Three sisters—Maegan Lillian Rose, Hannah Marie Rose and Mia Beverly Rose—shared favorite childhood pastimes of reading and holding tea parties with their mother. These common interests didn’t subside when the sisters became adults; they became an intentional opportunity to stay connected as life got busier.
When the quartet decided to open a tea room in downtown Denton in 2024, the mother, Irene McKey, said naming the business Three Roses Tea Room & Gifts was an easy decision.
“The business idea came from us hosting afternoon tea with each other,” McKey said. “We love having conversations, slowing down and catching up with each other. We wanted to share what we did with the community.”
On the menu
The tea room offers afternoon tea service Thursday through Sunday. Weekend tea services, which are by reservation only, feature a different book-inspired menu each month. In addition to on-theme cuisine, the decor also reflects the spotlighted literature.
“The weekend will be based on whatever story we're doing. The pastries will be [centered] around characters or themes we find in the stories,” McKey said. “For example, for the Pride and Prejudice theme ... there's a part in the book where Mr. Collins is talking about boiled potatoes, so we have a little potato bite on the menu.”
Upcoming themes are Alice in Wonderland in March and A Hobbit’s Afternoon Tea in April.
The weekday tea service includes a variety of hot tea options, tea sandwiches, scones and pastries.
General Manager Maegan Lillian Rose Herrera said customer favorites include their cucumber spread sandwiches, dill spread sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches and tomato basil spread sandwiches.Tea sandwiches are one one of the tea service tiers at the eatery. (Karen Chaney/Community Impact)McKey, who is the head chef, said she uses only natural ingredients in the family recipes served at Three Roses Tea Room & Gifts.
Who it’s for
Herrera said their customers are all ages and represent a variety of groups, including college students with their mothers and people in their 20s wearing book-themed costumes complete with powdered wigs.
“We get people who sit in here for two or three hours really visiting,” Herrera said. “[They are] having these conversations that go deeper than just ‘How was your day?’ It's a lot of fun to watch people relax and come together.”
