Harriet Sessler, center, cuts the ribbon Tuesday during the grand opening of HatTea’s Tea Room in Lakewood, 125 E. Fairmount Ave. Looking on, from left, are James Feldmann, representing County Executive PJ Wendel; village Trustee Ellen Barnes; Sheila Webster of the county Chamber of Commerce; and village Trustee Rich Fischer. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

LAKEWOOD — Harriet Sessler has an affinity for tea rooms.

That may be the reason why Sessler opened HatTea’s Tea Room, located at 125 E. Fairmount Ave.

She has owned two other tea rooms in the Cooperstown area of the state, and when her husband passed away, she moved to Lakewood. When the current building went up for sale, she knew it was time for another business venture.

“It must have been intuition because when I saw this (building) was for sale, and I offered a low-ball figure, they accepted it, and here we go,” she said Tuesday at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sessler added that she renovated the building, and now offers a small gourmet menu. She said upstairs, she has a large amount of dress-up clothing, so patrons can enjoy a tea while in costumes, if they prefer.

Sessler noted that upstairs is filled with dresses, hats, boas, jewelry, jackets, costumes, and fun accessories for boys and girls. Shoes are not provided, and there are two changing areas.

“We welcome you to HatTea’s for a unique experience where you can enjoy a scrumptious meal, an afternoon tea and dress up. At HatTea’s, you can have a lot of fun, making happy memories,” Sessler said.

Her daughter and assistant, Malia Davis, cooks the meals while also assisting with reservations.

“It’s going to be a fun adventure for a lot of people,” village Trustee Ellen Barnes said.

HatTea’s is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Afternoon teas are Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. with reservations required at least two days in advance. Private luncheons and tea parties are by reservation only. Group lunch or dinners are for six or more patrons, and reservations must be received at least seven days prior to the event, Sessler noted

“This is a great thing for Lakewood,” Trustee Rich Fischer added.

“It’s a unique business and an exciting business to bring here,” Trustee and deputy village Mayor Ben Troche added.

For more information on menu items and reservations, call 716-640-7122 or visit hatteas.net.