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| Inside Steeped In Comfort Tea Room, Lakewood, WA |
The perfect complement to a cup of warm, Earl Grey tea would be a freshly-made buttery scone smothered by a rich Devonshire cream that's topped with a dollop of strawberry jam. Tea lovers, anyone in the mood for a nostalgic trip back in time, and those seeking a hearty meal while on a budget, will find themselves delving into this delicious moment again and again at Steeped in Comfort Tea House in Lakewood, Washington.
It is quite typical for a visitor to become a repeat customer because the food and staff receive great reviews, the pricing is cheap compared to the quantity and quality of food you receive, the parking, wait time, and seating arrangements don’t inconvenience you, and the privacy and ambiance allow for an intimate but relaxed experience.
Steeped In Comfort (SCTH) was compared to two Seattle tea rooms: the Fireside room at the Hotel Sorrento, and the Sugar Rush Baking Company (SRBC). Unlike many of its Seattle counterparts, Steeped in Comfort Tea House is a well- priced, easy-to-reach, service-oriented establishment. The tea rooms were evaluated by their pricing, parking availability, wait time, ambiance and privacy, professionalism of the staff, and the quality of service.
Pricing
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| Cream Tea (or Devonshire Cream Tea) |
New customers can begin evaluating each of the three tea rooms by ordering cream tea. Cream tea is your most basic tea set up and it consists of a pot of
tea, scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam. At $9.95 (Steeped In Comfort,
2012), SCTH's cream tea is cheaper than the other tea rooms.
The SRBC (Sugar Rush Baking Company, 2012) has the next cheapest cream tea offering at $10 per person and has an almost identical offering as SCTH.
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| Full Tea at the lavish Fireside tea room |
From cream tea, the setup gets progressively sweeter and more filling with light tea. If that is too light a snack, then you can choose full tea -- the sweetest, most filling, and most elaborate tea setup. Full tea typically includes a pot of tea with a
three-tiered tray full of scones, sandwiches, and desserts with an option of soups.
Although it appears that SRBC is three dollars cheaper than SCTH in its light tea and full tea set up, SCTH is still the cheapest because it allows the customer to mix and match tea sets with a la carte menus. Fireside offers only full tea service while SRBC offers cream tea, light tea, and full tea and increases its pricing by five dollars for every succeeding tea setup.
Instead of a fixed price and menu, SCTH opts for a $9.95-$24.95 price range. SCTH has the greatest selection of desserts and a la carte meals between the three tea rooms. A SCTH customer, therefore, can have their pot of tea with any combination of soups, salads, scones, quiches, and desserts.
Although it appears that SRBC is three dollars cheaper than SCTH in its light tea and full tea set up, SCTH is still the cheapest because it allows the customer to mix and match tea sets with a la carte menus. Fireside offers only full tea service while SRBC offers cream tea, light tea, and full tea and increases its pricing by five dollars for every succeeding tea setup.
Instead of a fixed price and menu, SCTH opts for a $9.95-$24.95 price range. SCTH has the greatest selection of desserts and a la carte meals between the three tea rooms. A SCTH customer, therefore, can have their pot of tea with any combination of soups, salads, scones, quiches, and desserts.
Parking Availability
SCTH has ample space for parking and it is all free. The
Fireside has the biggest parking space of the three businesses, but it is valet
parking only. The SRBC has the smallest and most inconvenient parking of the
three businesses. It has two dedicated parking spots in front of the store,
metered parking in the back, and free parking half a block on either side of
the bakery.
Wait Time
The Fireside has the fastest serving time since reservations have
already been made and your meal has been prepared prior to your arrival.
Other than waiting to order your tea, you can begin your meal at once.
The SRBC is actually a baking company that provides a tea room, so the scones and desserts are made early in the morning or throughout the day but in large batches; there are no actual meals prepared.
The wait time at SCTH is the slowest of the three tea rooms. Your average wait time is ten to twenty minutes, depending on the complexity of your order. The desserts are made in the morning, but the a la carte selection is made as soon as the customer finishes ordering. Although SCTH is the only one that has a wait time, you don’t need reservations if your party has fewer than ten people, In addition, you are also given the option of a healthy, hearty meal, unlike SRBC’s two sandwich offerings.
The SRBC is actually a baking company that provides a tea room, so the scones and desserts are made early in the morning or throughout the day but in large batches; there are no actual meals prepared.
The wait time at SCTH is the slowest of the three tea rooms. Your average wait time is ten to twenty minutes, depending on the complexity of your order. The desserts are made in the morning, but the a la carte selection is made as soon as the customer finishes ordering. Although SCTH is the only one that has a wait time, you don’t need reservations if your party has fewer than ten people, In addition, you are also given the option of a healthy, hearty meal, unlike SRBC’s two sandwich offerings.
Ambiance and Privacy
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| Fireside Tea Room, Hotel Sorrento |
Between the three tea rooms, SCTH and the Fireside gave
patrons the most privacy and the most relaxed ambiance. The Hotel Sorrento is a
spacious hotel with dark, mahogany wood, Italian marble bathrooms, Queen
Anne-style furniture, and red velvet trim and tapestries throughout the hotel. Its Fireside tea room is not cramped, but
it is an intimate space that appears as if it could only seat 40 people at a
time. The tranquil, upper class ambiance must take its cue from its lavish
surroundings and well-mannered staff.
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| White chairs, linens, and lace at Steeped in Comfort Tea Room |
The SCTH is nowhere as luxurious or spacious as the
Fireside room, and I estimate the establishment to be a 1,000 square foot,
white walled rectangular shop. SCTH seems like it can only seat about 30 people at a time.
SCTH is a lot more relaxed both in dress code and ambiance compared to Fireside. You can wear your jeans and
collared shirt to tea, and yet there's still a very intimate setting because the
tea room is actually split into two, giving the appearance of exclusivity, and
therefore, privacy. I believe the all-white furniture, lace trappings, dainty
teacups, and the soft-spoken, well-mannered owner of SCTH sets an expectation
of decorum for the patrons.
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| Inside the Sugar Rush Baking Company |
SRBC does have its own ambiance but it’s not as relaxing
as the other tea rooms. It is a narrow, rectangular, open floor establishment
that has a back room that can accommodate 8-15 people, depending on the
occasion. SRBC is a cupcake, and baked goods shop first and a coffee bar and
Wi-Fi hub second.
The tea room is not an actual room. Patrons searching for the
tea room will be surprised to find that their tea table is not a dedicated
seating area, but something that the waiter puts together from the neighboring,
small tables.
A designated play area that can accommodate as many as ten toddlers at a time mean that your chances of hearing a lot of giggling, crying, and screaming on any given hour is increased. If privacy is something you desire, the back room can be rented for $75 (Perry, 2012) but you must reserve the room one week in advance and you must help the bakery clean up the room before and after the tea party.
A designated play area that can accommodate as many as ten toddlers at a time mean that your chances of hearing a lot of giggling, crying, and screaming on any given hour is increased. If privacy is something you desire, the back room can be rented for $75 (Perry, 2012) but you must reserve the room one week in advance and you must help the bakery clean up the room before and after the tea party.
Professionalism of the staff and quality of service
Ratings from Yelp and Teaguide WA show that, on average,
SCTH and the Fireside get high marks for their staff because of their
professionalism, timely service, and constant anticipation of their guests’
needs.
Of the eight reviews of SCTH on Teaguide, only one
reviewer (M, 2006) had a negative experience with the staff due to incorrect
orders and untrained waitresses. The food, however, was described as top-rate, excellent, and abundant.
Of the fifty six Hotel Sorrento reviews on Yelp, there were only three
comments pertaining to the Fireside tea room, and one customer expressed discontent with the service (S., 2011) due to incompetent waitresses, lack of vegetarian
alternatives, and incomplete trays of food along with inadequate amounts of
tea. The two Fireside reviews on Teaguide (King, 2005) have glowing reviews of the Fireside, describing the food and atmosphere as delectable and luxurious.
Patrons of SRBC were not so pleased with the staff
I have been annoyed in the
past when they only have one person manning the counter and there are 3-4 of us
waiting, the drip coffee is empty, the half n half is empty or . . . the coffee
just tastes funky (R, 2012).
One hundred and six reviews from Yelp give SRBC only 3.5
stars out of 5. This review said it all: “As many other reviewers have noted,
the cupcakes here are very dry and the frostings are on the bland side.” (E.,
2011). Conclusion: Steeped in Comfort Tea Room gives you more for your time and money
Of the three tea rooms, the Fireside is the classiest of
the tea rooms, but the pricing and the semi-formal dress code restrict it to a
place meant more for special occasions. The food and staff were highly rated by
former and continuing patrons, but it does not offset the high price, limited
menu, and dress protocols if you want to come in at least once a month.
The
Sugar Rush Baking Company had received enough negative reviews about its
pricing, parking, staff, food, and ambience that it is not conducive to a
relaxing afternoon.
Of the three tea rooms evaluated, the best tea
room is Steeped in Comfort Tea Room for its extensive menu and modest, flexible
pricing options, ample parking, available seating, cozy ambiance, privacy, and the
high ratings it has received for its food.
REFERENCES:
E., J. (2011, February 15). Janine E. Seattle, WA [Online
forum comment]. Retrieved from
http://www.yelp.com/biz/coffee-to-a-tea-with-sugar-seattle
Hotel Sorrento. (2012) Fireside Menus. Retrieved from http://www.hotelsorrento.com/food-drink/fireside-menus/
King, C. (2005, December). Opened
in 1909 [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://www.teaguide.net/teareviewswashington.htm
M, J. (2006, August). I Was
Really Disappointed With Steeped In Comfort. [Online forum comment]. Retrieved
from http://www.teaguide.net/teareviewswashington.htm
Perry, J. (2012, July 24).
Interview by J. Perry [Personal Interview]. J. perry, manager, sugar rush
baking company., Seattle, WA.
R, L. (2012, May 13). Leslie R. Seattle, WA [Online forum
comment]. Retrieved from http://www.yelp.com/biz/coffee-to-a-tea-with-sugar-seattle
Steeped In Comfort. (2012). The
Menu. Retrieved from http://www.steepedincomfort.com/
S., J. (2011, January 18). Jay S.
Tacoma, WA [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://www.yelp.com/biz/sorrento-hotel-seattle
Sugar Rush Baking Company.
(2012). Afternoon tea menu. Retrieved from
http://sugarrushbakingcompany.com/coffee_bar/afternoon_tea_menu.pdf
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