Chico tea maker and business owner Sarah Adams is celebrating years of hard work and dedication with the opening of the new Chico Chaihouse.
For two decades, Adams and her team have tirelessly devoted themselves to crafting masala chai to sell to various establishments, including coffee shops, stores and their booth at the lively Saturday Chico Farmers' Market.
“It's coming together exactly like I'd hoped. People are coming in, slowly discovering us, meeting friends for tea, having long conversations, and really making use of the space, which is exactly what I'd hoped,” Adams said.
Adams learned how to make chai while in college. At the same time, she was studying to become a wildlife biologist. She had always been fascinated by wildlife — plants, animals and the entire living world.
During her college years, she discovered and fell in love with chai. Learning to make it herself became a parallel educational journey.
After a couple of seasons in the field, she decided to leave her biology career to start her own chai company.
“I do miss wildlife biology a bit, but luckily, a small amount of those concepts have been useful, especially the botany and plant taxonomy,” Adams said. “So I understand since we use botanicals, we're literally using plants to make tea.”
Chico Chai does not use flavorings or any extracts. Just plants.
“I've been able to use that education to also help inform my tea blending, and just general knowledge about what it is I'm using when I make a tea blend or a spice blend,” Adams said.
Adams has been contemplating opening a tea house since 2009. The idea was revisited in 2020, and plans for a new space were initiated that same year. A lease was secured, a layout was finalized, and renovations were scheduled for March 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We didn't know what was happening, but we knew it wasn't a great time to open a retail space,” Adams said.
Unable to foresee how the pandemic would affect businesses, Adams and her team collectively determined that the present circumstances were not conducive to establishing a retail space.
They regretfully abandoned their immediate plans while retaining them for potential future endeavors.
“I was honestly just mostly really sad about it, every time you have to say no to a dream for a while, it's sad, especially one that I've been thinking about for so long,” Adams said.
Now, the once-dream project is a reality and open to the public. Decked out in chic pastel white tones, surrounded by vibrant green plants and lofted ceilings, Adams said she’s “trying to create something that feels comfortable yet meditative.”
The establishment serves masala chai, matcha, tea lattes, and a new lineup of house-made teas, including Butte Breakfast Blend and Lavender-Chamomile. It offers the classic "Chico Chai," its original recipe, alongside daily specials like the recently added fresh ginger or saffron cardamom chai.
Matcha lovers can choose from unsweetened, latte-style, or a traditional Japanese preparation.
To complement the teas, a selection of toasts is available, including a "Masala Toast" inspired by cinnamon toast, a comforting peanut butter and jelly toast, a savory egg and char toast, and a classic avocado toast.
Additionally, they feature a variety of pastries, with a special emphasis on fresh, vegan options sourced from Pizza Riot.
“We hope to be really like a hub of creating community in this town,” Adams said.
The business is located at the intersection of Park Avenue and 15th Street in Chico and welcomes customers from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
