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SerendipiTea, Strelkoff's gift and tea parlor, is located in Suite E of the historic building.
"I'm pretty passionate about food and tea, so this seemed like a good fit for me," Strelkoff said. "I just love restauranteuring. It gives me an excellent chance to meet people."
In addition to selling gifts and tea settings, the store offers coffee, tea and light breakfast foods beginning at 8:30 in the morning.
"Breakfast will include scones, crumpets, English muffins, poached eggs and other things you'd get in a British tea room," Strelkoff said.
Lunch will be served with homemade soup and salad between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day.
Traditional high tea, cream tea, chocolate tea and caviar tea, each offered with a different kind of tea and small meal, are offered daily.
Beginning in November the parlor will offer crêperie style meals in the evenings.
The business will be open until about 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays, Strelkoff said.
Other upcoming events at the tea room will include a doggie costume contest on the morning of Oct. 30 and a crêpe dinner and showing of Phantom of the Opera that evening.
Several American Girl and Teddy bear tea parties are scheduled in November and December.
Other dinner and movie parties are scheduled for the rest of the year as well.
"We're trying to fill the nitch that no one else does, but we didn't want to take away from any of the businesses already here," Strelkoff said.
"The business community has been very warm and welcoming," she said.
Because of the restaurant's location in a historic building, Strelkoff said she was not allowed to put in an oven because of the requirements for an overhead sprinkler system.
Instead, Strelkoff will get her pastries from local nonprofit groups.
She encourages church groups and other organizations to contact her about making pastries and other baked goods for her to sell.
In exchange she said she could offer a donation to the organizations.
"That way I can support the community as well as the business," Strelkoff said.
Along with the baked goods, patrons can get teas blended by the parlor itself.
Strelkoff's blends also are sold by the ounce for those wishing to brew at home.
In addition to gifts, the store will showcase work from local artists on its walls.
Currently, the artwork of Margaret Herin, a blue ribbon-winning artist at this year's Washington Town and Country Fair, is on display.
The artworks will be on sale in the coming weeks.
The parlor will celebrate its opening with a ribbon cutting Thursday, Oct. 29.
