By Blake Ashley Frino-Gerl

After 20 years of working in a corporate job, Riana Martinez took a leap to pursue what she loves: herbs. She explains that her “strong attraction, passion, and intuitive knowledge of plants and all they have to offer us” led her to study herbs. In an effort to spread her knowledge about the benefits of herbal medicine, she opened the doors to The Green Omen Apothecary & Tea Lounge on June 3, 2023.

The Tea Lounge offers a cozy place to sip from the herbal beverage menu, which offers plant-based lattes, mocktails, and teas.There are also bulk herbs, loose-leaf herbal tea blends, plant-based personal care items, crystals, books, and other gifts available for purchase, including one-on-one herbal consultations for custom blends. 

For the community, Martinez offers her space for others “to gather for events that influence both physical and spiritual wellness.” Such events may include herbal mocktail workshops, tea parties (adults and children), women gatherings, sound baths, and meditations. She supports local vendor pop-ups and sells their goods in the store, and also collaborates with other SLO County businesses and entrepreneurs.

Martinez plans to offer herbal “flights” for a tea-tasting experience and events “more focused on herbs and how they can enhance and support our everyday lives.” She also hopes to collaborate further with local businesses. Having grown so much in a short year, Martinez expects “to keep spreading awareness of the benefits plants have to offer us and continue to provide a peaceful space for the community to gather.”

The Green Omen Apothecary & Tea Lounge will be celebrating its first anniversary on June 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a community appreciation event hosting free beverage samples, discounts, and live music.

The Green Omen Apothecary

6280 Palma Ave, Atascadero

(805) 464-2175

greenomenapothecary.com

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