The Olive House — home of Chat & Chew, Sunday Tea Time — opened its doors to the public on Sept. 3, 2024.
Owners Roger and Cherrie Verhoff and Leann Boatright would love to welcome you into a space that infuses your senses with the sweet fragrance of light, hope, peace, joy, food, laughter and fellowship.
“The name and idea for The Olive House was born from our desire to create a beautiful atmosphere conducive to igniting a sense of community,” Cherrie Verhoff said. “We grew up in Cullman at a time where we were able to experience the authenticity of real community; we so enjoyed the beautiful memories of visiting with neighbors, sharing food, stories and laughter in each other’s homes. You could just sit, relax and bask in the joy of the moment. We live in a world today that is so fast paced many have never experienced being greeted and welcomed into this kind of an inviting atmosphere that was a norm for us when growing up in Cullman.”
Verhoff said they hope The Olive House recreates a similar experience for all who enter.
“Each room is eclectically and uniquely designed with great details to welcome our guests in to find a spot that they may feel comfortable in,” Verhoff said. “We purposely try to greet every guest and welcome them to our ‘home’ — The Olive House. As you enter the foyer you will see a beautiful painting created by Emily Blair Anderson Art of ‘The Olive Tree’ to your left (and) written on the wall is the beginning of our vision statement.”
Boatright said as you travel through the house you will see pieces of the vision statement written in different places.
“Downstairs we have Peacock Parlor, Spill the Tea, Tea Room and The Study,” Boatright said. “As you travel up the stairs you will enter our ‘Garden Area’ with The Garden Room on your right, and The Magnolia Room on the left — this room is the only white room in the house. We chose different shades of green in the other rooms. The color green represents life. We want The Olive House to bring life to all who enter.”
Boatright said The Olive House’s afternoon tea times are a more traditional tea service.
“When you arrive at The Olive House you are taken to your table where you will enjoy three courses — a savory course consisting of assorted tea sandwiches and finger foods, a bread course to include scones, Devonshire Cream and jam and last, but certainly not least, is your sweets course featuring different dessert bites,” she said. “Each course is accompanied by a different tea — some served hot, some served iced. The Afternoon Tea times last an hour and a half and are perfect for a girls’ afternoon out, a date or just a quiet moment alone. It’s a fun new experience for many and we love seeing all the new faces each week.”
In the future, The Olive House will be hosting Dinner nights.
“These events we’ll pre-sell tickets of no more than 30 per dinner in order to keep it a more intimate setting and give our guests the best quality experience,” Boatright said. “We also plan to host some fun themed nights during the fall and winter months. October will be a ‘Bridgerton Mystery Night.’ Info will be coming out soon to pre-purchase tickets for this event. We will also be featuring our German dishes during the week of Oktoberfest. Right now at The Olive House we have our “FALLing For You” menu, which offers new fall items each week.”
Verhoff said there are many meanings of the olive tree. Specifically, it is a symbol of friendship and reconciliation, beauty and blessing, cleansing and healing, light, victory and richness and, above all, a sign of peace.
“May you find a refuge here from the fast pace of everyday life,” she said. “Take a deep breath and relax. Just as the roots of the olive tree extend far past the ability to not just survive, but to thrive despite times of drought, our prayer is that your experience here at The Olive House does the same for you. Their roots are so strong that they can re-grow even when it seems like they’ve been totally decimated. Even if the tree itself has been destroyed, if the roots are intact the olive tree can cling to life and rise above the soil once again.”
The Olive House is an official Embassy for The Republic of Tea, which means it offers tea and fellowship for those wanting to have a premium tea experience.
“We also have available the Republic of Tea for purchase and you can carry home, along with our Olive House “Tea Shirts” designed by Nomadic Threads and Southern Vinyl. Customized earrings specifically designed for The Olive House by a local artisan — The Clay Collection. You must try our custom made ‘baby cakes’ from another Cullman native, Twin Treats. Not only are they the most exquisitely designed, but the taste is equally exquisite. We absolutely love to feature local artisans; Cullman is blessed to have so many,” said Boatright. “We are beyond grateful for this opportunity to serve our community that we love so dearly. We are continually amazed at the love and generosity of our small (not so small) hometown and the people that make it what it is. We have been gifted so many treasures that are making The Olive House home for all. You will find many of these items on display in each and every room. We have received beautiful vintage lamps, sets of china, gorgeous teapots, vintage salt cellars — all from our patrons wanting to invest in the vision of The Olive House. We really do live in one of the best places with the very best people.”
Also, The Olive House can be rented out for events. You can rent individual rooms or the entire place for showers, parties, meetings, micro-weddings, private tea parties and more.
The Olive House is located at 502 Third St. SE in Cullman. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch and has Afternoon Tea Time (you must book tickets) every Sunday at 2 p.m.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/itsallaboutthegraze.
Copyright 2024 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
