Frequently Asked Questions Do you take reservations? No – service at Teaism is fast-casual style and first come, first serve. Groups larger than ten or who want to host regular meet-up groups should contact us here. Catering & Groups Do you sell tea bags? We sell only loose leaf tea. We stock a range of brewing options – strainers, brew-in-mug sets, and disposable tea bags to scoop loose leaf tea into. How does Afternoon Tea at Teaism work? Since we are not a “Linens-And-China” kind of place, our afternoon tea service is laid back. Reservations are not needed, though if you are coming in a large group (8-10+), calling ahead is appreciated. You will get a tiered tray with sweets and savories, and a tea of your choosing. A pot of tea is 16 ounces, so if you are planning on sharing the food as a light snack for 2, we recommend ordering a second pot of tea. Afternoon tea is available from 2:30-5:30 pm at Teaism Penn Quarter, Dupont Circle, and from 2:30-5 pm at Teaism Lafayette Park. I went into one of your locations but did not see very many tea options. What gives? We could never post all of our tea options on our display boards. Please consult our cashiers, we will give you a full tea menu to review. Do you get your Salty Oat cookies shipped down from Massachusetts? No. We bake them fresh here in D.C.! We get asked this because Terri Horn, originator of the legendary Salty Oat Cookie and owner of Kayak Cookies, bases her operations out of Hyannis, MA. We worked with Terri when she first launched Kayak Cookies in Washington, D.C. decades ago. We continue to produce the cookies for her, and Terri comes down regularly to work with our bakers to maintain consistent quality. For more about the history of the Salty Oat cookie, see here. Do you ship Salty Oat cookies? We ask that you order from Terri’s bakery through www.kayakcookies.com. Why don’t you serve coffee? Because part of our mission is to make high quality, loose leaf teas accessible to the people. When you walk into a business and smell coffee, you want to buy coffee. We are working to source beautiful teas for you, some of them with subtle flavors and aromas. We don’t want to undermine our own efforts to expose people to great tea, nor the work that tea producers put into the leaf before it reaches your cup. Do you offer wifi? YES! (For many years, our answer was no.) We do ask that you work in our space respectfully and order something from us, and please no outside food or beverages. If you see we are busy and guests are struggling to find seating, please be mindful. What can you tell me about handicap accessibility? Handicap accessible restrooms are available on the first floor of our locations at Penn Quarter, Dupont Circle, and Lafayette Park. For those who have difficulty getting their trays to their tables, please communicate with our team. We are happy to help. At Teaism Penn Quarter, the lower level is accessible via elevator. Please let us know you need to access the lower level and we will happily assist. I want to buy a Teaism Gift Certificate – what are my options? As of June 2019: We sell gift cards at all our locations. Re-chargeable swipe cards can be redeemed in person at all our locations except Teaism Union Market. They cannot be redeemed online. You can also order a gift certificate for $25, $50, and $100 from us online, and we will mail it to you or the address of your choosing. What are your nearest Metro stations? Teaism Dupont Circle: Dupont Circle, North exit. (Red Line)Teaism Lafayette Park: Farragut North, K street exit (Red Line); Farragut West (Orange, Blue & Silver Lines)Teaism Lafayette Park: Farragut North, K street exit (Red Line); Farragut West (Orange, Blue & Silver Lines)Teaism Union Market: NoMa-Gallaudet U (Red Line) – 12 minute walk from metro station. I have dietary concerns or allergies not mentioned in your dietary chart. What should I do? Transparency about our ingredients is important to us. We keep a binder with our cashiers that lists all ingredients for our foods. We can help you to pick out an option that might work for you. Please do not assume that our paper menu lists every single ingredient. We do our best to keep this document up to date, but please understand – we are humans! If there is some time before your planned visit to Teaism, you can also write to info@teaism.com and we will do our best to respond in a timely fashion. Why don’t you serve vegan chai? While we try to offer lots of vegan-friendly options, we do not offer vegan chai. Part of this related to the fact that we don’t serve coffee – no espresso machines means no steamed milk. The way we make our chai is in the traditional masala chai fashion – boiling whole leaf black tea and spices in water, adding milk, and bringing to a boil again, then straining out. That’s different from a chai latte and a more involved (and tasty) process. In addition, what type of dairy alternative we would use is a whole can of worms we choose not to touch. What are your holiday hours? These can vary by location and are subject to change. Please check our social media accounts for posts related to any upcoming holidays.
