Tea Time Returns to Central

Tea Time Returns to Central

Loretta Foreman's Cottage Café and Tea Room transports guests to a simpler, quieter time

Story and photo by Poet Wolfe

On a Wednesday afternoon at The Cottage Café and Tea Room in Central, Louisiana, daylight glimmers through the walls of windows, which frame a tranquil view of the three-acre backyard, lined with crepe myrtle and oak trees. Colorful hats hang in rows on the exposed white brick, paying respect to classic afternoon tea fashion. As though from another era, groups of women exchange laughter while sipping from delicate china cups.

In the children’s tea room nearby, pinned-up butterflies and paintings of trees adorn the sage-colored walls. Shelves are lined with antique tea cups and plates, begging admiration. In the corner is a box, from which children can choose a hat before sitting at one of the tables and engaging in a tea party of their own.

The cottage isn’t just a place to catch up with friends or entertain children, though. In the entrance room, calm orchestra music quietly fills the space, so visitors can focus while reading or studying. Guests can watch as, from a distance, cars pass on Joor Road—emphasizing the degree of separation between the cottage and the daily commotion of life.

Once customers have finished their cup of tea and their visit is coming to a close, it isn’t rare that some of them might approach owner Loretta Foreman and her granddaughter, Sarah Ulmer, to reminisce about the ventures of Foreman’s past lives.

Foreman’s legacy as a business-owner in Central began in 1984. She had moved away from her hometown in Montgomery, New York to marry her husband, and was in search of ways to make South Louisiana feel more like home. On Sullivan Road, she opened The Country Emporium, an antique and gift store, where vendors could rent space and sell their products, like candles, cookies, and soap. As the business grew, she thought of ways to incorporate her experiences in Montgomery into her business, to bring something to Central that the town had never seen before: a tea room.

“My grandmother has fond memories of drinking tea as a little girl with her grandparents,” Ulmer said of Foreman. “That’s where she got the idea.”

After over a decade of running The Country Emporium, Foreman had to sell her property when the city of Central decided to construct a highway in the area. After five years of renovating its new home, she re-opened the store in 2005 at the Cottage’s current Joor Road location, before retiring seven years later.

“People were very, very sad when I retired,” Foreman reflected. “They need a place to get away from all the stress and anxiety and all the things you have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. It’s important to give yourself a little personal time with a friend or even by yourself.”

Shortly after her eightieth birthday, Foreman felt a calling to open yet another business. Earlier this year, she and Ulmer worked together to open The Cottage Cafe and Tea Room in the former Country Emporium location, once again providing guests “a peaceful, quiet place,” said Foreman.

At the Cottage Café, teas include elderberry, apricot, blueberry green, peach, and vanilla—with Earl Grey crème tea as the most popular selection, along with the green bean sandwich, which shines among other sandwich options like cucumber, tuna, and ham. Their quiches are a best-seller as well, with spinach and artichoke, or bacon and cheese, as fillings. Strawberry shortcake, cream puffs, and almond cookies are just a few of their rotating array of desserts.

Providing a serene environment and delicious treats to the Central community isn’t where the Cottage Café’s offerings end. Using her professional experience in psychology, Foreman also leads a mentoring program, which supports teenage girls who struggle with interpersonal communication by teaching them social skills within a comfortable environment. Part of the program includes a job cooking and cleaning at the café.

Foreman and Ulmer envision hosting special events and programming at the café in the future, all while maintaining its signature halcyon atmosphere.

“We want to keep it a peaceful place,” Ulmer said. “We don’t want to be crazy busy so that it overwhelms us and other people. We want it to stay a serene environment for people to come and have a nice, relaxing time.”

thecottagecafeandtearoom.com