Teatotaller coming to downtown Concord
Somersworth native Emmett Soldati found success in his hometown with Teatotaller, a cafe featuring everything from scratch-made sandwiches and salads to coffees, espresso drinks, house tea blends and more. Originally launching the concept in 2011, Soldati relocated a few blocks down the road to his current space on High Street in 2016 — now, he’s getting ready to expand the Teatotaller brand in the form of a second location, coming soon to downtown Concord.
On track to open later this month, Teatotaller’s newest spot is in the former Edible Arrangements storefront in the city’s Capital Plaza. The project, Soldati said, has actually been in the works since before the pandemic — from 2018 and into 2019, he had been looking for potential spots in various cities and towns when he was introduced to Concord property manager Steve Duprey.
“I got to know Concord very well over that period of time, scoping out spots, and I definitely had an affinity for it,” Soldati said. “I like that it still has a small-town feel … but it’s certainly more bustling and vibrant than Somersworth, and I thought that the business would do really well.”
Soldati’s plan had been to open on Warren Street in early 2020, but Covid had other plans. The Edible Arrangements store closing in the interim gave him an opening to get onto Main Street.
Last month, Teatotaller’s distinguished pink paint went up outside, attracting significant attention and solidifying Soldati’s intentions to open the doors soon. The eatery’s menu will be similar to that of its predecessor — everything will be made in-house with fresh and local ingredients.
“There are aspects of it that will be distinct and unique because of the space … but our goal is to take the success of what is in Somersworth and bring it to Concord,” Soldati said. “I’m very proud of the menu. … I think just having more made-from-scratch things in Concord is exciting. We also sort of describe ourselves as a full-spectrum bakery and kitchen, which means we have a lot of vegan options, both vegan baked goods and savory items, and gluten-free options as well. We’ve had a lot of success accommodating different dietary palates and lifestyles.”
Teatotaller’s breakfast sandwiches, for instance, can be made on gluten-free breads or on the eatery’s own sourdough English muffins. There’s a build-your-own sandwich option in which you can choose everything from a baked egg or tofu frittata to bacon from North Country Smokehouse of Claremont, veggies and house aiolis with flavors like Dijon, chipotle and pesto.
Coffees are sourced from New Hampshire Coffee Co. out of Dover, which makes a custom Latin-American blend just for Teatotaller. There will be a variety of hot and iced drip coffees and espresso drinks, along with around a dozen of the cafe’s own flavored syrups. As for the teas, Soldati has his own brand called Chai Curious, featuring 10 house blends. In addition to being available in various hot and iced drinks, bagged teas will be sold at the shop and are sold online.
Teatotaller also has a few flavors of bubble tea, or homemade milk tea with tapioca pearls. During the pandemic, Soldati launched a bubble tea delivery company called Doorstep Boba, which is now available in multiple cities and towns, including those in and around Concord.
Eventually, Soldati said he hopes to begin holding regular events like drag shows, similar to those at the Somersworth cafe. He also has two mural artists designing the walls of the new space.
“This has been a long time coming and I’m kind of in a state of disbelief that it’s really happening,” he said. “I’m excited. … The thing I always like to remind people is that it’s meant to be a space for everyone. The public is going to come in and use the space in ways that I couldn’t have even thought of or planned … and so, Teatotaller in that sense is like an evolving brand. We’re sort of an open book of what’s going to happen next.”
Featured photo: Courtesy photo.
