WW II vet celebrates 100 years ► PAGE 8
Fe b r u a r y 2 9 , 2 0 2 4 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | S e r v i n g t h e c o m m u n i t y s i n c e 1 9 7 6
Destination Tea posts guide to experience connections By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com
DESTINATION TEA/PROVIDED
The Dunwoody Preservation Trust serves afternoon tea at the Donaldson-Bannister Farm in 2022. The farm hosts an annual afternoon tea each spring for up to 50 people.
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody resident Angela Renals shares a longtime love of afternoon tea. It’s not just the beverage. It’s the experience. Her website, Destination Tea, is a directory promoting local tearooms across the United States and Metro Atlanta. A New Jersey native, Renals moved to the Atlanta area after college and worked in marketing and public relations. As a young mother in her late 20s, she said she often visited the now-closed Faded Rose Tea Garden in Chamblee, where she experienced her first afternoon tea. “It was like all the things you love about a teahouse,” Renals said. “This place was just wonderful. They had all of the vintage china, and everything was very leisurely. All the food was homemade. Everything, just delicious. So, I loved it there.” At Faded Rose, Renals said she made irreplaceable memories with her friends and found a place to escape from the routine of daily life. In 2016, she founded Destination Tea to share her love of afternoon tea and highlight the community and connection the tradition offers.
My experience has always been, people are extremely welcoming to you, to learning.” ANGELA RENALS Founder, Destination Tea “It’s really just an excuse to chitchat while someone is taking excellent care of you and pouring you a fabulous cup of tea,” Renals said. A nationwide guide After her introduction to afternoon tea at Faded Rose, Renals decided to make a tea directory for herself. “It became this really beautiful ritual in my family and in my friend groups,” she said. Using her PR background, Renals said she wanted to bridge the gap in publicity for tearooms that do not have an online presence. She originally used TeaMap,
See TEA, Page 3
ROBIN BLASS
#1 SMALL TEAM COMPANYWIDE 2023 404-403-6561 C | 770-394-2131 O RobinBlass.com
Atlanta Perimeter Office 4848 Ashford Dunwoody Road | Atlanta, GA 30338