Please help support Eric's dream for a teahouse

Eric Arthur is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hello family, friends, and friends of friends! I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

My name is Eric, and I am a single dad of four children, who I am raising to be compassionate, patient, and affectionate by example. I am the creator of Taiji Teahouse & Cafe.

Taiji Teahouse is a restaurant and small event space in Portland, Oregon’s beloved Chinatown District. It will serve as the epicenter of many dreams - for myself and others. Fulfilling my dreams of serving tea, creating beautiful and tasty dishes, teaching tai chi, and hosting small concerts of my music and music by other local musicians.

This space will also support other people's dreams by being a food prep kitchen, popup venue, and meeting space.

The mission of Taiji Teahouse is:

Nourishing the body and spirit of patrons, enhancing their well-being, and thereby the well-being of Chinatown and its visitors.

Our goal is to help awaken the Chinatown district from slumber by providing a place to experience and share the art of gongfu tea, enjoy Asian fusion cuisine, and host small music events. Activities that facilitate a deep connection we all need to ourselves and others.

Taiji Teahouse was preceded by Red Robe Teahouse & Cafe in this exact location. Pearl, the owner of Red Robe, was the first to offer me this deep connection seven years ago by encouraging my tai chi practice and facilitating my knowledge of gongfu tea. It was pivotal in my growth as a person, and I am forever indebted to Pearl.

In October of 2021, Pearl let me know she was retiring. I did not want her to close because the space meant so much to me. So I decided to pick up the torch and continue offering the beautiful space she held in my style, using my teas and my menu.

The “Asian Fusion” dishes will mainly come from my grandma’s family cookbook. Created in Hawaii, it pulls from all the best immigrant recipes, including Filipino, Japanese, Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Chinese styles. Most of the dishes can be made vegan or vegetarian.

Our tea selection will be curated with the help of my good friend Kevin, who owns a Portland teashop. He is well studied in tea energetics, so our tea selection will support focus, determination and relaxation. Some of the teas we will be serving are:

Da Hong Pao, a Wuyi style rock oolong that helps with focus and determination.

Phoenix Dan Cong, a lightly roasted oolong that is the healthiest type of energizing tea

Golden Needles, a black oolong that helps release tension after work

I have over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. I have worked in all relevant positions, from dishwasher to general manager. Creating food has been a love of mine since I was 9 when I started baking for my school bake sales. In later years I learned the art of tea service to support people through their physical and emotional challenges.

We have already gotten started with these events: :

Popup events featuring tea and hot snacks such as wuntun nachos

Catered a sponsors luncheon for this year’s Chinese New Year’s Dragon Parade

Funds raised through this campaign will go towards:

Startup labor costs. It is an overlooked reality that startup business owners need to be paid for their work to launch a new project. These funds will allow me to reduce my hours at my “day job” to focus on the Teahouse full time.

Start-up supply costs: tables and chairs, initial inventory of food and tea, city permits, signage, purchase of a new stove

I am applying for a loan to cover the central part of the costs involved with opening a new business.

Here are some testimonials from friends of mine in the community.

“When I imagine walking into Taiji Teahouse and Café, I would feel welcome, part of a tea community, and hungry for the handcrafted dishes passed down from Eric’s family. This teahouse is a vision set down into reality, a dream turned goal, a gift to the neighborhood in downtown Portland and to the community at large. I have worked with Eric since 2017 on another creation, TeaFestPDX, Portland’s annual tea festival and have witnessed his management skills of our vendors, his planning of the vendor area, and his love of engaging with people at the festival. Eric brings all of these skills as well as years in the restaurant industry to the opening of the Taiji Teahouse and Café. I am excited to help support his vision!”

Jenn Brenner, Portland Tea Festival Founder and Organizer

“Eric lives his life like a fantastic novel. We have watched this hero follow his heart through the darkest nights and into the flames of the rising sun. When the dragons come, because certainly there are dragons, Spirit and flow guide his every step. Soon, Eric will be dancing into his newest chapter: Taiji Teahouse. We will all be on the edge of our seats as he, with our support, brings beauty into the world.”

Kevin Von Behren Owner of Fly Awake PDX Teashop

“Dependable, loving, trustworthy, funny, badass dancer, master tea man, empathetic, excellent friend, amazing father. These are just a few ACTION words I can say that describe not only my friend, but my brother Eric. When he first started the tea house journey, I was there to offer support and guidance. It slowly turned into passion and partnership not because of the business but because of Eric’s dedication to this project. I saw a person who when met with No’s, did not get discouraged and turned them into Yes’s. When problems arose, he rolled up his sleeves. I have watched Eric tirelessly throw his whole spirit into this project and it will be nothing but successful because of his love for it. As a business professional and executive chef, I back Eric 100 percent in this journey and encourage you to do so as well.

He will bring much needed joy and peace to the Chinatown neighborhood and I can’t wait to be right there and apart of the process every step of the way. Let’s help Eric grow this business because it’s not just a tea house but I believe it will be an extension of him and if that’s true, then the Chinatown district will have a little bit more love. We could all use a little spirit and love…..”

Marcus Colbert Chef De Cuisine at Nike

The Portland Chinatown Museum is delighted to have found an entrepreneur with a vision that parallels our vision for the neighborhood with a focus on a stewardship of our cultural heritage for our present and future community. We have been comforted by Eric’s dedication to the spirit of the Red Robe Tea House that occupied this space for many years. We are also encouraged by the inspiration for his own vision as it comes from family recipes, expertise in tea, and his calling for taiji. Our staff has had the pleasure of taste-testing his dishes at pop-ups and catered events, and we can say that they are delicious and healthy. Eric’s business plan will help with an overall vision for the neighborhood which includes maintaining a connection to our past while also building a new and thriving community. Please join us in supporting his efforts to open this wonderful business in Chinatown.

In appreciation of your support, I have created the following gift tree.

$50 donation - In the drawing for multiple “Year of the Tiger” piggy bank.

$100 donation - $25 gift certificate

$150 donation - $25 gift certificate + teahouse tee shirt

$200 donation - $25 gift certificate + teahouse tee shirt + concert ticket

$250 donation - $25 gift certificate + teahouse tee shirt + concert ticket + 1 month tai chi lesson pass

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you take the time to contribute to my campaign. I look forward to seeing you at the Teahouse when it opens.