Nine years, one very stubborn kettle.
Allice Teaspot began in the winter of 2017, in a garage David Yates had insulated with foam board and good intentions. He'd spent a decade in restaurant kitchens and had grown tired of watching thoughtful ingredients be handled without thought. Tea, in particular, kept being treated like an afterthought — a tea bag on a saucer next to a beautiful dessert.
The first customers were neighbors. Then a coffee shop in Livonia asked if David could blend something for their winter menu. Then a wedding, then a wholesaler, and eventually the little studio on Prudence Street opened its door to walk-ins.
The shop is named for David's aunt Allice, who lived on the same street until 2019 and who taught him that tea is really an excuse to sit down with someone.
