Show Notes

Building a third place in Birmingham is what Cha House is all about. Cierra Lober did not set out to open a tea shop. She wanted to create a space where people could slow down and meet each other. In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Cierra to hear how she did it.

Cierra spent five years running pop-up events around Birmingham before she found a spot in Avondale. Now Cha House is open seven days a week. It serves tea, hosts events, sells local art and goods, and shares its space with Burdock Book Collective.

The tea style at Cha House is called Gong Fu Cha. It uses small pots and short steeps. You brew the same leaves over and over. This slows you down and keeps you in the moment. That is the point – tea as a way to bring people together.

Cierra talks about what it was like to charge for something she wanted to give away for free. She shares the moment when four people said they would work for free just to help keep the doors open. She also talks about how she trains her staff, runs a full event calendar, and builds a space where people feel at home.

Third Place Birmingham: Topics Covered in This Episode

Why Cierra used tea to bring people together
How five years of pop-up events led her to open a shop in Avondale
What Gong Fu Cha is and why it slows people down
How the look and feel of Cha House was shaped by the people who use it
How to host an event at Cha House and what kinds work best
What it felt like when four people said they would work for free to keep Cha House open
Why Cierra wrote a staff guide before she had a single employee
How asking for help makes people feel like the space is theirs too
How Cha House keeps prices low so more people can come
What it is like to run a shop in Avondale and how Cierra thinks about her neighbors
Why a customer in a hurry is not the right fit for Cha House – and why that is fine

Connect with Cha House

Cha House is a tea house and community space in Avondale, Birmingham. It is open seven days a week. They serve tea, host events and sell local art and goods. Burdock Book Collective shares the space with them.

Address: 131 41st St S, Birmingham, AL 35222
Hours: Mon-Thu 4-8pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat & Sun 12-4pm
Website
Instagram

Mentioned in This Episode

Follow Carrie Rollwagen

Listen to The Localist on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia

The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia. They are a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company. They help small businesses grow online. Contact Infomedia.

Join Us at Localist Lab

Localist Lab is a free event series for small business owners. It meets on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session covers marketing tips you can use right away. Free tacos and coffee, too. See upcoming events.

Subscribe to Carrie’s Newsletter

Want more small business tips from Carrie? Sign up for her newsletter and get insights, resources and updates sent straight to your inbox. Sign up here.