Sherry Waters Opened A Herbal Tea Lounge After Noticing People Around Her Felt Depleted — Now, She’s Opening A Second Location

The Charlotte Observer reports Waters is the founder of The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary, a venture birthed from her observations of working with nonprofits and experiences in spiritual care from working as a community chaplain and personal stewardship coach and practitioner.

“In my previous roles as a community chaplain and in nonprofits, I saw a theme of people feeling depleted,” Waters said, according to The Charlotte Observer. “I created The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary as a place where people can gain restoration and enjoy a cup of serenity. Tea helps you slow down, and there’s sort of a sacredness to teatime.”

Waters opened her first location in July 2019 to ensure her community could “refuel and gain respite from the busyness of life,” Waters mentioned to the outlet.

Now, she is preparing to welcome a new wave of customers at the tea lounge’s newest location, set to open in January 2024.

The effort is as part of a revitalization plan implemented by Historic West End Partners that will support rising Black-owned businesses.

The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary will be joined by neighboring businesses, including Family Mankind Counseling, 704 Cleaners, and Black Pearl Vision.

“We have several new businesses going into that same block, in keeping with our master plan focused on the Oaklawn district of Historic West End,” J’Tanya Adams, founder and executive director of Historic West End Partners, told The Charlotte Observer. “We’re all excited to see them start to open and become a reality. Pauline’s is my go-to place. It’s so different from a coffee shop, with more of a relaxed, calm space.”

Waters took to Instagram to thank the community for their ongoing support as well as spotlight resources that have contributed to the new expansion, including a grant from LISC Charlotte through the Fifth Third Bank Empowering Black Futures initiative.

“We so appreciate the love and wanted you to know that one of the reasons we have been able to grow our business is due to recent grant funding from LISC Charlotte as part of the Fifth Third Bank Empowering Black Futures initiative,” Waters wrote on Instagram. “This kind of philanthropic support and civic responsibility truly makes Charlotte one of the best places to thrive and flourish as a social entrepreneur.”

She added, “We also hold much gratitude to J’Tanya Adams of Historic West End for being such a convener of strategic community partnerships.”