Sunday, January 19, 2025

Tama Tea is now Tama Cafe, opens up food menu with vegan and vegetarian options

Rocco Quaranto III, co-founder of Tama Tea, plans to keep tea options open as the business has been renamed to Tama Cafe with an expanded restaurant menu. (Port City Daily photo / JOHANNA FEREBEE)

WILMINGTON — Previously-named Tama Tea has unveiled its expanded food menu and new name, Tama Cafe.

About 75 percent of the menu is brand new, with several vegetarian and vegan options, all for under $8.

“We have a ton of new food items,” said co-founder Rocco Quaranto III. After three months of brainstorming and planning, Tama Cafe debuted its updated name and menu Monday.

Regulars can expect to see the classics, including the mariner; avocado on multigrain toast and red pepper flakes, accompanied by additional wrap and sandwich options.

“Everything on the food menu is amazing. Not like, it’s good for being a tea shop, no, it’s just good,” Quaranto said.

The change was initiated by a casual observation.

Tama Cafe’s new sweet potato wrap, served with veggie chips joins its updated and expanded menu. (Port City Daily photo / JOHANNA FEREBEE)

“I saw three girls come in to order drinks and they had their to-go bags from a sandwich shop,” he said. “They wanted to enjoy our drinks and our environment but we didn’t have many food options for them and so hopefully this will change that.”

Tama Cafe will continue to offer its retail tea-related products, including over 40 kinds of loose leaf teas, tea gift bags and tea brewing items.

Quaranto loves to turn a non-tea person around.

“When they get drug in here with their husband or wife and what have you, it’s like a challenge,” he said. “Yes, we are tea leaning, but we didn’t want to scare away the non-tea people.”

Tama Cafe is located at 1127 Military Cutoff Road in Wilmington.

Rocco Quaranto III (left), co-owner of Tama Cafe, points out its new, expanded menu to a customer after it changed its name and focus from Tama Tea. (Port City Daily photo / JOHANNA FEREBEE)
Tama Cafe's new and expanded menu. (Port City Daily photo / COURTESY OF TAMA CAFE)
Tama Cafe’s new and expanded menu. (Port City Daily photo / COURTESY OF TAMA CAFE)

Johanna Ferebee can be reached at johanna@localvoicemedia.com or @j__ferebee on Twitter

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