YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
The owner of a cafe and tea room has relocated her 6-year-old business to Springfield from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Sheila Daniels opened Victoria’s Cafe and Tea on May 25 at 1550 E. Battlefield Road, Ste. F, in the Galleria Shopping Center. She said relocation and renovation costs were roughly $35,000. The cafe occupies 1,500 square feet in space formerly occupied by OneMain Financial, she said, declining to disclose her five-year lease rate with Warren Davis Properties LLC.
The shop’s move marks a return to the Queen City for Daniels, who moved from Springfield to Tulsa nearly 30 years ago. She said her mother and other family members were a draw for her to return.
“I’ve been here before, so it’s like home,” she said. “So, I said, ‘I’m going home, and I’ll just enjoy my business.’”
Daniels said she closed her nearly 5,000-square-foot Tulsa eatery late last year after several months of struggling with business amid the coronavirus pandemic. The shop, which had operated since 2015 as Victoria’s Tea Room, was closed for three months in 2020, Daniels said. After reopening, she said the city’s masking mandate and occupancy restrictions continued to impact sales activity.
“We were more of fine dining, and we had no way to do carryout,” she said. “I decided I’m not staying here.”
The cafe menu has a variety of drinks, such as green, flowering and bubble teas, Daniels said. Food options include soups, salads, quiche, scones and sandwiches, as well as entrees such as parmesan chicken and coconut shrimp. Most food prices range $14-$20, according to its menu.
Victoria’s Cafe and Tea isn’t the only Springfield business Daniels has owned. The 76-year-old said she owned Cupid’s Bridal Boutique for 17 years before closing it in 1982 to move to Tulsa.
Granddaughter Victoria Clark served as inspiration for the cafe’s name, she said. The venture is registered with the Missouri secretary of state’s office as Victoria’s Cafe & Cakes Inc. but does business as Victoria’s Cafe and Tea.
The Republic School District is on track to open its Intermediate School for fifth- and sixth-grade students for the 2025-26 academic year.
Chick N Max plans Springfield debut
Executive director hired at The Victim Center
Developer seeks approval of C-Street project, including Missouri Hotel renovation
Biblical history attraction planned at former Andy Williams theater
Photo Gallery: New Fire in the Hole debuts at Silver Dollar City