BATAVIA – A new business is spicing up Batavia’s bustling North River Street commercial district. The Tea Tree is a retail shop specializing in loose-leaf tea, gourmet oil, vinegar and spices, and a variety of accessories.

The business is a yearslong dream of Melissa Hartmann of Oswego, who considered and then rejected a location in her hometown before being attracted to the vintage building at 29 N. River St. in downtown Batavia.

“It needed a lot of work,” Hartmann said. “But the brick and the limestone and the character really sold me.”

Since the beginning of the year, Hartmann and her husband, Joe, have been putting a lot of sweat equity into the space. They built tables, installed a wood-veneer floor, created signs and added fixtures, transforming the empty space into a shop with both old-world charm and modern sensibilities.

“I want it to be a tranquil space where people can come in and smell all of the aromas,” Hartmann said.

There are plenty of aromas to be discovered in jars of teas, seasonings and spices of all kinds, arranged for sampling by customers. Oils are dispensed from stainless steel vessels, with Hartmann at the ready to provide information on how to pair them with foods.

Hartmann looks to be riding the wave of the increasingly health-conscious consumer.

“Tea has so many beneficial values,” Hartmann said.

To enjoy tea to the best effect, the store features a variety of cups, mugs and teapots, and, of course, tea infusers, mesh devices into which loose-leaf tea is placed for steeping or brewing.

Tea can be purchased by the ounce for sampling, or prepackaged. Hartmann, with schooling in graphic design, created her own business logo and labels for her products.

If you go

What: The Tea Tree

When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; and closed Tuesday

Where: 29 N. River St., Batavia

Info: 630-425-3340 or facebook.com/theteatreebatavia