When Hollie Wong came to D.C. in 1987 from Hong Kong, she missed the tea houses of her youth. They represented community and togetherness. She says when she was growing up, tea was offered at every social event. "When you come to my home, that's the first thing we serve. We don't ask what would you like to drink? We will just serve you a cup of tea."
Tea was also served to show respect to elders, during celebrations and even in the case of business disagreements. "If we have any conflict, let's sit down and have a cup of tea, let's talk about it," was the attitude, she says.
Article continues belowAt that time, as far as casual meeting places, there were no tea houses — or even coffee shops — in D.C. Just diners and fast food places. So in 1998, she decided to open Ching Ching Cha in Georgetown. 'Cha' means 'tea' in Chinese and Ching Ching is Wong's Chinese name. "It means 'sparkling, sparking,' she says.
Wong's eyes twinkle when she talks about customers who come in and say they want 'green tea.' "I always say you compare with wine. What kind of wines you like? White. You know how many kinds of white wines you can have?" For more than 20 years, she has offered a selection of almost 80 different types of tea, including the Washington favorite, 'Monkey King' green tea.
Wong's tea house has won several awards over the years and is beloved by her regular customers. But, as with other restaurants, the shutdown has been brutal. Wong says business has been down 95% during the past three months. She missed March, which is typically her busiest month.
Even as restrictions are easing, Wong doesn't have any patio space so she cannot reopen just yet. A government loan for $30,000 won't even cover expenses. "We're all just trying to survive," she says of the food and beverage industry.
Another challenge facing Ching Ching Cha is while it offers food to go, the tea house was never designed for high volume takeout. Instead, it's about the experience. Customers can learn how to brew tea or they can read or write or reflect. It's meant to be a quiet refuge from a busy city. "Peace. Quietness. Time for themselves," says Wong. "And this is a perfect place."
Ching Ching Cha is spacious and sun drenched but there are very few tables — by design. Wong says she wanted it to feel airy. "So from the beginning, I want to have a big table. Big chairs. And so for customers to sit comfortably, to have a cup of tea. And that's the whole purpose."
Margins were slim even before the shutdown. Wong smiles and says there's a "conflict" between running a teahouse and making a ton of money. "It doesn't work very well together. And that's why I don't have much competition." She says even after 22 years there are few teahouses. "You see many, many coffee shops every corner. How many coffee shops do we have in Georgetown?Six, seven, eight. But tea house? Nah!"
Still, Wong loves the simplicity of the space, the menu and the connection with her customers. "When we ask each other, how are you? Both parties really answer that question. I love that." She shrugs off all the awards the tea house has won and says it's the customers that make it what it is. "Regular customers [are] giving me a lot of support. It's very sweet. There's a lot of kindness from the customer."
Her voice goes soft when she talks about the nearby restaurants and stores that have closed down completely. She's hoping any day now, the tea house will once more serve as a place for community and togetherness for people who have not been able to connect in a while. She thinks post pandemic, the built-in social distancing in her tea house will prove to be its strength.
Wong says she has to believe everything will be OK. "I am very hopeful. As a small business owner from the day that I start, I [am] always hopeful."
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