Wisdom Tea House, nestled in historic downtown Monument, provides a unique European tea experience for visitors.Owners Tom and Diane Wisdom opened the tea house in April 2008. ìI had originally wanted to own a coffee shop for several years,î Tom Wisdom said. ìWe found this building in 2007; by this time, there were too many coffee shops around, and the town didn’t need another one.î They decided to open a tea house instead.The Wisdoms traveled to the World Tea Expo and found their tea importer. ìIt’s a small industry, as opposed to coffee,î he said. ìEveryone knows and supports each other.îBuilt in 1890, the building maintains the charm of a friendly old house, complete with a narrow staircase and large, open windows. The Wisdoms spent a year remodeling and building an extensive patio; and putting in bookshelves and counters.ìWe think we have the most beautiful patio in Southern Colorado,î Wisdom said. ìA lot of customers say it reminds them of Europe. It’s really endearing when a European person says, ‘Oh, this reminds me of home.í We got all the furniture at an auction, and we had a lot reupholstered. It’s well used, but it’s got a lot of character, I think. It goes well with the house, too. As a finishing touch, customers can select the cup and saucer they want to use from a variety of beautiful sets.The walls are filled with art from local artists. Most pieces are for sale, and the display rotates, usually on a monthly basis. Wisdom said they assess the art to see if it fits with the atmosphere. ìWe act like a gallery ñ we sell their art,î Wisdom said. ìThey get exposure, we get nice art on our walls, and we get to promote the art within the community.The Wisdoms also determined they needed to offer more of a food variety than they would with a coffee house. The decided on a breakfast and lunch menu. ìDiane does all the baking, all the scones, all the cakes,î he said. ìShe is in charge of all the recipes we use. Right now our daughter is the line chef. She is running the day-to-day operations in the kitchen.î Wisdom said they try to make everything from scratch, with the freshest ingredients available. The traditional afternoon tea is served from 2 to 4 p.m. and is by reservation only; the menu varies by the season. During the holiday season, from Nov. 26 to Nov. 11, the traditional tea menu will include cranberry scones and orange curd, cucumber sandwiches and holiday cookies. The tea shop will also be open from noon to 4 p.m. on three Sundays in December. Guests can choose from 70 different types of tea. Also available in the afternoon hours is a more informal tea ñ no reservation needed. ìIt’s a little smaller, less expensive,î Wisdom said. The informal tea includes a small pot of tea, seasonal fruit, the sweet pastry of the day and usually a crust-less quiche. Cream tea, which includes two scones and a medium pot of tea, is also available throughout the day. The Wisdoms wanted to provide an intimate and relaxing setting. Children are welcome as long as they are quiet and not endangering their safety. ìSome of the more adventurous kids can view it as a jungle gym,î Wisdom said. Wisdom Tea House is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with additional Sunday hours in December. Menu pricing for Traditional Tea is $24 per person; Informal Tea is $12, and Cream Tea is $10. Reservations can be made by calling 719-481-8822.
