The popular Brook Street cafe Ceremony opened a new location in the School of Public Health building this summer. Owner Michelle Cheng selected the location with the help of the Brown Consulting Club, which made a report for her back in 2021. “They found out that a lot of the RISD students and people who lived in the downtown area really, really were hoping that we could open somewhere down the hill,” Cheng tells the BAM. 

Cheng’s initial idea for Ceremony came from her desire to bring high-quality tea to the U.S. When she moved to Rhode Island as a preteen (her father had landed a job in one of Brown’s labs), Cheng and her family had trouble finding the traditional loose-leaf teas that they loved. So, as an adult, Cheng decided to sell them herself. 

Cheng began to import and sell tea at farmers’ markets and to restaurants. In 2019, she opened Ceremony, then a small store that focused on selling high quality teas. Since then, Ceremony expanded to selling coffee, snacks, and more. Patrons can book a room to participate in a traditional tea ceremony or stay late to drink handmade cocktails. 

The South Main Street space enables Ceremony to offer food made in-house. Now, both locations offer onigiri (rice balls stuffed with savory filling), yubuchobap (fried tofu with rice and toppings), and sandwiches. Says Jules Griswold ’25: “Every single time I’ve gone there, I’ve gotten something different—and it’s always fantastic,” mentioning a sesame seed latte they once tried, something they have never seen anywhere else. 

Ceremony being “native to Providence…encourages me to go there,” Griswold says.  “I don’t want to support a huge chain.” Cheng says that she tries to foster community.  “There’s just this intimate feeling,” says Vera Poyraz ’25. “We all need a little break…and we want to do it together.”