Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Mcelgunn.
Patrick, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Grove Tea Lounge was started by myself, my wife Shannon, and our good friends Joe & Erin Rivard. At the time, back in 2015, Grove was born out of a desire to create a space that we wished we had while growing up in Midland and that we were all still longing for as young married couples. We sought to create a space where we could love on the individuals in our community as Christ calls us to do – we felt very adamant about that. Tea, coffee, and food ultimately became the medium through which we were able to deliver the environment we envisioned from the beginning. People are usually very surprised to hear that none of us had a background, passion, or hobby for any of these 3 things – and they are even more shocked to hear that for the longest time, we never planned on serving coffee or espresso at all! Even with as few coffee shops as Midland had back in 2015, we thought there were more than enough spots for people to get their coffee fix and we didn’t want to compete in that space. Instead, we chose to flip the coffee shop model on its head by making tea the main focus and doing it in a way that made it fun, approachable, and exciting. As we developed the concept of what Grove Tea Lounge was going to be, food was ultimately brought into the mix because we felt like it helped further the goal of giving people a space to dwell, connect, and relax.
With each of our product offerings, our goal was always the same: we are committed to making beautiful food and drink that tastes amazing by sourcing as locally, sustainably, and responsibly as possible while simultaneously bringing fun, unique, and interesting concepts and flavors to Midland. As a guiding principle, we are continuously asking ourselves “what sort of restaurants, coffee shops, and food/drink do we constantly seek out when we travel to larger cities or different states?”
It took us nearly 4 full years to go from the initial idea to actually opening our doors for our first day of business on February 2, 2019! Through that time, we dedicated pretty much all of our free time to learning and exploring tea, coffee, and food alongside the business aspects of creating a plan, doing market research, and seeking out the right location.
In the 3.5 years that we have been open, we have continuously tweaked and refined our menu and how our customers interact with us – always ensuring that as we adapt, we are keeping our Christ-like desire to love and care for our community and our staff at the center. We flip our menu over twice a year and sprinkle in fun Theme Weeks throughout the year like Harry Potter Week, 90s Week, Encanto Week, and more where we design a small, specialized menu around the theme that is only available for that week. We have also become the premier go-to place for dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan/vegetarian options in Midland and surrounding Tri-Cities which was something we never could have imagined! We’re proud to say that as of just a couple of months ago we even announced that we would no longer up-charge our customers for alternative milk options, making Grove one of the only (if not the first) coffee shops/cafes to do so in the area.
We are also in the process of wrapping up the final stages of our outdoor patio remodel that was made possible by a crowdfunding campaign that the young professional’s group – which is part of our local business alliance – facilitated. Once complete, our new outdoor patio will be fully fenced in, boast 25+ seats under a covered pergola and an outdoor kids playscape with picnic tables!
We continue to be blown away by the support, feedback, and encouragement we have received from our community and our customers and cannot wait to see what the future holds for us and for Midland in the years to come
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth is certainly not the way I would describe the path our families have taken to get Grove to where it is today. Starting a business – no matter how big or small – is never a smooth road! There are always unforeseen circumstances that we have to navigate as entrepreneurs, but that’s part of the fun of it.
Before we even opened our doors, we spent the better part of 2 years looking for the perfect space to open Grove Tea Lounge. Initially starting downtown and then even spending nearly a year working with the Midland Center for The Arts to explore whether we could open Grove inside their facility. Finally landing at an old Chemical Bank branch tucked back in a quiet neighborhood which just so happened to be across from the headquarters of Dow, Inc – a Fortune 500 company located right in our small town. We never could have imagined the twists and turns and roadblocks we would encounter just in finding the right location.
Once open, we had barely made it past our 1-year anniversary of opening when COVID hit, and the world as we knew it effectively shut down and came to a halt. We committed to staying open in whatever capacity we were allowed to, keeping all our staff employed, and serving our community without interruption. When the whole world changed overnight, we were steadfast in being that one piece of normalcy for everyone. We never once changed our hours, limited our menu, or cut back on staff. We actually increased our community’s ability to access their favorite food and drink by adding online ordering, keeping our drive-thru window open, and offering curbside pickup. As long as we could at least break even, we were going to do everything in our power to be that one constant in people’s routines. That certainly doesn’t mean it was easy though! We faced a slew of challenges as we fought to stay open and serve our customers.
Through it all, however, we constantly sought wise counsel, evaluated our options with the information we had available to us, and made decisions quickly and decisively; all the while knowing that God would provide and see us through it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Grove Tea Lounge?
Grove Tea Lounge is a tea-forward cafe that serves beautiful food and drink that tastes amazing! We offer over 30 different types of direct-sourced loose-leaf tea that can be prepared hot, iced, as a milk tea, or with fresh house-made boba. Similarly, our coffee comes from our friends at High Grounds Trading Co up in Traverse City, MI who source directly from farming communities around the globe through their co-op entity.
All our syrups and food are made in-house by our amazing kitchen staff led by Head Baker and Kitchen Manager, Sydnie Michael.
We have very quickly become the go-to place for vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free options. While we also offer a plethora of food with traditional ingredients (gluten, dairy, meat, etc.), we have dedicated ourselves to creating allergen-friendly food, dessert, and baked goods that taste as good – or better – than their traditional counterparts. Prime examples include our house-made Poptarts that are gluten-free and our house-made donuts that are both gluten-free and vegan. Our Poptart’s are only available on Tuesdays while our donuts are only available Friday and Saturday. Our flavors rotate weekly and quantities are limited so they sell out super-fast!
Last, but not least, we recently announced that we no longer up-charge for plant milks or allergy-friendly food options/substitutions. We are the only coffee shop/cafe in the area that we know of that is leveling the playing field for our customers with food allergies and dietary preferences like this and are excited to lead the way.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Build a strong community of support around you – people who will not only cheer you on but who will also offer you honest feedback in a loving/constructive way as you develop your idea and get it launched. Believe me, it can be hard to hear at first but it’s way better to catch potential issues or biases before you start than to have to learn the hard way that something doesn’t work.
Take the time to work with a Small Business Development Center consultant in your area as you build your plan. It’s a free service and the expertise, guidance, and resources they provide are invaluable.
Network your heart out and don’t be afraid to talk about your idea/concept with everyone who will listen. You never know how those connections and seeds you plant will come back to help you down the road
Give yourself more time and more runway than you think you’ll need. No matter how good your plan is, it will always take longer and cost more than you think
Contact Info:
- Website: www.grovetealounge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grovetealounge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grovetealounge
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grove-tea-lounge-midland
- Other: grovetealounge.online
Image Credits
Shannon McElgunn
