SALEM, Va. – A beloved restaurant in the Roanoke Valley is up for sale.
Kim Arney, the owner of White Oak Tea Tavern in Salem, said it’s time to hang up her apron.
The charming tavern sits along Salem’s busy West Main Street.
Home to flavored teas, delicious food and gifts to go, this place with an old feel needs a new owner.
“It’s different. It’s very unique. It’s been created with love from the very beginning,” said Arney.
Arney took to Facebook this week to post the news.
“It took me about an hour to push the post button because it’s so bittersweet,” Arney said.
She bought the business back in 2006 when it was in Botetourt County.
Since then, life has changed.
“All of my children are gone, my grandchildren are growing and I’ve sold my house and I just want to get a new lease on life,” explained Arney.
However, handing off what she describes as a fourth child won't be easy.
“It’s kind of like an adoption. It’s kind of like interviewing for the new parents to take over,” Arney said. “I never really thought of it as a business. I’ve thought it much more as a ministry and it’s important to me to continue that on.”
With 15 serious inquiries and thousands of views on Facebook in just a matter of days, carrying on tea time looks promising.
If you’re interested in buying the tea tavern, you can message Arney on the business’s Facebook page.
