Bliss Tea & Treats has become a staple in the Oceanside community during its four years in business.
It offers its customers a way to unwind while enjoying treats with a modern tearoom flair.
“There’s the obvious things like tea and boba and treats and sandwiches and high tea, but then we also provide a lot of experiences," Rushell Gordon, owner of Bliss, said. "We do a lot of events, and we invite the community in."
Discover Black Heritage:
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Bliss started after family conversations and long trips.
“I was working in corporate America, and I was commuting from L.A., and I did that commute for about 10 years, and while I was doing that commute, I would kind of think about different ideas, but I knew that I needed to not do that for much longer and wanted to find something local,” Gordon said.
According to the city of Oceanside, there are more than 3,000 brick-and-mortar businesses and around 100,000 people living in the city.
Gordon says representation is something that is important.
“I also felt once I opened that my representation was also very important. People would walk in and be very surprised that a Black woman owned a tearoom and wonder why," Gordon said. "I would say, 'Well, why not?'"
Gordon plans to reshape and expand her business in the future.
“A bigger part of the Bliss vision is to be in every city," Gordon said. "Everybody deserves bliss, and everybody deserves happiness, and everybody deserves to be a part of this experience."
