WILLIAMSBURG 一 Xanadu Biondi, a 2025 William & Mary graduate, opened Geolo-Tea in April, creating a tea room she hopes will serve as a late-night gathering place and study space for people who don’t want to go to a bar.
The shop offers loose-leaf blends, baked goods and a seating area with outlets and Wi-Fi for customers who want to work or study.
Biondi, who studied Geology at William & Mary, said the shop’s name is a play on her field of study. Before returning to school, she worked at a loose-leaf tea store in Virginia Beach and said she was drawn to the sensory experience of helping customers find teas they enjoy.
“Being able to find teas or drinks that people would like, just based off of [customers’] day to day activities and thing they like, it brings me joy,” said Biondi.
Teas come from three different distributors along with a few custom blends made by Biondi. Some of the sweets offered are pre-purchased, while the cookies are being transitioned to baked in-house and the scones are made in the shop daily.
The shop is located below street level in an older building. Biondi said she has added flat landings and interior ramps to make navigation easier once inside.
Geolo-Tea is at 761 Scotland St., Unit 2. It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Monday and closed Tuesdays. Updates are posted on the shop’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
