Non-alcoholic Tea Lounge Opens in Columbia via Partnership

The venue uses a shared office-space model to provide a social, digital-free alternative to traditional nightlife for young adults.

Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Vector editorial illustration of a ceramic tea set on a wooden table, representing a social, digital-free space. — Founders Ariana Smoak and Akuya Stoddard have opened Ephemera, a non-alcoholic tea lounge in Columbia, using a shared-office model to encourage digital-free social interaction. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you prefer community social spaces that prioritize conversation over technology and alcohol?

Founders Ariana Smoak and Akuya Stoddard have opened Ephemera, a non-alcoholic pop-up tea lounge, in Columbia. The venture leverages office space shared with Made with Cola Love to serve the local social scene.

Why it matters

The venture tests demand for social spaces that cater to young adults by intentionally excluding alcohol and digital distractions. It demonstrates a low-overhead partnership model for hospitality operators to utilize underused office assets.

Ephemera operates out of a single venue at 2821 Millwood Avenue, marking a lean entry into the local market. The pop-up installation is slated to run until the end of October 2026.

The players

Ariana Smoak

Founder and operator of the Ephemera pop-up tea lounge.

Akuya Stoddard

Co-founder of the Ephemera pop-up tea lounge.

Made with Cola Love

Business coaching firm that provides office space and branding resources to the startup.

The details

Ephemera utilizes office space provided by partner Made with Cola Love, allowing the founders to lower fixed overhead costs typically associated with a storefront lease. Programming including study halls, movie nights, and sound baths is shaped by ongoing community feedback to maximize utilization of the shared space. To enforce a specific atmosphere, the lounge prohibits phone usage during select events, prioritizing social connection over digital engagement.

October 2026: Ephemera concludes its pop-up installation at the location.

Market Landscape

Ephemera follows the pattern of third-place hospitality by replacing alcohol-focused environments with niche, experience-driven programming. This pop-up model reflects a broader shift toward flexible, low-cost usage of existing commercial office space.

Operators looking to test new concepts should evaluate whether existing office or unused commercial inventory can serve as a viable partner space. Monitoring the community-driven programming at Ephemera can provide data on the viability of strictly non-alcoholic social venues.

The takeaway

The Ephemera model highlights the potential for entrepreneurs to launch customer-facing concepts by partnering with existing business owners for overhead-sharing. Monitor the venue's ability to maintain social engagement through October 2026 as a proxy for the long-term demand for digital-free spaces.