Tea for town

It’s always hard to find a niche in downtown Reno, but this family may have found one when they opened their tea house. It’s called Se7en, and it’s located on the commercial floor of Arlington Towers, 100 N. Arlington Ave., 348-9526.

So tell me a little something about the business.

It’s a family business. We decided to open it like six months ago. We decided to open a tea shop because there’s just nothing else like it around here. We wanted to make it with an almost San Francisco, big-city feel to it. What we offer is a variety of teas, coffees, pastries and appetizers during the daytime. We carry all sorts of teas from organic to herbal, from green to red, from anywhere from Asia to Europe. We carry tea from anywhere around the world.

In the evenings, you do something else?

At 6 o’clock, it turns into a bar. It’s a normal bar, but it’s a little bit classier than most bars. We play jazz music. On Wednesday, we’re doing tea samplings from like 12 to 5.

When did you open?

We just opened. We opened on the 26th of July, but we’re having a grand opening on August 5th.

What kind of a crowd do you get in the evenings?

More like an older crowd. That’s who we’re trying to attract—anywhere from like mid-30s to 50s.

Your sister owns it, but the three of you work together?

No, my whole family owns it.

Your whole family is your mom, your dad and three sisters?

My mom, my dad, three girls and two boys.

And you all work there?

Everyone but my little brother.

Where’s he?

My little brother is in Costa Rica surfing.

Oh, man, I want to be in Costa Rica surfing!

He’s living the good life right now.

Have you owned a business before?

No, this is our first time. I’m a massage therapist, and I’m actually still doing that, too. I work at L’Essence, a salon and day spa. My mom and dad work in casinos. They’re both dealers.

Why should people come to Se7en?

The reason we decided to open a tea shop is for like health benefits. Tea is more natural. People like their caffeine fix, and we still have that. But it’s still organic.

As opposed to coffee?

Coffee is organic. We have coffee, but we’re catering to people who prefer tea over coffee. We’re also going to have a variety of wine. My brother is a wine fanatic. He’s food and beverage director at Harrah’s. We also have options of organic alcoholic beverages.

What in the world is an organic alcoholic beverage?

We mix a tea concoction in with alcohol.

Are you the first doing it in Reno?

I don’t believe anyone else is doing it in town. I think we are the only ones.

What makes it organic? Alcohol is about as processed as anything can be.

The tea mix is organic.

So the tea is organic, but the alcohol just gets you drunk.

[Laughs.]