SPRINGFIELD – Jennifer Friday has shared some of her favorite memories with strangers and friends at her small business over more than a decade.
Joe Gatto was one of Friday’s favorite guests. The famous comedian from Impractical Jokesters took to the stage for an impromptu show at her little restaurant back in 2024 when on his Springfield leg of his tour. She shared how kind he was, and how the room was alight.
“Two Valentine’s Day ago he did a show out of UIS,” Friday laughed. “I’ve had a lady get married here too.”
There’s too many birthday wishes, graduations, tearful goodbyes for loved ones moving away to baby showers Friday can recall.
The Village Tea Room and Gift Shop at 3301 Robbins Road has always been a place to gather, but that time is coming to an end.
Friday confirmed that the tea parlor, gift shop, florist and kitchen is packing up their fine China and moving to 315 Chatham Road at the end of July, stopping service a week prior.
Thinking it was time to finally cut costs of rising rent prices and to instead purchase their own location; the Tea Room is moving in next door to Pupp-E Tails, Treasures for Tails, Famous Salon and Eye of the Beholder tattoo parlor.
Store hours will likely remain the same once reopened, Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
What will be familiar and what will be new
For fans of specific rooms, Friday says not to fret, the same beloved designs for the five different rooms are staying. The main eatery, or the crystal room, will still have the same design aesthetic, while the lilac room, the rose room and the other rooms will also keep their same design in the new layout.
The business is actually increasing their retail space by over 1,000 square feet and plans for after opening to create a new vendor space are in the works, similar but unique compared to the gift shoppe by offering rotating vendors.
Future of the Village
What started as a flower shop in the early 2000s owned by Friday, the business grew in 2013 when she purchased the Kountry Korner crafts mall. Renaming it to Village Gift Shoppe and relocating the flower shop into the back of the business, the Tea Room opened not long after.
As a small business owner, Friday felt proud to say her restaurant has survived through droughts of foot traffic and thanks to the flower shop, survived through the coronavirus pandemic when mandates closed doors.
Friday doesn’t know about the future of the building that has always been a crafts mall, but knows whoever moves in going forward, should find something unique to find their foot in the challenging Springfield business scene.
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@usatodayco.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Village Tea Room finds new home in Springfield
Reporting by Claire Grant, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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