Tea Leafs WNY in Williamsville

For Valentine's Day my very thoughtful boyfriend bought me a practical gift I've been wanting for months; a Teavana teamaker and tea! (Random side bar for boyfriends in general - if you listen to what we say in passing, and let us know you were listening, we kinda eat that stuff up!) Anyway, while I love, love, love Teavana, and all their teas and products are fabulous, right now they are a little pricey for my budget. So, like I do for many things in life, I posted a status update to Facebook asking people if they knew of other places I could get tea. A few people responded and that's how I ended up at WNY Tea Leafs on Klein in Williamsville last Saturday.

If you can't remember last Saturday, it was a windy, snowy morning/afternoon and the perfect day for some tea. Within seconds of walking into the store owner Sydney Hoffman greeted us and told us to get a cup of tea (what a warm, literally warm, welcome)! I tried the Citrus Sorbet and really enjoyed it.

The store, located in the Dash's Plaza on Klein, is small and cute. One wall is full of all the teas they offer in canisters for your "smelling" pleasure. They have an area where you can sample the teas of the day and a spot to sit down. They also have various tea pots, tea coasters and all the accessories for tea making for sale in store. The teas vary in price (most that we purchased were between $4 - $6 per ounce, but some of the teas are a little more expensive than that). Compared to Teavana and other tea places I have found, they are considerably cheaper and perfect for my budget.

Both the owner, and the younger girl working behind the counter were extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and I enjoyed chatting with them and getting their "advice" and suggestions.

When all was said and done we walked out of there with four different kinds of teas to enjoy (that didn't break the bank), and I've enjoyed trying them all out this week. My personal new favorite tea, that I can't seem to get enough of, is the Roasted Almond they offer, although the Bourbon Street Vanilla is a close second. They have a punch card that is good for a free ounce of tea after your card is fully punched and we almost earned a free ounce on this visit alone!

The owner, Sydney Hoffman sends out an e-mail newsletter periodically, and I signed up for it and already received one. What a great, friendly read! It's clear that Sydney Hoffman knows about tea and if you drink numerous glasses a day like me, it's a MUST GO to spot. Shop local, and support small business in Williamsville the next time you are in the area.