Customers Cool Off at Teanacious

Hot chocolate, in this heat?

I don't think so.  Unless, of course, it's frozen.

Frozen Hot Chocolate, one of the many popular, cooling drinks on offer at Teanacious, has kept customers streaming through the doors of the large combination café and boutique lately, looking for a way to escape the heat. On a recent, smoldering afternoon, a gaggle of teenage girls filled the large store, which is located in the Livingston Town Center, throughout the afternoon.

Eighth grade graduate Alisa Gudz said she comes in all the time because, "they have really cute stuff here, and it's not too expensive."

Her friends nodded in agreement, adding that they love getting to shop while they wait for their smoothies and frozen drinks. Kayla Gonick was there for the second day in a row.

"It's healthy and really good. It's refreshing," the teenager said with a smile, as she anxiously stood on tiptoes, leaning against the counter and trying to decide what to order.

"We offer 60 flavors of iced tea," said owner and barista Ali Linkov. "We can ice anything!"

In addition to ice tea and frozen yogurt, there are tea smoothies, such as the Greenie Meanie, a combination of green tea, tart frozen yogurt, soy milk and a drop of honey. All of the teas and yogurts are Kosher.

The store is also known for hosting parties for all occasions, from birthdays to bridal showers. It hosted 14 parties in May.

When Bonnie Tattoli was planning her daughter Sami's 11th birthday party, she knew they wanted the party to be "out of the ordinary." They chose to have a jewelry party at Teanacious, with a purple theme.

"It was fun! We made bracelets with all kinds of beads, the bangley [sic] kind that go around your wrist. We did the limbo and played games. If we won, we got to pick from any kind of headband," Sami said, adding that it was one of the coolest parties she's had.

Sami and younger sister Maxine, 6, were back at Teanacious to grab some frozen yogurt while mom browsed the racks.

"When we're here we always stop in," Bonnie said. "We just like to look a the accessories. She always has interesting, more eclectic pieces. There is nothing in town like it."

Teanacious, which opened in March of 2009, is Linkov's fifth store. She opened Sensibles, a similar café and vintage boutique, in Tallahassee, Florida in 1995, while she was still in college. She later opened three Sensibles in Connecticut.

"I always liked to shop and eat," she says of the concept behind the original store. "I wanted a place where you can eat, shop and lounge, where you can feel like you're just looking in my closet."

After selling the chain and moving to New Jersey about two years ago, she decided to embark on her latest endeavor. It has not been the busiest of her boutiques, but she said business is "slow but steady."

"In my first store, I had 400 square feet. I sold more in 400 sq ft than I do here. I would love to see more sense of community," she added.

The store features vintage clothing and jewelry created by about 20 local artists. They will customize anything to a customer's taste. Prices start as low as $4 per piece. There are home and beauty products, including soy candles and Archipelago lotions. It is a family-friendly atmosphere, where her four-year-old son, Aiden, hangs out with mom everyday. 

Linkov supports the community by donating to local charities. She tracks her customer base and determines the donations based on who supports Teanacious.

"The more you shop," she says, "the more we give back."

Regular customers are rewarded with the referral program; when you buy seven yogurts, you get one free.

An environmentally conscious store owner, Linkov keeps track of drink orders for her customers, rather than handing out paper or plastic cards. She also rewards them for being eco-friendly. Anyone who brings back a plastic bag gets 50-cents back; recycling a tea tin earns you a $1 discount.

"I've done it since my first store," she said. "It cuts down on our costs, cuts down on usage of plastic. I definitely think it's important to recycle."

With temperatures spiking the last few weeks, customers of all ages are certainly well on their way to earning that free drink.