Alice’s Tea Cup Saved by New Owner — With a Comeback in the Works

Alice’s Tea Cup, a whimsical relic of early aughts Manhattan, was long on the verge of closing, as its owners reportedly shopped around for a new buyer over the past couple of years.

But despite the rumors that the brand — known for serving around 100 teas, finger sandwiches on tiered stands, cakes, and scones — was shuttering, Alice’s Tea Cup says it isn’t so.

It’s a change-up from earlier this week, when Crain’s New York reported that the Alice in Wonderland-themed cafes were as good as done, following a filing that detailed years of complicated financial woes for co-owners and sisters Lauren and Haley Fox’s business. It revealed a mountain of unpaid bills with publications reporting figures between $600,000 and $230,000. The sisters said they were never able to recover from the pandemic. (The New York Times reported they had received $800,000 from the Restaurant Revitilization Fund.) On Monday, they filed in Manhattan Supreme Court to hand over the business to a lawyer, in an “assignment for the benefit of creditors,” similar to bankruptcy protection, Crain’s reports.

As it turns out, all three locations — Upper West Side, Upper East Side, and Brooklyn Heights — are going to stay open, according to Alice’s Tea Cup. “After 23 years, Alice’s Tea Cup finally found the right people to pass the baton to,” the owners said in a statement to Eater. The group will now be led by Jeni He, “who plans to be faithful to the core concepts and brand.”

Beyond rebuilding their name at their existing operations, Alice’s Tea Cup claimed a comeback under a new leader was just the beginning: “Stay tuned for more chapters to be opened in upcoming years!”

Eater has reached out to the team for more information regarding He’s plans for the business.

Alice’s Tea Cup opened on the Upper West Side in 2001 and was a favorite for parents and children alike. Kids could wear glittery fairy wings as they experienced high tea. Over the years, it has hosted celebrities and neighbors alike, including Julia Roberts, Conan O’Brien, the Olsens, and John Oliver.

“We were in the middle of building the interior when Sept. 11 happened,” Lauren Fox told the Times in a past interview. “When people sat down for a pot of tea and a scone they felt safe, comforted and normal.”