Today we’d like to introduce you to Cierra Lober.
Cierra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I knew that I wanted to start a community center of some sort, but didn’t know what form that would take until my friend in Oakland introduced me to tea house culture. I realized that tea can facilitate community in a beautiful way by bringing people together, helping us to slow down & be more present in the current moment with the people around us. I decided to study tea in 2018 & have been learning & growing my own personal tea knowledge & practice since then. I started working with Being Tea in Chicago a few years ago online & have learned so much through that mentorship including a tea teacher training. I started doing tea & community pop ups in 2021 & Cha House officially became a business in 2023. I moved into our current full brick & mortar space in Avondale in July 2025 & have been open for tea & events 7 days a week since then. My vision for Cha House is to be a community space centered around a tea house to connect the disconnected. We offer opportunities to engage with others via community events, classes & activities almost daily. We have local art & goods displayed & live music every week. I believe that tea is a connector & have seen so much engagement with the people that come through the doors at Cha House. It truly is a dream come true in so many ways & I have received so much positive feedback about the calming atmosphere that really encourages slowing down, being present, relaxing, taking a deep breath & talking to your neighbors in community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have been so privileged to be able to take it slow with starting the business. I was able to do pop ups for years & build up a following without pressure to open a brick & mortar quickly. I have been able to let things flow & fall into place for me & for Cha House over the years in a beautiful way. Since opening the brick & mortar & being open 7 days a week, I have definitely been overwhelmed & overworked but I have an incredible community supporting me in so many ways. It truly is a community space that is for community, by community. I have had volunteers reach out and offer to work for me so that I can have days off & now I have people working regular shifts as well as helping me with some admin work to take some of the load off of my to do lists. It has been such an outpouring of care & support from so many along the way. I am constantly overflowing with gratitude for all of the support & help. Customers have stepped up to help anytime there has been a need, from electrician issues, to building furniture, to fixing things to offering personal support so I can rest. There have definitely been struggles along the way, but they have all worked out with the help of the community.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Cha House?
Cha House is a community space centered around a tea house. We are open for tea 7 days a week with community events almost daily. We specialize in gong fu cha style brewing with small pots of tea that can be resteeped multiple times. This method of brewing encourages slowing down, sharing tea & having a long form experience that is hands on. We have over 40 teas on the menu, in every category including herbal & tea lattes. We host community events such as yoga, dance, origami, art, meditation, movement, etc. We also showcase local art & goods as well as live music every week. I am most proud of the atmosphere of Cha House. We work hard to cultivate a peaceful & welcoming atmosphere that is truly for everyone. Our goal is to bring people together & create community experiences that help us to slow down & be present. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback about the good vibes in our space & that it feels like taking a deep breath or a breath of fresh air when you walk into the space.
What matters most to you? Why?
Community! I believe that if we can slow down & be present with each other, we can connect in deeper ways, learn to understand or at least have compassion for people that we might think we have nothing in common with & this can lead to true social change. If we can sit down for tea with someone & be present with them, we are likely to discover our shared humanity & this type of connection & community building can lead to more peace & love in the world.
Pricing:
- We have teas ranging from $5-$30
- We have pay what you can & free community events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chahousebham.com
- Instagram: chahousebham
- Facebook: chahousebham
