Qahveh Ch'a opened in June in the Carmel Arts & Design District, offering espressos, organic teas, smoothies and gourmet coffees.

Husband and wife team Craig and LaTonya Henson converted an old barbershop on the corner of Main Street and Rangeline Road. The business offers wireless Internet services.

Qahveh Ch'a offers evening hours, and LaTonya said they hope to provide a spot for those who want to hang out or grab a cup of coffee after work. It also fits with their work schedule. LaTonya also works for an insurance company. Craig works for a computer and medical laboratory.

The shop serves breakfast sandwiches Saturday and Sunday mornings. They plan to open weekday mornings, too.

Qahveh Ch'a features a full line of espressos including caramel, German chocolate and macadamia nut. Those watching calories can choose sugar-free flavors including caramel, vanilla and peppermint. They also carry loose teas such as Monkey King Green Tea and Golden Spiced Chai.

Tuesday night tea tastings offer customers a chance to taste the latest teas.

The shop also offers smoothies with real fruit. Craig said their signature flavor is mango peach.

Hours are 6-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Phone is (317) 569-8494.

Craig and LaTonya Henson spoke with Topics reporter Christina McGairk about Qahveh Ch'a.

Q How did you come up with the name Qahveh Ch'a?

A LaTonya: After doing some search we ran across Qahveh, which is the Arabic derivative of coffee and Ch'a, an Asian derivative of tea. We liked the way it sounded together.

Q What are your favorite drinks?

A LaTonya: I prefer tea. I like all of the teas we carry, but the Golden Spiced Chai and Monkey King Green Tea are my favorites.

Craig: I usually have a Macchiato, which is a double shot of espresso with a little bit of whipped cream on top. It's just a little something to get me through the day.

Q How is your business different than other coffee shops?

A LaTonya: We're different in that we market teas a lot more than most coffee and espresso bars do. With our teas and coffees, we can put it in a French press. We set everything in a French press where you can steep your teas as long as you'd like and we'll bring it to your table. You can have two to three cups of coffee or tea in a French press.

Craig: We designed the tea or coffee party around the fact a lot of people like to hang out and meet friends at a coffee shop. You may want to share it with your friends and we offered it to tie in with the meeting of friends or couples who want to come in and do something together. We're trying the concept to see how it works.

Q Can you tell me more about the expression cups you serve drinks in?

A Craig: The cups play on how people feel when they come in. It's kind of nice because some want a smiley cup and some ask for a frown face cup. It's a conversation piece. It's neat and brings a lot of color to our shop.

We've actually had requests to sell those cups and we will probably offer a gift area in the future.