Bernie’s Herbals, a new addition to the Glenside Farmer’s Market in 2024, is opening up shop inside The Dovetail’s new home at 2256 Mount Carmel Avenue (Abington Township).
Owner Elizabeth González told Glenside Local that their soft opening includes teas and coffees available any time during The Dovetail’s hours (11:00am – 6:00pm) until they’re fully up and running. Until then, a pop-up shop on Wednesdays will offer their sought-after sourdough bread.
“We’ll be stocking the store until then,” she said.
A joint grand opening for Bernie’s Herbals, The Dovetail, Vinyl Chickie, and Align Studios is scheduled for May 17, at which time González expects to be fully open for business.
Bernie’s Herbals will also make a return to the Glenside Farmer’s Market when it opens for the season on April 26.
“We started setting up at the market towards the tail end of last season, and it went really well. We sold out every week, and so we’ve been really excited to take the jump to a brick-and-mortar shop,” she said. “That success definitely helped move things along. We’ve had the idea in the past to have a store, but we wouldn’t have tried to make it so quickly without Rhiannon Punzo’s [owner of The Dovetail] move to a joint building. It’s been a great step for us.”
Her husband, Mike, bakes the bread (and also manages The Ways in Glenside). Together, they started a tea company in Hawaii four years ago and recently moved back to greater Glenside to be with family.
“He studied plant medicine in Hawaii, so he makes different herbal tea blends that focus on the nervous system and lowering inflammation,” González said. “We use anything from chamomile to lavender to hibiscus. We have a cult following because the blends make you feel good. We use an ancient grain in our sourdough which works well with gluten sensitivities. It’s a really interesting connection that we have with our customers.”
According to González, Punzo encouraged them to get started at the markets and host workshops at the CO-Lab.
“She was a great person to introduce us to spaces within the community,” González said.
For more on Bernie’s Herbals, you can visit their website and Instagram page.
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Photos: Elizabeth González