We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Cheng a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Finding those key vendors can often be make or break for a brand. Can you talk to us about how you found your key vendors?

Finding the right vendors for Ceremony was a natural extension of my passion and background in the tea industry. I started off as a premium loose leaf tea importer, largely because of my roots in Anhui, China, where my family has deep connections to tea farmers. Growing up, I was exposed to high-quality, hand-crafted teas from my hometown, which is renowned for its prized green teas. This personal connection to the land and the craft of tea production became the foundation of my journey.

After moving to New York and working in the textile industry for a few years, I gained the skillset to navigate international imports, and I realized there was an opportunity to apply my knowledge of sourcing tea. I became inspired by the local coffee industry’s direct trade models—where roasters partner directly with farmers—and saw that as a natural way to approach sourcing tea as well. This concept of fair trade and direct relationships with farmers aligned perfectly with my values, especially given my family’s long-standing relationships with tea producers in China.

The process of building a direct trade program with tea farms took several years of trust-building and developing partnerships, both in China and later in Taiwan and Japan. It required a lot of travel, communication, and a commitment to quality control, which I’ve carried forward into Ceremony. Today, we work with a select group of reliable and dedicated farmers across Asia who share our vision for producing the highest-quality tea, while also ensuring fair pay and sustainable farming practices.

This journey of finding the right vendors was rooted in a deep personal connection to the craft, a strong sense of quality control, and the desire to build long-lasting, ethical relationships with farmers. Ceremony’s focus on quality execution stems from this foundation, as we believe in ensuring every cup of tea and coffee we serve reflects the care and integrity that we’ve built into every aspect of our sourcing process.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My journey into the cafe industry is rooted in my deep connection to tea, which started in my hometown of Anhui, China. Growing up, I was surrounded by the culture of tea, and my family has maintained direct relationships with tea farmers for generations. When I moved back to Rhode Island after working in New York, I leveraged my experience and background in international imports to start Ceremony Cafe with a vision: to bring high-quality, ethically sourced tea and coffee to our community.

At Ceremony, we pride ourselves on offering both premium coffee and tea, but what truly sets us apart is our commitment to quality control and execution. After spending years working with chefs and experiencing the challenges that come with maintaining consistent standards in the service industry, I realized that quality is often compromised. One of the biggest issues I saw in restaurants and cafes—whether chains or independent businesses—was the difficulty in maintaining a consistent level of quality across the board. Large companies like Starbucks, for example, have sacrificed the human aspect of the service industry by relying too heavily on machines to replace skilled baristas. While machines can produce results with perfect timing, they fail to account for uncontrollable variables like humidity, temperature, and human error.

At Ceremony, we focus on teaching and training our baristas to think critically, to adapt, and to respond to the nuances of each cup of coffee or tea. We believe that by empowering our team to understand why things go wrong or why we standardize certain processes, we help them develop independent problem-solving skills that go beyond simply following orders. It’s a longer process, but we prioritize quality over speed because we know that once our team understands the “why” behind what they do, they can execute with confidence and consistency. This approach, I believe, is one of the key reasons why Ceremony has been able to maintain higher standards of quality control compared to other businesses in the same industry.

We offer a variety of premium loose leaf teas, hand-selected from farms in China, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as expertly sourced coffee. We work directly with farmers, ensuring that our products are not only of the highest quality but also ethically sourced and produced. We’re solving the problem of inconsistency in the service industry by taking the time to train our team and maintaining a level of craftsmanship that can’t be replicated by machines.

What I’m most proud of is the culture of care we’ve built at Ceremony. From the quality of our products to the way we interact with customers, everything we do is rooted in respect—whether it’s for the ingredients we use, the farmers we work with, or the baristas we train. I want Ceremony to be known for authenticity, integrity, and education. Our goal is not just to serve great coffee and tea but to create an experience where people feel cared for, whether they’re enjoying a cup on their own or sharing it with friends.

As we continue to grow, I want the brand to stay true to these values and always focus on quality over convenience, sustainability over speed, and education over automation. Ceremony will always be a place where people can connect with the craft of coffee and tea, and where our team can grow and thrive through the power of knowledge and independent thinking.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the most defining moments in my journey that truly tested my resilience was the opening of our first brick-and-mortar location in November of 2019. Before that, Ceremony started online with just 12 premium loose leaf teas. We began hosting tea ceremony sessions in local cafes, and people really enjoyed the experience—the conversation, the atmosphere, and the connection. I always knew that a physical location was the ultimate goal, but getting there wasn’t easy.

At the time, I had no previous business experience and no assets to my name, which made securing a loan incredibly difficult. Small business lenders were reluctant to support a venture focused solely on tea. The idea of a cafe dedicated to premium teas, especially in a market so dominated by coffee and espresso drinks, seemed too niche for many to understand. People couldn’t imagine a space that focused on tea with a menu as unconventional as mine, so I kept hearing that the concept just wouldn’t work. It was frustrating because I knew my vision, but I couldn’t seem to convince others.

To build traction, I started selling matcha lattes by the cup and loose leaf teas at local farmer’s markets. Slowly but surely, we began to gain a following. Then, an opportunity presented itself in a way I couldn’t have expected. I had been dreaming about a specific location for our first brick-and-mortar store—it was a place that had been occupied by a successful small franchise. I’d openly talked about my desire for that space while I was attending a yoga retreat, but I didn’t think it would ever become available. However, just days after returning from the retreat, I received a call. The space was up for lease.

I managed to convince the owners of the building to take a chance on me. I put all my savings into securing the lease for the first three months, and we opened the doors in late November, just after Thanksgiving. But within three months, everything changed. The pandemic hit, and everything I had worked so hard for was suddenly at risk. If that wasn’t challenging enough, I also learned that I was pregnant with my first child during that same time.

That winter was incredibly tough—between the stress of the pandemic and the emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy, I had to figure out how to survive. I knew that in order to stay afloat, we had to pivot quickly. Our original concept of a dine-in tea ceremony service had to change. I decided to shift our focus to to-go lattes, something people could still enjoy safely at home. But that wasn’t enough. I knew I needed something to capture the attention of local shoppers and make Ceremony stand out in a crowded market.

I started paying close attention to feedback we were getting from customers via third-party delivery platforms, and I noticed a common complaint: customers felt that our drinks tasted watered down. That’s when the idea struck. I decided to freeze our matcha and espresso drinks to preserve their flavor, and I found these cute teddy bear-shaped ice cube molds. It was a perfect fit, especially since our first cafe was located near Brown University, and the bear is Brown’s mascot.

This innovation, combined with the vibrant color of our matcha and our house-made syrups—like strawberry, lavender, and mint—along with our unique Asian-inspired drinks such as black sesame lattes, ube lattes, goguma (sweet potato), and dalgona coffee, created something totally different. These “crafted lattes” quickly gained attention, and we were able to connect with our community in a way that felt authentic and fun.

It wasn’t long before our drinks went viral on social media, and other cafes started to imitate our creations. This was both humbling and rewarding, but what I’m most proud of is that we were able to stay true to our vision and weather the storm, all while maintaining a sense of creativity and joy. The combination of resilience, adaptability, and innovation was key to keeping us afloat during one of the most challenging times in recent history. It’s a testament to the fact that even when things seem impossible, there’s always a way forward if you’re willing to think outside the box and stay committed to your goals.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most important lessons I had to unlearn as I built Ceremony was the belief that our beverages—specifically our premium loose leaf teas—were “good enough” on their own, and that there was no need for guests to personalize or alter their drinks. When we first opened, I was committed to preserving the purity and quality of our teas, and we didn’t offer sugar, milk, or cream as options because I believed it would detract from the integrity of the product. In our minds, the tea was already perfect as it was, and we wanted our customers to experience it in its purest form.

However, over time, I began to realize that customer experience isn’t just about what we think is best—it’s also about meeting people where they are and giving them the opportunity to make their own choices. What I saw was that, while many people loved the pure, unadulterated taste of our tea, others missed the option to personalize their drinks with sweetness, creaminess, or other additions. Not everyone enjoys tea the same way, and some people like a little sweetness or creaminess to balance the flavors.

So, we decided to change our approach. Inside our cafe, we have a private tea ceremony room where we serve our teas using traditional methods— brewed in porcelain Gaiwan, Yixing Claypot or Kyusu teapot, served without any sugar, milk, or cream—while in our main cafe setting, we offer our guests the ability to customize their drinks however they like. Whether it’s adding a little honey to our matcha latte, or experimenting with different syrups in our crafted lattes, we’ve embraced the idea that the best drink is the one that suits each individual’s taste.

This shift didn’t just change how we prepare our drinks—it changed how we think about our role as a cafe. It’s not just about the quality of the product, which remains at the heart of everything we do, but also about creating an experience that allows guests to feel empowered and give them the freedom to enjoy their beverages in a way that feels personal to them.

What I’m most proud of is that we’ve found a balance: we still honor the traditional tea culture with our dedicated tea ceremony room, while also providing a welcoming space where guests can explore and personalize their drinks in our main cafe. It’s a way of offering both authenticity and flexibility—something I believe more people appreciate as they grow more curious about the world of tea and coffee.

This lesson—understanding that our beverages don’t have to be “perfect” in a rigid sense but rather can be perfectly tailored to the individual—has been a huge part of our growth. It’s not just about what we want to serve, but about creating a space where people can have the freedom to explore and enjoy their drinks on their terms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ceremonypvd.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceremonypvd
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceremonypvd/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceremonypvd
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ceremony-providence-3

Image Credits

all images are taken by Erin Mcginn