On a typical Friday night at Tea at Shiloh, the sprawling space is bathed in warm lighting. A jazz trio is perched on the loft, playing music. People are lounging on floor cushions, nestled on the couch, mingling and making art by the communal table, and lining up in front of the bar—waiting as the bartender prepares their drink of choice: piping hot tea.
The late-night tea house in downtown Los Angeles’ arts district has become a cozy stop for tea connoisseurs, but also 20-year-old TikTokers.
Other tea houses are finding themselves similarly busy, with reservations scooped up or lines out the door. And new tea houses—like The Jade Turtle in Buffalo, NY, Seven Teahouse in Leesburg, VA, and Kettl’s new location in Los Angeles—have been opening across the US as the demand for tea in the country grows.
Matcha, chai, and herbal teas have become café menu staples. British high tea programs have brought many brunch goers to hotel lobbies. Bubble tea shops find themselves in suburban strip malls nationwide.
Today, more Americans are drinking tea. As of 2024 some 160 million people in the country (nearly half the population) drink tea daily, and that number is expected to go up even higher in the coming years. It’s symptomatic of a larger cultural shift, centered on the rise of a new generation.
“I think our customers are getting younger and younger,” says Theresa Wong, owner of T Shop in New York City. More 20-somethings are now frequenting her small shop. They sit at the bar or the store’s group table, with a wooden tray carrying a special clay or porcelain set used to brew leaves in the style of traditional Chinese Gongfu Cha. First, the tea set is rinsed and preheated with hot water, then the leaves are placed in the tea pot or steeping vessel for a short period of time—just until the subtle flavors of the tea bloom—before the brew is decanted into a pitcher. The first steeping is sacrificial, used to awaken the tea leaves for optimal infusion, and is poured out. After, the tea is ready for multiple steepings, until the leaves have given all their flavor.
Wong noted that the generational interest in tea tracks with the larger picture painted by statistics. Global data platform Statista found that members of Gen Z around the world are showing a strong preference for tea over coffee.
Wong surmises that part of the reason for this is the younger generation’s tendency to be more health-conscious. Beyond its potential health benefits, tea is seen as an alternative not just to artificially flavored drinks and coffee, but also to alcohol. As hundreds of headlines, surveys, and research studies confirm, sober-curiosity is a popular lifestyle choice for today’s 18- to 24-year-olds. Instead of heading out to a bar with friends, young people opt to socialize in a tea shop.
Cost is also a factor in their decision to go alcohol-free. Cocktails, spirits, beers, and wines are getting increasingly expensive. “If you're spending $20 on wine, I doubt you can get really good wine to enjoy,” says Wong. At T Shop, 20 bucks can fetch you a pot of high-quality green, white, black, red, or oolong imported from either Taiwan, China, or Korea, shared with three other friends, plus extra steepings.
Beyond the benefits of the beverage itself, the ritual of tea draws people in because it’s an intentional practice. “Tea is a very tactile experience,” says Elena Liao, who owns Taiwanese teahouse Té Company. “You have to smell it. You have to look at it.”
Whether you’re brewing tea Gongfu-style, steeping leaves in melting ice in the tradition of Japanese koridashi, or drinking masala chai, tea forces you to slow down and be present with every steep, pour, and sip. It allows you to quiet all the noise, both internal and external, and take time for self-care, something that Gen Z prioritizes. One of Liao’s customers fondly calls it a “tea vacation.”
Liao opened Té Company in 2015 to create an environment that complemented this experience. This same desire inspired Tea at Shiloh, which opened in 2022. “I love that tea wants to create a world around her,” says Shiloh, founder of the late-night teahouse. “From the utensils, the lighting, the smells, the incense, the teaware. [Tea] is begging you to create the most beautiful world around her.”
Ultimately, Shiloh’s goal with her contemporary tea house is to bring comfort—to give people a third space to connect with themselves and their community. She recalls how one specific place, The Center in San Francisco, helped her as she cried during one of the most challenging times in her life. She wants Tea at Shiloh to do the same, and with extended hours because there are occasions that warrant a 10:00 p.m. tea time.
“More people are looking for sanctuary spaces,” she says. “I think that, increasingly, we don't feel at home. And so people are searching for spaces that make the world feel more like home.”
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Tea at Shiloh, Los Angeles
@tea_at_shiloh
If you’re looking for a cozy place to get creative in LA, this late-night tea house is just the spot. At the time of writing, they only admit people with reservations. Prices for admission depend on the day, time, and event or activity. But the fee always includes unlimited tea and access to arts and craft supplies.
This intimate tasting room in SoHo is tucked into the rear unit on the first floor of an unassuming building, giving it a speakeasy feel. T Shop has a selection of over 40 different teas, which they serve Gongfu-style in beautiful ceramic sets (which they also sell). What makes this place special are the experts tending to the shop, who can tell you all about a tea’s origins and flavor profiles.
Té Company, New York
@tecompany
Té Company specializes in Taiwanese oolongs, but over the years they’ve expanded their menu to include a variety of other teas and a snack program, like their signature Pineapple Linzer cookies. They have two locations, in the West Village and East Village.
The Jade Turtle, Buffalo, NY
@thejadeturtle
The Jade Turtle is a laid-back, minimalist Chinese tea house that offers teas (some aged for over a decade) sourced from farms in China. They have a guided Gongfu Cha tasting experience for six people seated by the bar, and use traditional tea vessels called gaiwans to brew the tea.
Seven Teahouse, Leesburg, VA
@seventeahouse777
This teahouse offers eight-hour cold brewed teas, matcha, iced fruit teas, and more. They also offer traditional Chinese Gongfu Cha. All the teas available for tasting are also available for purchase in the store, packaged and ready to take home.
Kettl, Los Angeles and Brooklyn
@kettltea
Japanese teas are Kettl’s realm of expertise. They offer a wide selection of matcha, tea blends, and prize-winning teas sourced directly from farmers and producers in Japan. They also host tea classes and tasting events.
Umami Café, Portland, OR
@portlandjapanesegarden
Tea goes hand-in-hand with nature, and one of the most stunning places to enjoy both is at the Portland Japanese Garden’s Umami Café. In addition to their traditional Japanese teas, they also offer food, pastries, and desserts—sometimes in collaboration with local Japanese bakers and artisans.
Swadesi, Chicago
@swadesicafe
Run by James Beard Award nominee chef Sujan Sarkar, Swadesi specializes in carefully brewed masala chai. Their chai is served the traditional way, dirty (with espresso), or iced. Swadesi also serves other teas, coffee, and Indian patisserie like a butter chicken croissant.
Blue Willow Teaspot, Berkeley, CA
@bluewillowteaspot
Blue Willow sources a wide range of single-origin teas from around the world, which customers can prepare using different techniques from their regions of cultivation. All the leaves are sourced directly from farms that practice sustainable farming methods.
Living Water Tea House, Chicago
@livingwaterteahouse
Alongside their tea, this contemporary parlor serves East Asian pastries like airy cotton cheesecakes and flaky Chinese puff pastry. They also have tea-flavored gelato, which changes seasonally depending on the teas they have on-hand.