by Luke Small
Mar 08, 2012

When you talk to Terri Lohman about her upcoming restaurant, TeaLicious Bakery and Takery, you can tell she is passionate.

 

“Everybody’s always told me, ‘Terri, you need to open up a restaurant,’” Lohman said.

 

But what kind of restaurant would work for the owner who says she likes things perfect and pretty? Not in the mood to flip hamburgers, Lohman went back to her days as a mother—where a moment’s respite from a hectic world was necessary. One of her favorite things to do was to go out with friends to a tearoom and “for a few minutes, someone pampers you and waits on you for a change.” And so she decided a restaurant serving quality teas and desserts was the right fit.

 

Lohman’s passion spread like wildfire and soon a friend from Arkansas packed up everything and moved to Oklahoma to help open the restaurant. The process has continued with TeaLicious expected to open on March 20.

 

“This entire project has been a labor of love,” Lohman said.

 

Once TeaLicious opens, Lohman said it will not be like anything else in Moore. The bakery side will serve fresh desserts from family recipes including scones, cupcakes, cookies, and even miniature chocolates. The restaurant itself will serve soups, salads, and sandwiches—in a relaxed, elegant atmosphere.

 

“You cannot be stressed, you cannot be in a hurry sitting over a beautiful pot of hot tea.”

 

Of course, those teas will be special as well. The tea is privately labeled, exclusively for TeaLicious, all hand blended and loose leaf, giving off a scent that will surely have people taking a whiff as they walk in the door. And if you are thinking you may want to buy those teas, TeaLicious will also be selling them along with all the necessary accouterments—teapots, cups, and saucers.

 

“My great-grandmother gave me a great love of teapots and saucers,” Lohman said.

 

But perhaps the most interesting part of Lohman’s idea is the Takery part. Once again using family recipes, TeaLicious will make casserole-style dishes, such as chicken enchiladas, meatloaf, and turkey and dressing. These dishes will be chilled and then displayed for an ever-hungrier customer, who can take the casserole home and bake it up.

 

The heart and soul of TeaLicious, however, will be the comfort and relaxation the family-style food and service brings.

 

“This old world is too quick and [about] quantity and not quality, and we’re absolutely the opposite of that.”

 

Lohman is no stranger to business. Her family owns and operates several kinds of businesses including the Showplace Market where TeaLicious is located. Lohman hopes customers will stop in for a peaceful lunch after some unique shopping. What will keep them coming back, though, is the TeaLicious service Lohman wants to make famous.

 

“If we are a family, all of us that work here, I think it will project itself onto the customers.”