Nirvana Tea House & Cafe in Millis Is Reopening

A vegan eatery in the southwest suburbs of Boston that shut down last fall is returning under new ownership.

According to a Bluesky Post, Nirvana Tea House & Cafe in Millis is opening back up, with Unity Farm Sanctuary purchasing the Main Street spot and planning a grand opening on March 26. A Facebook post from the place says the following:

Welcome to Nirvana! Under new ownership and management, Unity Farm Sanctuary purchased the Cafe in December 2025 and began the renovation work January 1, 2026! General Manager Keith Maher is back to run the cafe with hand picked team members and Head Baker Shannon. You will see some familiar faces too in the "front of the house" serving your tea, coffee, smoothies, salads, wraps, soups, bowls, and baked goods....Table service and take-away, plus Doordash has you covered! Our vision of food is that we simply want to offer you good, compassionate, tasty food.

Nirvana Tea House & Cafe first opened its doors in 2020.

The address for Nirvana Tea House & Cafe is 969 Main Street Unit 2, Millis, MA, 02054. Its website can be found at https://www.nirvanateahousecafe.com/

[April 13 update: A check on their website and social media confirms that Nirvana Tea House & Cafe is open once again.]

[Earlier Article]
Nirvana Tea House & Cafe in Millis Has Closed

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Nirvana Tea House & Cafe in Millis Has Closed

A vegan eatery in the southwest suburbs of Boston has shut down.

According to a Bluesky Post from @jeremyk.bsky.social, Nirvana Tea House & Cafe in Millis is no longer in business, with a note on its website saying the following: 

Dear Friends and Guests,
With heartfelt gratitude, we want to share that Nirvana Tea House & Café is closing its doors as of [November 3]. This has been a place of connection, peace, and community-made special because of you. Your smiles, conversations, and kindness have filled our hearts and made this journey unforgettable. Though this chapter is coming to an end, the memories and friendships created here will always remain. Thank you for being part of our story and for making Nirvana such a beautiful place to be.

Nirvana Tea House & Cafe first opened its doors in 2020.

The address for the now-closed Nirvana Tea House & Cafe was 969 Main Street Unit 2, Millis, MA, 02054.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Ten One Tea House Is Opening in Boston's Fenway Neighborhood

A trio of Taiwanese tea shops is in the process of opening a fourth location, with this one being its second outlet in Boston. 

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Ten One Tea House looks like it is going through a soft opening in the city's Fenway neighborhood, moving into a space on Boylston Street about midway between Park Drive and Brookline Avenue. The new location joins another in the Back Bay along with a new one in Somerville's Assembly Row, as well as a third in Providence, RI.

The poster had put up a screenshot of Ten One Tea House indeed mentioning the soft opening via an Instagram story which has since expired; the Fenway location is shown on the Ten One Tea House website, but it does not mention what stage of opening it is in.

The address for Ten One Tea House in the Fenway is 1323 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02215. The website for all locations can be found at https://www.tenoneteahouse.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is currently dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate if you can at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

The Wenham Tea House Is Open Once Again

A bit more than a year ago, it was reported that an iconic North Shore spot was planning to open back up under new ownership, and now we have learned that it is up and running once again.

According to an article from Wicked Local and the Herald Citizen, The Wenham Tea House has opened back up, with the Monument Steet spot now offering dinner for the first time, while lunch, brunch, and afternoon tea continue to be offered--and a gift shop and clothing store are also part of the space. As reported earlier, the tea house shut down in 2020, but several months later it was learned that the place would reopen, with industry veterans Brenden Crocker and Milissa Oraibi being the new owners of the business. (The Wenham Village Improvement Society owns the site and rents it out to Crocker and Oraibi.)

The Wenham Tea House dates back to 1912, originally as "a women's exchange to provide an outlet for local homeworker goods and a cozy place for the townspeople to gather."

The address for the Wenham Tea House is 4 Monument Street, Wenham, MA, 01984. Its website can be found at https://www.wenhamteahouse.com/

[Earlier Articles]
The Wenham Tea House Has Closed Down
The Wenham Tea House Plans to Reopen Under New Ownership

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

The Wenham Tea House Plans to Reopen Under New Ownership

Several months ago, it was reported that a North Shore institution that had been around for more than 100 years had closed down, but now we have learned that it will be reborn under new ownership.

According to a Twitter post from @swixvonflaubert, the Wenham Tea House is planning to reopen, with an article in the Salem News saying that Brenden Crocker and Milissa Oraibi of the Black Arrow in Manchester-by-the-Sea are behind the plans. The article mentions that the husband-and-wife team have some visions for the Monument Street spot, with Oraibi looking to offer locally-made items that aren't sold elsewhere in the retail space while she says of the restaurant part, "I want it to be an experience....I want people to feel special, like you've just walked into another country. I want to transport them." (She also wants the traditional touches to remain in place.) If all goes as planned, the Wenham Tea House--which will offer brunch and lunch along with prepared foods for takeout--will open sometime next spring.

The Wenham Tea House dates back to 1912, originally as "a women's exchange to provide an outlet for local homeworker goods and a cozy place for the townspeople to gather," according to its old website; more recently it had been known in part for its afternoon tea.

The address for the Wenham Tea House was 4 Monument Street, Wenham, MA, 01984.

[Earlier Article]
The Wenham Tea House Has Closed Down

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Payment Options

Option 1 : $1.00 USD - monthly Option 2 : $5.00 USD - monthly Option 3 : $10.00 USD - monthly

The Wenham Tea House Has Closed Down

An iconic North Shore dining spot that has been around for more than 100 years has called it a day.

According to several sources, including a source within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, the Wenham Tea House has shut down, with a Wicked Local article confirming this. A Facebook post from owner Chris Keohane says that "I have ended my tenure at the Wenham Tea House. After many years of enjoyment at the Tea House, I will not be able to operate it any longer. Challenges with product, staffing, and finances due to the pandemic has really put pressure that I cannot handle anymore" while another post from him calls it "The end of an era." The Wicked Local article indicates that the dining spot could maybe return someday if a new owner can be found, with Keohane saying, "I am truly sorry for this outcome and I hope to see all of you back again at the Tea House under someone else's leadership."

The Wenham Tea House dates all the way back to 1912 as "a women's exchange to provide an outlet for local homeworker goods and a cozy place for the townspeople to gather," according to its website; more recently it has been known in part for its afternoon tea along with its breakfast, brunch, and lunch offerings.

The address for the Wenham Tea House was 4 Monument Street, Wenham, MA, 01984.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Gen Sou En Tea House in Brookline's Coolidge Corner Has Closed

A Japanese tea house in Brookline has shut down after only a relatively brief time in business.

According to a source, Gen Sou En Tea House in Coolidge Corner is no longer in operation, with a Facebook post from the Harvard Street place thanking the community for their business and referring them to Amazon if they would like to continue purchasing their tea. No reason has been given for the closure, nor is it known what might go into the space, so keep checking back for updates.

Gen Sou En Tea House first opened in February of 2018 in a space formerly occupied by Panera, with the place calling itself a "modern Japanese tea house"that was bringing "100 years of Japanese green tea expertise to Boston," while the name roughly translated to "farm-to-cup." The spot closed for a short time last fall in order to revamp the space and expand the menu offerings.

The address for the now-closed Gen Sou En Tea House in Coolidge Corner is 299 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA, 02446.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Gen Sou En Tea House to Open in Brookline's Coolidge Corner

It looks like a tea house is on its way to Brookline, and it will be moving into the space where a chain of bakery-cafes used to be.

According to an article in the Brookline TAB, Gen Sou En Tea House is planning to open in Coolidge Corner, taking over the old Panera spot on Harvard Street. A sign in the window states that the place will be a "modern Japanese tea house" with Japanese green tea and black tea along with coffee, beer, wine, and sake, and it will also serve savory foods and bakery items while being open for breakfast, lunch, and (a light) dinner. If all goes as planned, Gen Sou En Tea House could be opening in January of 2018.

Panera closed its Coolidge Corner location in June after approximately 10 years in business.

The address for this upcoming tea house in Coolidge Corner is: Gen Sou En Tea House, 299 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA, 02446. Its website will be at http://www.gensouenteahouse.com/

Thanks to BostonTweet for initially bringing this to our attention.

[October 17 update: A press release mentions that Gen Sou En--which loosely translates as"farm-to-cup"--will have seating for 125 and food offerings such as matcha croissants, matcha tiramisu, tempura, temaki (cone-shaped sushi handrolls), and onigiri (triangular Japanese rice balls).]

[December 12 update: According to a press release, Joe Cammarata (Hojoko and Backbar) is being brought on as general manager of Gen Sou En Tea House and Sam Treadway (Eastern Standard, Drink, Backbar) will be assistant general manager. (The email also says that Yozo Masuyama--who recently served as technical director of Clear Flour Bread--will be head baker.)]

[February 16, 2018 update: A press release says that Gen Sou En Tea House plans to open its doors on Wednesday, February 21.]

[February 20, 2018 update: A Facebook post from the place confirms that Gen Sou En Tea House opens tomorrow, with a ribbon-cutting beginning at 9:15 AM and its doors opening to the public at 10:00 AM.]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Limoo Tea Bar to Open on the Allston/Brookline Border

It looks like a new dining and drinking place is on its way to the Allston/Brookline border, moving into the space where a Japanese eatery had been.

A Twitter post from @BostonGourmand indicates that Limoo Tea Bar is going to be opening on Commonwealth Avenue near BU, taking over the former Cafe Japonaise spot (locations of Japonaise Bakery and Cafe remain open on Beacon Street in Brookline and on Mass. Ave. in the Porter Square section of Cambridge). The post mentions that the upcoming place will feature Middle Eastern cuisine as well as "[bubble tea] inspired cocktails," while a Board of Selectmen page on the Brookline website confirms that the eatery is indeed looking to open in this space--and also hoping to serve alcohol.

Earlier it was mentioned that the space Limoo is moving into is in Brookline, but it actually has an Allston address. (It is literally on the line.)

[August 8 update: UrbanDaddy mentions that Limoo Tea Bar will be opening on Tuesday (August 12), with the place featuring tea with alcohol as well as food items such as hummus, salads, meat on a stick, pita pockets, and steamed buns.]

The address for this new dining and drinking place on the Allston/Brookline border is: Limoo Tea Bar, 1032 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, MA, 02215. Its website can be found at http://limooteabar.com/

Tweet