Secretea ended service this month after six years in the lobby of George Washington University’s 1959 E Street residence hall. Owner Rong “Carol” Tang told The GW Hatchet that the landlord required the shop to close because its sales did not meet requirements. The university had found another tenant for the space, the paper reported.
Tang opened Secretea in 2020, after struggling to find boba in Foggy Bottom, and hoped to serve GW’s international student population, according to The GW Hatchet. Its offerings included traditional Chinese tea drinks alongside Western-influenced flavors and seasonal options, as well as food such as croissants and Earl Grey pudding.
Secretea also offered students a place to study and socialize. Tang added seating, and the shop was open until 7 p.m. daily, The GW Hatchet reported.
Tang has not decided whether to reopen elsewhere. She told The GW Hatchet she is weighing a move, but the equipment at Secretea belongs to the university. For now, she plans to focus on pop-ups and catering around Washington, D.C.
Other local coverage provides separate context, not evidence about Secretea’s finances. Hoodline reported that a Blank Street Coffee location near GW opened after months of delay. In a separate report, The Augur Bit reported lower sales and an uncertain outlook for food vendors.
Another GW café had a different outcome
A separate campus comparison offers one example of a different lease outcome: The GW Hatchet reported on May 18, 2026, that Peet’s Coffee in District House agreed to renew its lease after a planned closure was announced. This is one other documented GW case, not evidence of a broader pattern across U.S. campuses.
