In 1998, Margo Seymour hosted a party for a family member’s 70th birthday. Preparation for the big party required trying out several scone recipes to find just the right one, and experimenting with different tea sandwiches that complimented the tea selection. The event required linen and china selections, place cards, invitations and menu cards.  The party was a success and although it left her exhausted, it sparked an idea.  Knowing the amount of time and effort that went into putting together this special event, she wondered how many other people might like to host a special tea party, but without all the work.

The Denver Tea Room was born.

Looking back, Margo realized that the idea of catering parties was a long time in coming. She recalled her early exposure to tea. "When we were little, our mother introduced all of us girls to tea. I’ve been having tea parties with my sisters since we were kids and as we’ve gotten older, we’ve actually planned trips around the country just to experience a tea room we had heard about. It’s been quite an education."

Margo is a planner and hostess at heart, and the decision to cater tea parties launched a full educational journey for her. She now has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, which she believes is crucial from a customer service and business perspective. "It’s one thing to throw an impromptu tea party for someone, but it’s entirely a different scenario to provide a smoothly run event with excellent service. Customers expect that and I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before I accepted work from a client."

She’s also been professionally trained at the Culinary School of the Rockies and is now a pastry chef.  The pastries, along with the other food offerings at her tea parties, are all prepared by Margo.

She put her management skills to work at the Brown Palace Lobby Tea as a way to identify what she might want to add to her skills. "The Brown does a great tea, and I knew I wanted to offer the same type of service and environment to my clients. What better way to learn than by working there?"

Currently Margo is in the process of obtaining certification as a tea sommelier; yet one more component to learning about her work. "It’s all so interesting to me that it never feels like work. I’ll continue to learn new ways to bring my interest in tea to my clients.  I love what I do!"