On a stretch of state highway where trucks speed past at speeds higher than the posted limit, Caroline Lewis has created something unexpected: a place where people slow down.
Chambray Tea sits at what was once known as Bishop’s crossroads in a century-old building that has housed a grocery store, an auto parts shop and an antique store. Today, Lewis calls it something different.
“This is my mission field,” she said.
Lewis opened Chambray Tea in April 2022 after years of working in retail and interior design. When she first stepped inside the building, it looked nothing like the warm boutique customers see today.
“It was a hot mess. No heat and air, carpet everywhere,” Lewis said.
During renovations, Lewis uncovered exposed brick along one wall, a reminder of the building’s early history. Parts of the structure date back to the early 1900s, when the corner served as a crossroads for travelers moving between nearby towns.
Lewis said the store has grown beyond what she first imagined. She initially envisioned the space as a small design studio.
Today, the space is filled with shelves of home decor, gifts and furniture.
But Lewis said the purpose of the store goes beyond selling decor and gifts.
“We want people to feel the love of Jesus. We want people to feel the Holy Spirit when they come in here because this may be the only Jesus that they ever feel,” Lewis said.
She describes Chambray Tea as a place where customers can slow down, talk and feel welcomed, sometimes with a glass of Chick-fil-A sweet tea.
The welcoming atmosphere is something customers notice. One Bishop resident said she often stops by the store simply to visit.
“Caroline is just outstanding,” Katie Perry said. “She is a ray of sunshine and she just lights up a room. Every time you see her, she has to give you a hug. She wants to pour you a glass of tea. She makes you feel at home.”
Perry said she loves how the displays in the store that Lewis designs help shoppers imagine how items could look in their own homes.
Since opening, Chambray Tea has become a regular stop for both locals and visitors passing through Bishop. Lewis said the business will celebrate its four-year anniversary on April 18 with a “Par-Tee.”
For her, the shop remains more than a retail space.
Outside, traffic continues rushing through Bishop’s historic crossroads. Inside Chambray Tea, Lewis keeps the lights warm, the tea ready and the door open, offering visitors a reason to slow down.
Mollie Beth Johnson is a junior majoring in journalism.
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