Soma Soma owners John O’Brien and Sandra Phoenix open Chai Chai

A couple about to retire instead fell in love with Gympie’s heritage buildings and has opened a business for tea lovers in an historic site.

Dr Phoenix describes the tea shop as offering ‘the complete experience’.

Tea lovers have another option in the Gympie region after the opening of a “hole in the wall” tea boutique in an historic post office.

Soma Soma owners John O’Brien and Dr Sandra Phoenix opened the business on Monday, called Chai Chai.

Dr Phoenix said Chai Chai was a “hole in the wall” venue next door to Art Post, an artist-run creative space that replaced the historic post office on 22 Channon St.

She described the tea shop as offering “the complete experience”.

Dr Phoenix hoped guests visited for the art and stayed for a cup of tea, and vice versa.

Dr Phoenix is a retired academic and social worker, and her husband of 45 years Mr O’Brien was an adventure-based corporate trainer and avid, well-known rock climber.

He was the first person to climb certain routes including routes at Brooyar Cliff.

Dr Phoenix described the store as an “intersection between grand architecture, art, beautiful tea and chocolate”.

Dr Phoenix made tea the primary focus of Chai Chai, inspired by tea culture across Asia.

Mr O’Brien was an adventure-based corporate trainer and avid rock climber.

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She said the couple had planned to retire, but “fell in love with all the historic buildings of Gympie”.

The couple also plan to open a tapas and whiskey bar on Mary St, hopefully by the end of the year.

Dr Phoenix made tea the primary focus of Chai Chai, inspired by tea culture across Asia.

She grew up in Thailand, with parts of her childhood spent in Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad.

She owned a semiprecious gemstone business in Hong Kong.

She hoped the carefully selected decor created a “sense of walking into an Asian tea shop”.

Originally published as Soma Soma owners John O’Brien and Sandra Phoenix open Chai Chai