop. After reopening, Perry said that Gallo ran the place for about six months before announcing her retirement.
Perry and Meirovici then took over operations in June of this year.
To modernize the space, they replaced the floors, updated the lighting and painted the space in a bit more of a neutral color palette, different from the previous, very pink walls.
“We noticed men saw the pink and it ran,” said Perry. “It was actually kind of funny. It was actually quite funny. They told us, ‘If you paint it, we’ll come in.’ And then we said we did it. And surprisingly, more and more men actually do come in now.”
While they wanted to make updates, they didn’t want to scare away any long-time loyal customers.
“We kept her [Gallo’s] original menu the first three months, and then when everybody was receiving it well, I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna start adding my touches,’” said Perry.
They started by adding soups, then began rotating the menu with the seasons. Right now, for fall, they have lots of pears, apples and vanilla. Perry also said that making inclusive options was important to him; they now offer a fully gluten-free high tea, and all of their soups are vegetarian.
After taking over, Perry said they had a positive response from the community, even with a few naysayers at first.
“At first, we even had people say, ‘We came in here with the intention of not liking you. And it hasn’t been that way,” said Perry.
Perry said that the Bellevue community wanted the teahouse to stay, “We love unique and eclectic businesses, and the community stepped up and said, ‘We’re going to keep this open.’ So I’m very thankful.”
Other businesses have also been very supportive, and some of their offerings are available at Mrs. Teapots. Their bread comes from Breadsmith, they often use pretzel bread from The Pretzel Place and Perry said sometimes they include sweets from Schneider’s Sweet Shop in their service.
“I just love the aspect of the hospitality, and then the location, this neighborhood and this community, is so supportive,” said Meirovici.
When LINK nky visited Mrs. Teapots Tearoom and Eatery, the main dining room was completely full. With couples and families all enjoying high tea service. None seemed to enjoy their time more than the little girls all decked out in tiaras and pearls.
Started by the former owner, Mrs. Teapots is known for its variety of hats and costume jewels available for guests to don during their tea service. Perry and Meirovici have added tiaras for younger customers: “Every little girl does love a good tiara,” said Perry.
They have also kept the original eclectic collection of vintage dishes and silverware used for the tea services.
“It also goes to creating an experience, and not just a lunch menu,” said Perry. “Everything comes out, on formal silverware, real China, real glass, real plates.”
Soon, the holiday menu will be available, and Perry told LINK that currently, Saturdays are almost sold out for the rest of the year.
Mrs. Teapots’ menu features salads, sandwiches, savories, appetizers and desserts from their baker, Harold Madden, alongside a large selection of teas. They also offer “tiny tea times” for those eight and under with a pared-down version of the service.
You can make a reservation by calling 859-491-2731 or emailing mrs.teapots.tearoom@gmail.com. Keep up with everything they get up to on their Facebook page.