Tea Drop Brewing Change

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By Owen Morris

So I can’t figure out how to connect this new darn-fangled camera to my computer to show the pictures but I went to the Tea Drops party last night. While I meant to just take a couple of pictures and grab a few quotes, I ended up staying for more than two hours.

That’s because I had a very serious talk with new owner Robert Bloom, who bought the store with his wife Janet. Bloom, who is best known for his 20-some-years as owner of D’Bronx, admitted that it’s been an information cram the past four weeks as he’s trying to learn about tea and the tea business. He’s dead-set on becoming an expert — even talking about making his own blends some day — and is convinced he can make tea the next big thing in Kansas City.

Bloom believes that he can sell you and your Lipton-drinking grandmother high-quality tea, and hearing him get excited about the possibilities, it’s difficult not to get excited too.

Janet Bloom said they signed a “pretty strict non-compete” agreement when they sold D’Bronx three years ago, and Robert is adamant that nothing at his new restaurant will compete with his former restaurant’s hoagies and slices. “Look around,” he said. “Does this place look like a competitor?”

That was an understatement. The pastel walls are covered with jars of loose-leaf tea as opposed to graffiti. Instead of chairs or old tables, there’s a continuous black-cushioned bench running along the wall. It’s almost all serene, which is exactly what Robert says he’s going for. “Tea is relaxing. It doesn’t have the acidity or bitter flavor of coffee. The flavors are very subtle. This business is really for breaks, calming intervals.”