Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable..
Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.
Louise Coleman of Corpus Christi, surrounded by her family in celebration of the grand opening Louise and Oleta’s Tea House, opened by her granddaughter April Roberts and great-grandchildren Caitlyn and Blake Roberts.
Louise Coleman of Corpus Christi, surrounded by her family in celebration of the grand opening Louise and Oleta’s Tea House, opened by her granddaughter April Roberts and great-grandchildren Caitlyn and Blake Roberts.
The new cafe on the grounds of Kim’s Home and Garden Center celebrated its grand opening Saturday, Aug 20. Louise and Oleta’s Tea House is named in honor of Louise Coleman and Oleta Huffman. Coleman and Huffman’s granddaughter April Roberts is the business mind and her children represent the face and substance. Caitlyn Roberts is an education major at Sam Houston State University who is in charge of marketing. Her brother Blake Roberts is the chef, who earned his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Texas Tech.
Louise and Oleta’s Tea House
call 936-439-4243 to reserve a table
Its menu includes gourmet sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads. Everything is made fresh daily, from the syrups that flavor the signature lemonades to the constantly changing quiche and scones. It features herbal teas from Harney and Sons and also offers vegan options, gluten-free Ciabatta bread and sugar-free drink syrups from Skinny Mama.
According to Caitlyn Roberts, the food is representative of what her great-grandmothers would make in their kitchens when she was growing up. Caitlyn does all the baking. Her mother April has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry and is adept at running a business. Along with Blake and their support staff, they work together as a team to achieve the best possible offerings.
“Blake has a very discerning palette, and we are constantly creating something new so that our customers never get bored,” said Roberts. “My favorite thing on the inside is being creative. On the outside, it’s focusing on what the community needs. We want to make sure that what we offer appeals to Kim’s customers as well as the college crowd, so we spend a lot of time considering how to bring those demographics together. We want all of our guests to feel at home.”
Their shaded seating is an eclectic mix of vintage metal chairs and tables, with a free-standing alcove that houses a large farmhouse table that seats six to eight guests. There is also a family-sized picnic table under a large shade tree. They welcome reservations for groups of six or more and have access to a spot on the back patio of Kim’s main building that will accommodate 12 to 15 people with advance notice.
This is the first time for the Roberts family to open a food establishment, but they seem to have a solid handle on the business based on local reviews and increasing customer volume. They plan to feature live music and are planning to add beer and wine to their future offerings. At the grand opening event, Monica Portillo played violin for the guests.
Kim Stewart-Bius, owner of Kim’s Home and Garden Center is pleased with the addition of Louise and Oleta’s. She had a vision of the kind of business that would compliment her upscale nursery and gift shop, and the Roberts family delivered. Bius says this brings something unique to Huntsville that appeals to the older crowd.
“This is fabulous,” said Bius. “When I first visited with April and Blake and they showed me their business model and sample menus, I was very impressed. My favorite item on the menu is the
Pomme turkey sandwich with brie and apple slaw and I also love their quiche and Sangria lemonade. It’s a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the beauty of this location.”
Louise Coleman is 98 years old and rarely ventures far from her home in Corpus Christi, but she was driven to Huntsville on Saturday to celebrate the grand opening with her family. When asked how she felt about the new establishment named in honor of her, she said she was “very proud”.
“We are so grateful for the support of Huntsville,” said Caitlyn. Response from local residents was nonstop. The brief bout of rain did not deter customers from lining up to order food and drinks from morning through afternoon. The plates and drinks delivered to tables by the staff were well presented and vibrant with color.
Louise and Oleta’s is located at 2715 Lake Road, at the intersection of Windsor Rd and Lake Rad in Huntsville. Follow them on social media @louiseandoletas or call 936-439-4243 to reserve a table.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.