Feeling British? How About a Cup of Tea Anytime?

Carmichael's is the only tea room in Sacramento County, according to its owner, Cindy Fiorella.

Fiorella said she believes it's the economy that hurt other tea rooms, but doesn't discount her own business acumen for surviving thus far.

Fiorella was born in Mexico City, Mexico and studied architecture there. She also studied business administration and took courses in tea in the United States.

She was attending South Carolina State University when she met her husband. A year later, they moved to the Sacramento area. That was nearly 40 years ago. 

With a career in construction and remodeling, Fiorella traveled the world for her clients, picking up antiques and an interest in tea along the way.

“I stumbled on a tea plantation in China and became enamored,” said Fiorella, adding that she’s been to China six times so far.

When she retired from the construction industry six years ago, she opened an antique shop and began serving tea once a month among the antiques.

“Then we began to serve tea every two weeks, then every week.” says Fiorella.

At that point, she realized she’d need a place with a commercial kitchen if she was going to continue doing tea service. When the current location in the Frontier Village shopping center on Fair Oaks Boulevard became available, she took it and switched over completely from antiques to tea, opening a tea room.

The tea leaves comes from all over the world, much of it from China.

“It’s high-quality tea and I blend 85 percent of it myself,” said Fiorella.

According to Fiorella, the United States has only one tea producing company. It’s called the American Tea Company in South Carolina and is the sole source of tea for the White House.

At Tea Anytime, tea is served every afternoon Wednesday through Sunday and the clientele is primarily middle-aged women and older, but you might be surprised to see who also enjoys a cup.

“Men like tea, too,” said Fiorella.

While most men come with their wives, girlfriends or mothers, some are younger and show up without a female counterpart.

“I have a group of high school boys that come in,” says Fiorella. “When they first came, I thought they were pulling my leg, but they weren’t. They actually like tea.”

Tea service can include scones, sandwiches and desserts and everything is made from scratch in the kitchen. Fiorella recommends the Light Afternoon Tea ($18.95 per person).

“It looks like it’s not enough, but most people take food home,” said Fiorella.

Tea isn’t just her job, it’s her passion, including charitable efforts. She currently serves as president of the Tea Sisters Society, a nonprofit organization that teaches tea etiquette and history, but also provides tea gift packages to people suffering from a life-threatening illness or the loss of a loved one.

The gift shop at Tea Anytime has more than 400 tea-related items. Some antiques still remain in the form of vintage cups and saucers. Seen among the tea-related items recently was a rather unusual and unique line of purses by Tie Sue that are made of vintage ties.

Tea Anytime is currently running a promotion called Girls’ Day Out which is held on the second Thursday of each month from 11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Teas are 2 for $29.95; the only condition is that you come in pairs.

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Tea Anytime
Tea Room & Gifts
5901 Fair Oaks Blvd.
916.488.8864
teaanytime.net

Reservations are required.