Kindness Found: Happy Lucky's Tea

Written by Andrea Bazoin, Chief Kindness Officer of Well Kind Collective

It was a Tuesday evening in January when Angela and James Mitchell, Owners of Love Intentionally, welcomed eight couples to the back room of Happy Lucky’s Tea in Fort Collins, CO, for their monthly Married Entrepreneurs MeetUp.

As participants settled in, cups of fragrant tea warming their hands, the Mitchells offered owners Kari and George Grossman the chance to share a bit about the business. What happened next was something that impressed Angela so much, she wanted to share it with Discover NOCO readers.

Love Intentionally group retreat

“It was a couple of things,” Angela recounted. “One, their whole intention with the business was to create a place where the community could gather - where people of all walks of life felt safe. Making money or profit felt very secondary. I loved the mission and intention behind their business. Secondly, instead of just pitching their business, they used the opportunity to offer a service to others - helping them understand their constitutional rights around immigration issues.”

I caught up with Kari Grady Grossman to learn more about her and George’s passion for supporting immigrants.

Safe, Welcome, and Valued

“George and I have been very involved, on a personal level, with the Interfaith Solidarity & Accompaniment Coalition (ISAAC) for years - long before the increase in ICE raids across the country,” Kari explained. “Most people don’t really understand how the immigration system works, and why it doesn’t work for many people who are here to work legally. It’s expensive and complicated. We are more familiar than the average person because we have two adopted children from India and Cambodia. Because we’ve built strong, positive relationships with the business community and local government over many years, we wanted to put a little muscle behind our empathy and share resources on how business owners can support their immigrant staff and customers to feel safe, welcomed, and valued.”

I asked if she or George were concerned about any potential controversy.

“Terrorizing immigrant communities has real consequences for local businesses,” Kari explained. “It's not a political issue - it's a human one. There isn't a hotel room in this town, or a yard landscaped, or a dish washed that didn’t involve immigrants. Just because they are on the lower end of income doesn’t mean their labor is expendable. Our businesses would not run without them - it’s just the truth. That has nothing to do with your political opinions. We haven’t gotten any negative feedback, and we wouldn’t care if we did. Our workers are still feeling very afraid and targeted - this can lead to absenteeism, mental health challenges, and more. It impacts business when a person’s family is in crisis because a family member has been targeted. This is about protecting our businesses and valued staff members.”

One Teapot, Two Cups, Endless Connection

As a little girl growing up in rural Nebraska, I was raised on tea parties with my mom. As a Chilean immigrant (and US citizen for over 40 years); tea was the way she helped us connect with our neighbors, welcome special visitors and, to this day, spend quality time with me. As Kari Grady Grossman put it, tea is a community-building activity. The spirit of this intention is behind everything at Happy Lucky’s Tea - from the way tea is served (in pots, not single-serve cups), to the design of the space (the wall of tea invites a slow, experiential selection), to their motto - “Nourish Your Happy.”

“We talk pretty clearly with our staff about what it takes to nourish happiness,” Kari elaborated. “So much of that is about being a kind person - seeing people as they are, the human as a human, and allowing them to enjoy a cup of tea. Community connection is critical for kindness. To spend time with another person talking face to face - that’s an act of kindness.”

At Happy Lucky’s Tea, the warmth can be felt in hands and in hearts. 

Find your happy- at Happy Lucky's Tea

Angela Mitchell felt this warmth that winter evening in the back room of the store. “With so much going on in the world right now, it's really easy to feel helpless, you know? So, seeing that there are people in our community who are doing something to help others feel safe, and learning how to do the same, gave me hope.”

So whether you prefer the Chocolate Raspberry Rooibos (Angela's favorite), the Mango Sticky Rice (a must-try new blend - thanks, Andy), or you’re looking for your new favorite - I invite you to nourish your happy at Happy Lucky's Tea. Just remember to bring a friend to help you finish the pot.

They say kindness is contagious, and these days we could all use a little more of it. We’re on a mission to uplift and share stories of kindness happening right here in Northern Colorado, and we need your help. Have you experienced or witnessed a meaningful act of kindness at a Northern Colorado small business? We want to hear your story. If selected, we’ll interview the business owner and/or staff member and, with their permission, feature them in This is NoCo and Discover NoCo. Together, let’s shine a light on the everyday moments that make our community stronger. Tell us about your experience HERE