Months after The Last Word Bookstore shut its doors, another book shop is heading to the Near Southside — and bringing tea to go along with it.
Leaves Book and Tea Shop is expected to open in an 800-square-foot space at 120 St. Louis Ave. before the end of the year, according to owner Tina Howard. The shop will carry a curated book selection, as well as serve tea, such as loose-leaf black, green, white, pu-erh, and blends. Leaves will also serve herbal tisanes and matcha, and have tea soda and kombucha on tap. Teas can be ordered both hot and iced.
Leaves will also offer flights of tea and teapots for sharing. Additionally, Howard says the shop will partner with local food businesses to offer food items that can be paired with tea.
According to Howard, Leaves looks to be "a community gathering place where people can pause from the hectic pace of daily life. When you step inside our shop, you'll find a comfortable, peaceful place with green plants and a view of a park, natural light, the smell of tea brewing, and maybe the sound of pages turning or people talking and laughing."
Leaves has been in business for about a year but has not yet had a brick and mortar, instead hosting pop-up shops and selling products at events like Near Southside, Inc.'s Friday on the Green and Stage West's MADE Festival.
"We knew from the beginning, when we were looking at spaces, that Near Southside is where we had to open," Howard says. "First and foremost, we love the people and the businesses here. The community is supportive of both the arts and local business. The support and partnership of the small business community here in incredible. We have gained so much from folks like Stir Crazy Baked Goods, Alchemy Pops, Craftwork Coffee Co., Hop Fusion, and Near Southside, Inc. (to name only a few). We are also super excited about the growth in the area, and we want to be a part of such a vibrant Fort Worth destination point."
