Steeped in the ritual of afternoon tea, Honey Cup wants to be your new favorite escape

MANCHESTER, NH – Mara Witt has been around the block more than a few times. Specifically, we’re talking about the block where she just opened Honey Cup, a tearoom at the corner of Union and Bridge streets. Born and raised a few blocks away on Pearl Street, her family “moved around quite a bit” over the years – from Pearl Street then one block north to Orange Street and then, one block north to Myrtle Street.

She still lives in the neighborhood, on Union Street, now the wildly proud owner and operator of her dream come true.

It started when she felt the need to exit her comfort zone in the world of food service and find something to devote all her nurturing energy to, with her three daughters – Stella, Lucy and Gigi – more than self-sufficient.  She started looking into business opportunities, but nothing seemed like a perfect fit for someone with lots of ambition but not a lot of experience running the show.

This is where things got lucky. She applied for a SCORE mentor and hit the jackpot – Ed Aloise, former owner of Republic and Campo Enoteca, became her volunteer sounding board.

“I looked at one business for sale and went and talked to them for quite a while, but it had 18 employees and I didn’t want to be responsible for somebody not being able to feed their kids,” Witt recalls. “So I said to my mentor what if I tried to do my own thing? And he advised me to come up with an idea. So I went home and came up with the idea for this place, and he said ‘that’s a fantastic idea.’ He said it’s just what Manchester needs, and is perfect for the new demographics,” Witt says.

Around that same time last spring she noticed that the corner cafe, Julien’s Corner Kitchen, was for sale just blocks from her lifelong stomping ground.  It was the exact size and shape of her dreams. She began to manifest it.

And what better way than going on a pilgrimage, to clear her head and fortify her soul.

“In April I did the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain, which was wonderful. I had just gotten the lease locked down on this place, and it was starting May 1, so I just said when I get back in May I’ll be able to do some painting and open the doors, no problem,” Witt said, with her very signature laugh. “It took me six months.”

She spent those months collecting lovely tea cups and glassware from Goodwill stores around the state, and recruited some help in the kitchen – one of her besties, Amanda Persijn-Spooner, owner of Big Kahunas in Merrimack, and she was willing to come during her off hours to help get things going by creating the menu. She also hired Kellen Jamison for cooking the food, and daughters Lucy and Gigi are pitching in as needed.

Being the brains of the operation is where Witt shines – because not only does she not cook but she didn’t know a lot about tea – at first. But she has done a lot of research, and is learning all the time.

“I liked the idea of a ritual, something different to do that isn’t necessarily alcohol-centered if you don’t want it to be. I didn’t want a place on Elm Street, or with a parking lot. I wanted it to be walkable,” Witt says. “I wanted to create one of those ‘third spaces.'”

She has done just that. The whole place is steeped in atmosphere – from the elegant and floral-centric decor and old-timey music to the more formal afternoon tea service on weekends, by appointment, with tea sandwiches and sweet things.

Among the faces on the wall of fame there’s a photo of her dad from 1975 when he sat at the counter in this very space, whatever incarnation it was back then.

She sources her tea from The Cozy Tea Cart in Brookline, where she found a wealth of knowledge about what makes a perfect cup of tea – from water temperature to the warming power of teapots.

And she has also started exercising her Great British Baking skills, making simple scone recipes, served quite properly, with your choice of clotted cream and jams, which are featured on the menu along with a selection of light fare including yogurts, egg dishes, waffles, salads and more. And yes, you can get coffee, if you prefer.

First-time customer Ed Turcotte stopped by on opening day to check the place out, on his girlfriend’s recommendation. He enjoyed a salad for lunch.

“It’s spectacular,” Turcotte says, when asked about first impressions. “Music is nice, food was great. I’ll be back.”

Honey Cup Cafe & Tearoom is located at 150 Bridge St. in Manchester. Walk-in hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Afternoon Tea Service seatings are available by reservation every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.  or any time during regular hours for parties of 6 or more, by appointment. Call (603) 836-6008 or email honeycupnh@gmail.com for more information.

Photo Gallery/Carol Robidoux