Chengdu Teahouse owner and tea slinger Elyse Ribbons said she hopes to "be a bridge" that connects people to the experience and joy of tea, as well as educating guests on the history of Chinese tea traditions.

Ribbons said the idea to create the business originated from her personal background.

"We were relocating back to America after I've been living in China for a couple of decades, and I've always loved tea, and I've been very involved with a lot of tea houses in Chengdu, especially because it's a very important part of the culture there," Ribbons said. "When I first moved to Lansing, I noticed that everything closed at like, five or six, so where do people hang out in the evenings? And I wanted to offer something that was not a bar."

Ribbons said she chose the location of Old Town Lansing because of the community there.

"I walked around here at night and I felt totally safe, (and) there was no trash anywhere," Ribbons said. "I've since learned a lot of that is because of the other business owners and residents in this area. They take such pride in their community, and they're the ones cleaning and they're the ones weeding the sidewalks. I'm so glad I can live in a place like that."

Since its opening, community members have also expressed their love of the Teahouse. Customer Gretchen Morse said she personally enjoys the atmosphere Chengdu Teahouse offers.

"I like the slow pace, it's sort of in (a) homey environment," Morse said. "It's very eclectic, it's very comfortable, and you can kind of create your own space here and just enjoy things at a very slow pace. We're so fast-paced these days, it's nice to slow down."

Similarly, customer Mindy Morton said the Teahouse offers a unique alternative to other gathering spaces.

"You know, nowadays, coffee shops are a dime a dozen," Morton said. "Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of the places around here, but (Chengdu Teahouse) was just something different."

For customer Dana Rothe, the Chengdu Teahouse offers a sense of familiarity.

"I was really excited for this place to open because, before I moved to Lansing, there was a traditional Chinese tea place near where I lived, and I had been going there since I was in high school," Rothe said. "I missed that when I moved here, so I was really excited to be able to have a traditional Chinese tea experience again."

Morse said Chengdu Teahouse offers a new experience that isn’t easily found in other places. For Rothe, observing and being able to take part in the tea experience is what stands out.

"There's something really cool about the hands-on process of having a sit-down tea experience," Rothe said. "The ritual of it is just really cool and relaxing."

For Ribbons, getting to meet new people and interact with customers is the part that she enjoys the most about operating the teahouse. In the future, Ribbons said she hopes to continue to create an environment that emphasizes not only the tea itself, but the overall experience.

"It's really much more about the experience of drinking the tea," Ribbons said. "I want people to come and connect, to connect with themselves, with their tea pet, with their phone even is fine, or a good book, but also, I want them to come and connect with their community."