SLO County tea room is closing after 2 decades. And you can buy a part of its history
Wendy Richardson moved to the United States from England in the 1960s to be a nanny. Little did she know, just a few decades later she would own and operate her own tea room in Atascadero — carrying out her single mother’s lifelong dream.
Richardson and her husband opened the Tea Trolley in 2002, and it has served Atascadero for more than two decades. Now, Richardson is parting ways with the business and selling the house and tea room.
However, Richardson is giving community members the opportunity to take a piece of the Tea Trolley home with them.
Each Saturday until Jan. 2, people can visit the Tea Trolley between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and purchase the shop’s many treasures, including cups and saucers.
Like many small business owners, Richardson was hit hard by the pandemic. But, she looks back on her time running the tea room fondly.
“My customers were the best,” Richardson told The Tribune. “People were coming from all over the place to experience the tea.”
Everything served in Richardson’s tea room was homemade.
In addition to the tea, Richardson made English-style scones with Devonshire cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd. She made tea sandwiches and even cooked her own hot soup with various vegetables for customers to enjoy.
For Richardson, much of the charm of owning a tea room came from the house she was able to purchase with her husband.
She described the historic home, located at 5932 Entrada Ave., as being “the cutest little house.”
The home is now being put up for sale, and Richardson says she hopes whoever buys it will preserve its charm and maybe even continue operating it as a tea room.
The Tea Trolley has been a sentimental place for Richardson.
Her mother was a single parent and was never able to open her own tea room in spite of it being her life’s dream. In a way, Richardson said, it was as if she got to live out that dream for her mom.
Richardson’s two granddaughters would get dressed up and help serve customers — even learning how to run people’s cards and calculate payments.
As she looks to the future, Richardson is not sure yet what she will do, but she knows she will stay busy.
“A lot of things have changed in my life,” Richardson said. “I am not quite sure what is next at this point, but I will never retire because I love to talk to people too much.”
More information on the Tea Trolley sale
For people interested in buying a piece of Tea Trolley history, Richardson will open the shop on Saturdays from now through Jan, 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Purchases can be made in cash or on Venmo. For more information, visit the-tea-trolley.com or email richardson880@hotmail.com.
