Roman Gabriel of Durham never forgot the taste of his grandmother's iced tea.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Grandma Leona would collect fresh cool spring water, mix in multiple types of teas, add gobs of fresh fruit, plus honey, and then let the sun do the rest. Her "liquid sunshine" over ice was one of young Roman's fondest memories.
Later, he went on to purse art, then TV and film and was living in California, meeting with celebrities, when his career as a director skyrocketed. Until it all came crashing down; indeed he did crash while rollerblading and smashed nearly every bone in his hand. His career was put on hold.
Roman returned home to Durham and to keep himself busy, began making Grandma Leona's iced tea. Family and friends loved it, and so he began bottling it and taking it to the local farmers market--and selling out.
Two-and-a-half years ago, Roman went all in and opened the Sweet Tea Cafe on Mt. Moriah Road in Durham. He offers not only his famous iced tea, but also lemonade, coffees, and many other tasty drinks.
He is constantly cutting lemons, oranges and others fruits, while peeling an endless supply of mint leaves. He says he loves watching the tea come together and describes it as a work of art, like seeing a fine watercolor painting spring to life.
He says he hugs every batch he makes and that love is one of the key ingredients. Not just his love but Grandma Leona's, too.
