Tea’s Me Cafe, the popular tea shop owned by WNBA Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, will close its original location on East 22nd Street at the end of the year.
The final day of operation for the Fall Creek Place staple will be Dec. 30.
The decision to close the 22nd Street storefront, which Catchings purchased from its founder, Wayne Ashford, in 2017, marks a strategic pivot for the company.
While the original location is closing, the business is not disappearing; Tea’s Me will continue to operate its locations at Tarkington Park and the Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI) Campus Center. The move aligns with a new business model that focuses on expanding campus partnerships to foster student mentorship and workforce development.
“22nd Street will always hold a special place in my heart,” Catchings said. “It’s where Tea’s Me began, where so many people grew, and where we built a foundation grounded in service and community. As difficult as it is to close this chapter, we’re excited about what’s ahead.”
To celebrate the legacy of the original shop, the cafe is hosting a “Bottled Tea Blowout Sale” throughout its final weeks, offering special pricing on its line of wellness-centered teas.
Community members have also been invited to share their favorite memories of the location during farewell events hosted by Catchings and her team.
The 22nd Street location has been a community hub for years under Catchings’ ownership and for over a decade before that. Patrons can continue to support the business at the Tea’s Me Community Cafe, located at Tarkington Park (3967 N. Illinois St.), and at the university location in the IUI Campus Center.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
