It opened just two years ago and already has made itself a staple in the community. Bliss Tea & Treats in Oceanside offers more than just a vast variety of tea, but also serves a sense of comfort and welcome.
The unique business offers its customers a soothing way to unwind as it serves as a modern-day tearoom and lounge.
“I want to create experiences as opposed to just creating a space. So, every single thing that we do is a part of that experience,” Bliss Tea & Treats Owner Rushell Gordon said.
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Bliss' start began with a family tradition.
“You know, it's funny. I was in bed with my daughter having tea one night and she asked me, 'Does everyone have tea before they go to bed?' I thought you know, I don't know, but maybe they don't have access to good tea like we do. So, I said, 'Well, maybe we should create a tearoom and call it Bliss,'” Gordon said.
According to the City of Oceanside, there are over 3,000 brick-and-mortar businesses and more than 100,000 people in the city.
“Oceanside adopted a redevelopment plan that would take almost 20 years to come to fruition. So back then, our downtown landscape was vastly different than it is today vastly, different than it was 20 years ago, and a lot of people really can't remember what Oceanside looked like in the late 1970s and 1980s,” Oceanside Historical Society Director Kristi Hawthorne said.
Gordon, who has lived in multiple cities in California, now calls Oceanside home and wants to share in its growth.
“There are so many businesses coming here, beautiful hotels. We have so much tourism opportunity here. I would love to see that continue and I would love to see people embrace that more and really encourage the growth that Oceanside needs in order to sustain itself,” Gordon said.
Gordon hopes to expand the business in the near future and calls Oceanside’s people and expansion a key part of her success and the success of the city.
“Oceanside has always been a special place. A huge part of that is the people and a huge part of that is the growth that's happening here,” Gordon said.
