August 18, 2005: Headlines: COS - Guatemala: Small Business: Tea: Orlando Sentinel: Guatemala RPCV Christina Cowherd opens Infusion Tea

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Guatemala: Peace Corps Guatemala: The Peace Corps in Guatemala: August 18, 2005: Headlines: COS - Guatemala: Small Business: Tea: Orlando Sentinel: Guatemala RPCV Christina Cowherd opens Infusion Tea

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Guatemala RPCV Christina Cowherd opens Infusion Tea in Orlando Florida

Guatemala RPCV  Christina Cowherd opens Infusion Tea in Orlando Florida

A vegetarian and longtime tea lover, Cowherd said she became inspired to open the shop while she and her husband were finishing a recent 2 1/2-year stint in Guatemala as Peace Corps volunteers. While working abroad, Cowherd had time to explore different local teas as well as research teas of the world, she said.

Guatemala RPCV Christina Cowherd opens Infusion Tea in Orlando Florida

Take time for tea
College Park shop invites socializing, relaxing and good conversation

Debbie Barr | Special to the Sentinel
Posted August 18, 2005

Up until recently, Linda Walker of College Park was a five-shot-latte-per-day kind of gal. But no more. Since the opening of Infusion Tea in College Park, Walker has turned over a new leaf -- a tea leaf, to be exact.

The cozy little shop at 1520 Edgewater Drive opened its doors in December. Walker, 42, has been a regular from day one, stopping in at least twice a day on her way to work and at lunchtime or after work.

She said she loves the tea, the food and the comfortable, neighborhood atmosphere.

"I was hooked," said Walker, an insurance account executive by day and a yoga teacher by night. "I gave my espresso machine away. It's all gone."

Christina Cowherd, who owns and operates the shop with her husband, Brad, said they wanted to create a neighborhood gathering spot where patrons could sip tea (or coffee), eat good food and take time out to relax and socialize.

"We wanted to provide a place where people could eat healthy, drink tea, have good conversation and attend events that are good for the mind, body and spirit," Christina Cowherd, 27, said.

The shop has poetry readings, live music shows and monthly workshops that cover topics such as organic menu planning and the basics for creating original tea blends at home.

About 50 teas are available at the shop, including a variety of black teas, green teas and the increasingly popular white teas, which Cowherd said are considered the healthiest because they are the least-processed.

Herbal infusions (a mix of herbs and fruits with tea leaves) as well as oolong teas (a high-quality leaf between the black and green variety), are also on the menu.

Cowherd noted that the popularity of tea in the United States has increased in recent years because of the publicized health benefits of green and white teas.

Green tea, which Cowherd said a year ago was ranked as the least-popular non-alcoholic beverage in the country, is coming into its own these days. She said green tea may have a bitter reputation, but that bitter taste is a result of brewing the leaves too long.

Cowherd said the ritual of making a cup of tea at home, which involves boiling the water, measuring the leaves, brewing or "steeping" the leaves and straining or "infusing" the leaves to extract the flavor, forces the tea drinker to stop and smell the roses.

"The process is so good for us, to help us remember to take time for ourselves, be aware of our surroundings and take a minute to breathe. I think we forget that," Cowherd said.

Those who aren't in the mood for hot tea at the shop can imbibe coffee, an espresso, a cappuccino, a latte, a chai latte, spiced cider, hot chocolate or iced tea.

Examples of healthful fare at the shop include homemade gazpacho, a toasted pear salad, a fruit and cheese platter, the classic cucumber tea sandwich, a sun-dried tomato and white bean spread sandwich or an organic peanut butter and jam sandwich.

Summer specialty items include the Orange Avenue Salad (mangoes, avocados, oranges and field greens with orange flower vinaigrette), an avocado and hummus sandwich, bruschetta and a variety of smoothies.

In July, the shop was chosen by readers of Orlando Weekly as winner in the Best Vegetarian Food category.

A vegetarian and longtime tea lover, Cowherd said she became inspired to open the shop while she and her husband were finishing a recent 2 1/2-year stint in Guatemala as Peace Corps volunteers. While working abroad, Cowherd had time to explore different local teas as well as research teas of the world, she said.

The couple drew up a business plan for the shop and got the ball rolling to open up the business while they were still out of the country. Cowherd said they kept an eye open for a good location each time they came home for a visit.

The couple returned home to College Park for good in September and spotted the perfect location for the shop a month later.

"We really wanted a quiet neighborhood spot," she said.

Brad Cowherd said that while he and his wife were in Guatemala, they became enchanted with the idea of opening a cafe that harked back to the 1950s neighborhood gathering place, a "third place" of comfort outside the home and away from the office.

"The beautiful thing about Guatemala is that there are tons of those places," said Brad Cowherd, 27, who also works as a planning manager for a home builder.

"We wanted to bring back a little piece of that."





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Story Source: Orlando Sentinel

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Guatemala; Small Business; Tea

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