KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As soon as you step through the doors at Tonya Rea's Teas and Remedies in North Knoxville, visitors are greeted not only with a sense of calm but also the scents of tea steeping.
For the past two years, Tonya Henrichs has poured her love and care into the cozy spot on Buchanan Avenue. She is an herbalist, who is focused on helping others feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
On the menu, visitors will see endless options from teas to coffee, vegan milkshakes and hot cocoa. What you won't find inside is the hustle and bustle of a typical coffee shop.
The decor in each room has a retro feel, transporting you back in time, and lending a feeling of being at someone's home. Henrichs says it's important to her to have this space in Knoxville, so the community has an "escape."
"In the world today, everywhere you go everyone is in a hurry and it's busy and it's stressful, with anxiety and depression, and just coming out of the pandemic, I just wanted to provide a place that people as soon as they step in the door, they automatically feel that sense of, 'I can relax in here,'" Henrichs said.
There are also plenty of loose-leaf teas to buy by the bag and other local products from makers in the Scruffy City.
One room in the shop is a treasure in itself. Henrichs has mounds of 1982 World's Fair memorabilia lining the walls and display case in a side room, where people can sit and enjoy their drink. Some of the trinkets are donated, and others come from her own personal collection.
T-shirts, statues, pins, stickers, posters and newspapers are on display because the World's Fair meant so much to Henrichs as a child. Growing up in Grainger County, she remembers going to the huge event in Knoxville at 9 years old. It made such an impact on her, that she still lights up when she talks about it.
If you would like to visit Tonya Rea's, you can do so Tuesdays through Saturdays starting at 10 a.m. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The tea shop is tucked away off of Broadway in North Knoxville, at 1328 Buchanan Avenue.
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