New Teahouse From Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan
Not every rocker is drinking coffee (among other poisons). After months of delays, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman, Billy Corgan, will open a tea house in Chicago tomorrow.
Located in Highland Park's Ravinia neighborhood, Madame ZuZu's has a little bit of everything, say reports from the Chicago Sun-Times: a 1930s, Art Deco vibe, plus French and Chinese influences. Imagine a step up from the traditional Starbucks; Corgan told the Sun-Times that he wants it to be a "conversational salon." Corgan also told Eater that although the opening was delayed since spring of this year, it's turned out better than he hoped. "It's people of all ages, even 7 year olds are telling me they want to come to the tea shop," he said to Eater.
So what can tea lovers expect from Madame ZuZu's? Twelve kinds of loose-leaf tea, from different regions of the world: Morocco, Japan, China, and India, to start. There will be the traditional teas — green, black, and oolong — also on tap. Plus, the shop will also carry Intelligentsia pour-over coffee and vegan desserts from Highwood's Bent Fork Bakery.
Who would have known that Corgan was such a tea connossieur? According to the Sun-Times, it's always been tea over coffee for the rock star. "I've never had coffee. I've always hated the smell," Corgan said to the Sun-Times. "It was always tea... I grew up drinking Lipton. I didn't know there was other tea to drink." Good thing Madame ZuZu's has more than Lipton to offer.