Coffee shops aren’t the only places in Lakeland to buy a made-to-order drink while working or meeting with friends. Tea houses are growing more popular. Options include boba and Thai tea, as well as food treats.
Some, like HTeaO, are chains, but most are independent, locally-owned businesses.
Tea houses vs. tea rooms: Unlike pinkie-up, British-inspired tea rooms with floral curtains, fine china and finger sandwiches, tea houses are a cross between a smoothie shop and a cafe. The decor, like the drinks, is generally colorful and casual. Most teas are iced. Mix-ins include flavored tapioca pearls, chunks of fruit, syrups and protein powders.
Hana Tea House, a taste of Cambodia: One of Lakeland’s newest tea houses opened on the city’s south side in November 2022. Hana Tea House is at 4525 S. Florida Ave. in the plaza next to Chick-fil-A.
Its owners, Savuthea Scott Chaunvann (who goes by his middle name), 53, and his wife, Halina Hannah Chaunvann, 44, are Cambodian. Scott came to Lakeland as a refugee in 1984 when he was 13 years old. He said St. Paul Lutheran Church sponsored his mother, himself, and two siblings.
“We got lucky and America chose our application,” Scott recalled.
He graduated from Kathleen High School and worked as a cable technician.
“Florida is where we can call home. The weather is almost like Cambodia. We figure it’s something in common. We can grow fruits. We got a hot season. Not too cold,” Scott said.
He met his wife on vacation in Cambodia and brought her to the United States in 2002. They have three children.
Slideshow: Hana Tea House (5 photos)
Inside Hana Tea House. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
The counter at Hana Tea House displays a variety of exotic jellies. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
A barrel chair at Hana Tea House is a favorite spot for customers to take photos. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
Halina makes a drink at Hana Tea House. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
Food items for sale at Hana Tea House. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow
Two years living the dream: The Chaunvanns opened Hana Tea House two years ago. It offers a wide variety of teas and drinks, from boba to fruit teas, milk-based teas, matcha, yogurt slushes, smoothies and lemonades.
Halina and their two daughters work together at the cafe.
“It’s a dream to have her own business. Her mom convinced her to do this. Her family has more experience in this,” Scott said, explaining that his wife’s relatives own a tea cafe in Cambodia. The restaurant is named after her and its logo is a replica of their youngest daughter’s face when she was a baby.
Before opening the tea house, Halina worked in a nail salon but found herself to be allergic to the chemicals.
Halina said she likes to use recipes from home. Scott said they import their tea leaves from Thailand.
“We make sure everything is fresh. We pre-select our teas. We’re very selective on that. Our boba is one of the best in town. The flavor of the tea, it’s the real deal. No fake stuff. The sugar and tea is real … We use real fruit. That’s what makes us unique,” Scott explained.
On the menu: The couple said their best sellers are The Milky Way, which is creamy and made with black tea, brown sugar and vanilla; strawberry cheesecake; mango coolada and kiwi fruit tea.
They also offer several food items, such as banh mi, which are similar to sub sandwiches; banh bao, which is pork and egg stuffed inside a bun; bakery items and fried banana.
Scott said they don’t advertise much and rely on people sharing their experiences with others to draw in the customers. “It’s starting to grow a little bit. In the future, we’re thinking about franchising it and opening it on the north side and going from there,” Scott said.
Hana Tea House is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Other locally owned tea houses
Tea Largo, a longtime staple: Tea Largo has been around since 2007. It is in the Shoppes at Hallam in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood.
The cafe prides itself on being a “vacation in a cup.” The store’s decor evokes the ocean and the beach. There is recycled and upcycled art everywhere and mosaic floor pieces. Much of it is by the owner, Kristin Miller, or her mom, sister and friends.
Tea Largo offers hand-crafted beverages, bowls and fine teas. Drinks include matcha, coffee, boba, iced teas and smoothies. There are many bowl flavors, including acai, pitaya and mango flavors with toppings.
It also sells a wide variety of packs of loose-leaf tea, teapots and tea-making tools, matcha sticks and Mayday handcrafted ice cream.
Tea Largo is at 4632 Cleveland Heights Blvd., next to PicassoZ Art Cafe. It is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays. On Sundays, it opens at 8:30 am.
Slideshow: Tea Largo (6 photos)
Tea Largo has been in business in Lakeland for 17 years. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
Tea Largo’s decor evokes the beach. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
Patrons are invited to sample some of the many loose-leaf teas that Tea Largo sells. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
Inside Tea Largo. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
There is recycled and upcycled art everywhere and mosaic floor pieces. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow 
PicassoZ Art Cafe is next door to Tea Largo. | Stephanie Claytor, LkldNow
New on the northside, Tsaocaa Tea & Michi Ramen: Tsaocaa Tea & Michi Ramen offers street food favorites from Japan, China and Korea. Tsaocaa means “a holy land of tea,” in Chinese, according to its website.
The shop is at 4328 U.S. Highway 98 N., in the same plaza as Hobby Lobby near the intersection with Sleepy Hill Road.
Its menu features dozens of tea-based drinks, including fruit mojitos, bubble teas, coconut drinks and yogurt slushes. Food offerings include ramen, rice hotdogs, mochi donuts, Hong Kong egg waffles and Korean-style fried chicken.
“We make fresh milk tea and boil the ramen soup base for 12 hours,” the restaurant’s website states.
The restaurant and tea cafe opened on Jan. 26. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
Dong Tea: Dong Tea Taiwanese Tea House is at 5301 S. Florida Ave in the Lakeland South Center plaza. It began serving customers last November and had its formal ribbon-cutting on June 1.
It offers milk teas, yogurt-based drinks, coffee-based teas and fruit teas. Inside, there are also food items for sale, such as pork steam buns, tofu pudding, popcorn chicken and egg rolls. Drinks and food can be delivered through DoorDash.
Dong Tea is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Slideshow: Dong Tea (3 photos)
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