Business of the Month: Tea & Sympathy, 108 Greenwich Avenue
Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — and we need your help selecting the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village or NoHo: just click here to vote for your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with friends.
 Located near 13th Street, Tea & Sympathy has been a West Village staple for 25 years. Described as “a quintessential corner of England in the heart of Greenwich Village,” T&S offers a taste of Britain through both their selection of teas and traditional meal offerings, as well as through the import goods that can be purchased in the adjoining store. According to their website, “Our menu includes such favourites as bangers ‘n mash, shepherd’s pie, welsh rarebit, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. Finish off with a treacle pudding or rhubarb and custard.”
Owner Nicky Perry came to New York City from London in 1981 with $200 in her pocket and an unwavering feeling that New York City was always where she needed to be. She decided to open a shop in 1982, but Tea & Sympathy didn’t actually open until December 23, 1990. Ever since, T&S has been a special place, especially for lovebirds.
“Twenty-two of us have found our spouses here, including me,” Nicky tells me. “We just had one recently, they got married five months ago and they met here. He went next door to the fish and chips shop, got a bag of chips, put the ring in the chips and then came in here and got down on one knee with the chips. We’ve had a few weddings here actually; I think that’s one of the most amazing things.”
The shop is also a go-to destination for well-known public figures and celebrities. “The Dalai Lama’s been here,” says Nicky. “We have lots of celebrities that have come in here, and the good thing about how small it is, is nobody talks to them. If they get up and go over and talk to them, everyone can see them doing it, so it’s really good because people leave them alone.”
Read more here.
With GVSHP's "Business of the Month" program, each month a local, independent business is featured on GVSHP's website, blog and social media, to showcase one of our neighborhoods' great and unique commercial treasures. We hope it will increase support and patronage, aiding our local small businesses' health and viability. We're asking you, the public, to nominate your favorite businesses for consideration for our "Business of the Month." To nominate a business just fill in this brief form. See our past Businesses of the Month here.
Next: 12/18/2015
Previous: 10/21/2015
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