Springfield has many fantastic locally owned businesses. One special business in downtown Springfield is Whimsey Tea, owned and operated by Gordon and Amberly Davis. Gordon is a recent UIS alumnus and has had tremendous success with his tea business.

When Starbucks acquired Teavana and subsequently closed all physical locations, Springfield lost the only major tea sellers in the city. By this time, Gordon and Amberly had already been sourcing and making their own teas since 2013 and saw an opportunity to fill the gap the Teavana closures created. They began packaging and selling their teas in 2019 at the Springfield Farmers Market and got a physical location the next year. This storefront performed so well that they were able to move to its current location only a year later in 2021. This new location is much larger and has the space to accommodate a kitchen. The plans to make a bakery in the back are in motion, and after a few more food licenses, there are set plans to install a bakery in the future.

Gordon attributes the success of the business to the variety of tea adds to drink options for customers. Coffee is everywhere in Springfield, tea is not. Beyond that, Whimsey Tea has dozens of different teas to pick from, utilizing more than 500 ingredients sourced from across the planet. There is a wide range of caffeinated and non-caffeinated options, and even a Dungeons and Dragons-themed line created by Amberly when she was running several games. Gordon’s favorite brew is his Whis-tea, a non-alcoholic tea with flavors of bourbon, and Amberly’s is their Jazzmine Green. My personal favorite is the Dungeons and Dragons Rogue’s Stealth, although I may be biased due to my own Dungeons and Dragons character.

Whimsey Tea is available at many local businesses such as Harvest Market and the Three Twigs locations, although I would recommend visiting their physical location at 316 East Adams Street in downtown Springfield. Gordon himself will usually be the one there, and his passion for his products can help a lot in deciding what is best for you. They are open Tuesday-Saturday from 8-5. A bag of tea is $12, CBD tea is $40, and a cup can be prepared for you for $4.66 after tax.

If you are unsure about tea and do not know where to try some, Whimsey Tea is the perfect place to start. You can visit their website here.