“My fingers are not blue anymore,” Vivian McKenzie said with a laugh on a recent afternoon.
The owner and operator of Kathleen”™s Tea Room in Peekskill had been asked about her monumental Super Bowl XLVIII assignment this past winter ”“Â preparing 1,500 miniature blueberry pies for a VIP Tailgate Party at MetLife Stadium.
It was tough, exciting and smart business.
“That was huge,” McKenzie said. “It was such an opportunity.”
Her networking led, for example, to her connecting with a Goldman Sachs scholarship program that offers business-growth mentoring.
For McKenzie, such forward movement reflects the goals she set when she bought both the business and its building, at 979 Main St., back in 2010.
“I left corporate America,” she said. “I was an insurance executive for probably 27 years.”
The move, though, was a natural as she was already involved in a soul-food restaurant in the city and its offshoot, a food truck (which she continues to operate today).
“I always had a passion for food,” McKenzie said. As one of a family of 10 growing up in Peekskill, she said she was well familiar with cooking with “big pots.”
With its original owner retiring, McKenzie saw opportunity in Kathleen”™s, a place she knew well.
“This has been rooted in the community for a lot of years,” she said. “It was my favorite place.”
Its success, she added, just needed “some tweaking.”
That included extending both the hours and the menu, adding seasonal and comfort foods ranging from a hearty macaroni and cheese to a summer shrimp salad.
In all, she said, “It was a very seamless transition.”
Today, the 48-seat spot remains an oasis from the everyday grind. Vintage-inspired surroundings include a tin ceiling, hardwood floors and tables dotted with mismatched tea cups and floral cloths. Throughout the room, where exposed brick adds a bit of an edge, accents range from teapots to artwork to jewelry and scarves that spill from well-worn cupboards, decorate mantels and surround mirrors.
“It”™s really just a place to relax,” McKenzie said.
Patrons indeed linger over the traditional afternoon tea ”“ there are some 60 tea options plus its famed scones ”“Â but equally savor sandwiches, salads, quiches, soups and desserts including the signature, a mixed-berry shortcake.
Kathleen”™s under McKenzie has thrived, she said.
“I”™ve seen the business grow, probably by 60 percent, since I first took over.”
Plans for further growth include adding takeout and identifying and serving new customers. The venue is also popular for bridal showers and other celebrations, with off-premises catering also available.
McKenzie, who is also a Democratic city councilwoman, said being an elected official complements her day job.
Flexible work hours allow her to attend to city business and also work with community organizations.
Having additional insight can only help Kathleen”™s, she added.
“As a business owner, you need to know.”
A strength of the city, she added, is its “very diverse but close community” where business owners often bond.
“Everyone works off each other,” she said.
McKenzie sees much, from new restaurants to new alliances, only helping Peekskill grow.
“I think the business sector working with the artists is giving the area a real push,” she said by example.
And that means more people to enjoy Kathleen”™s Tea Room.
“It used to be kind of an ”˜older-ladies”™ thing,” she said. Today, it”™s a place for all ages, even drawing its share of businessmen attracted by options such as the roast beef sandwich.
And when it comes to her male customers, McKenzie is ready: “I tell them ”˜If you don”™t like the little dainty cups, we have mugs.”™”
For more, visit kathleenstroom.com or call 914-734-2520.
