Anatash Werne, owner of The Tottering Teacup (Photo by Jay Paul)
Tea Party
The Tottering Teacup (804-416-5330 or thetotteringteacup.com), which opened in April at 3222 W. Cary St., is a spunky bakery and tea shop that offers 44 blends of loose-leaf tea, ranging from classic favorites like Earl Grey-lavender to fun fusions like pomegranate grove. Guests are invited to explore the different flavors by smelling samples hanging on the wall near the counter. Their selection is then served in an antique teacup with saucer.
The shop also offers coffee, lavender lemonade, rose lemonade and iced tea, made fresh daily. Guests can satisfy their hunger with tea sandwiches and freshly baked items including shortbread cookies, scones and petits fours.
Owner Anatash Werne is a newcomer to Richmond from Virginia Beach. Werne (who prefers a gender-neutral pronoun) says they have always wanted to open a bakery. As they got older, they developed an interest in tea, so the shop is a combination of their two passions. “We’re very unique,” Werne says of their business. “A lot of people may not think they’re tea people, but it’s our goal to change their minds.”
Rendering courtesy The Good Leaf Salad Market
It (Can Be) Easy Being Green
Healthy eating shouldn’t have to be complicated. That’s the philosophy behind The Good Leaf Salad Market (goodleafsalads.com), which opened in June at 2925 W. Cary St.
Good Leaf serves specialty salads with local, fresh (and several homemade) ingredients. Customers can create their own or have one of the shop’s signature salads, which include classics like Caesar and Cobb as well as unique flavors such as a garbanzo bean salad and a wheat berry salad.
The earthy, clean interior of the restaurant reflects its farm-to-table mentality. A wall of living plants drives the message home.
The owner is Charles Ellen, a 2012 University of Virginia graduate and Richmond native. He says he has always wanted to start a business in the realm of food. As a self-admitted fan of dessert and other “unhealthy things,” Ellen wants to show that eating clean can be simpler than one thinks.
“I had this concept in mind to show that healthy food can taste good and be delivered in a fast, efficient manner,” he says. “Trying to eat healthy doesn’t have to be so much work, so I was excited to connect that idea to starting my own business.”
Greek on Cary (Photo by Megan Irwin)
It's All Greek to Me
Greek on Cary (804-257-7277 or greekoncaryrva.com) at 3107 W. Cary St. started out as a small takeout diner, but with its recent expansion into the space next door, the restaurant has changed its concept. The renovated space includes a bar serving Greek-inspired cocktails, Greek craft beer and local Virginia beer and wine. New menu items include “fun stuff” like Greek loaded fries and nachos. Owner Alex Konstantinidis says the restaurant will soon have a new back patio, which will host monthly “Greek nights” with live music.
Photo by Ash Daniel
Moving On Up (Sort Of)
Burger Bach (804-359-1305 or theburgerbach.com) is making a move this summer. Due to space limitations at its current flagship location at 10 S. Thompson St., the popular gastropub will move a half-mile east to the former Wells Fargo building at 3426 W. Cary St., according to owner Angela Whitley. The space offers an additional 600 square feet, allowing the restaurant to add an outdoor deck and patio along with an enclosed indoor/outdoor dining area. Whitley says they will also add a bocce ball court and a waiting area. The space has its own parking lot and is one block from a public parking deck.
