Maurissa Stone woke up Tuesday and drove to Teavolve Cafe for a salmon omelet and seasoned potatoes, like she’s done countless times over the last 20 years.

It’s the only spot that gets the potatoes right: soft and tender, not too crispy. It’s also where she runs into fellow community organizers. Against a backdrop of chain restaurants and high-rises, she deliberates on the gentrification of Harbor East as what’s left of her chai tea grows cold.

Stone and her friends are among the many disappointed to hear Teavolve will be closing after nearly 20 years in the neighborhood. The departure threatens to leave a floral-scented void in the hearts of longtime customers who’ve come to see the teahouse as a cultural hub.

Owner Sunni Gilliam said she and her husband and business partner, Del Powell, decided to close the cafe on Sept. 19 after their lease ends.

“It’s time to ride off into the sunset,” Gilliam said in a Wednesday evening phone call. “I still want to work but not at this level.”

Gilliam said she’s in awe of what the cafe has survived. Over the years, Teavolve operated through recessions, construction and a pandemic. She’s watched customers hold baby showers at the cafe and then return for their child’s graduation. She’s grateful to the community and, now, for the chance to try something new.

“This has been an incredible chapter filled with so many cherished memories, delicious meals and unwavering support from all of you,” the owners wrote on Instagram over the weekend.

Gilliam and Powell first opened the business as Tea-ology in a small Fells Point shop in 2005, later changing the name to Teavolve and expanding to a larger space in Harbor East. Changa Onyango, who shared Stone’s table, said when the business opened it felt like a real “mom-and-pop shop.”

Gilliam and Powell worked the counter and even brought their kids into the eatery, he said. Onyango found a sense of belonging at the cafe, from the decor, which includes paintings from local artists, to music playlists he connected to. Three days a week, open mics and listening parties with Baltimore musicians turned the relaxing spot into a can’t-miss event. Onyango described Teavolve as the go-to place for meetings or to impress out-of-towners.

For a time, Teavolve was also the only Black-owned business in the neighborhood. Gilliam told The Baltimore Sun in 2019 she wanted it to feel different from formal, Victorian-doily-styled teahouses; hers would be more urban and contemporary.

Gilliam told The Sun she studied the Starbucks brand as she developed her business model. Teavolve carries dozens of loose-leaf teas and infusions and offers food ranging from muffins and fruit cups to salted caramel apple pie crepes and blackened salmon tacos.

Over the years, the business received praise for its food and drinks in The New York Times and Elle Decor. Gov. Wes Moore told Eater that it was one of his favorite spots for comfort food. Teavolve partnered with promoters to platform underground local talent. They also worked with the World Central Kitchen during the pandemic to provide meals to people in need, according to Carrie Hayes, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group.

As Teavolve evolved, so did the businesses around them. Black-owned restaurants like BLK Swan rose to popularity in the neighborhood. As did new chains, boutique hotels and luxury stores, including one opened by Chanel on Aliceanna Street. Through it all, Stone said, teahouse remained consistent, accessible and committed to their community.

“I’m very sad that we’re losing what we see as a cultural institution,” she said.