Our Story - 2026

A passion for tea & community

In 2016, Kasia embarked on a journey to create an herbal tea shop that empowers the community with a healing cup of warm tea. Born and raised in Poland under Soviet Russian rule, Kasia’s story has humble beginnings. After emigrating to America at age 27 and meeting her husband Steve, she pursued a degree in nutrition, raised a family, and spent over 15 years working at Nature’s Way Health Store in Stratford.  

In 2025, Jacob & Catera joined Open Door Tea as Kasia went on to live in Korea and return to Poland. 

Jacob and Catera have been together since 2012 - Jacob is born and raised in Stratford while Catera comes from Boston. They worked together at McCray's Candies in Boston, MA before moving back to Stratford to take over the tea shop and passion for tea.

Jacob's five siblings (Adam, Zachary, Sarah Day, and Ray) all work together to help with the shop - from hosting trivia nights to painting! It is a family effort to make the tea shop a community space for everyone. 

The name for our tea shop

"Everybody needed a cup of tea sometimes. Just an hour or two to sit and do something nice, and then they could get back to whatever it was.”

— Psalm of the Wild-Build, Becky Chambers

We are an open door for all to enter and relax away from the noise of everyday life. A community of mothers and sons, old friends and new, a place to share stories and laugh and sip tea.