In the heart of North Adams, a unique oasis has been quietly steeping for the past two years. Heart’s Pace Tea & Healing Arts Lounge, located in a cozy storefront on Eagle Street, recently celebrated its second anniversary, marking a milestone in its journey to bring the art of tea and wellness to the Berkshires. What began as a leap of faith by owner Beau Barela has blossomed into a social hub, offering a diverse array of teas and a space for healing, connection, and community-building.
Barela is an accidental entrepreneur. In 2020, living in New York amid the upheaval of the pandemic, and with his job in the fashion industry allowing him to work remotely, Barela and his partner decided, “Let’s get out of the city.” They settled on North Adams on the recommendation of a friend and bought a house here that same year.
Meanwhile, an idea for his next chapter was brewing. “I had several really special tea experiences traveling,” he reminisces, “where people would share their tea with me. And that kind of always stuck with me.” From meeting a traveler porting a traditional Chinese gong fu tea set in Guatemala to discovering a tea tent at Burning Man, these moments of connection through tea made a lasting impression.
In New York, Barela delved into the city’s diverse tea culture, exploring its myriad shops and the experiences they offered. When he arrived in North Adams, he saw an opportunity in the sparse business district around Main Street. “I thought, ‘Oh my god, there’s so much opportunity here to start something,'” Barela recalls. That something would become Heart’s Pace Tea & Healing Arts Lounge.
While the cafe has by now become a staple of Eagle Street, two years ago this month Barela was scrambling to open in time for the August First Fridays event—a decision he describes as “good and bad.” He admits, “That morning, I was still setting things up and finishing up and painting, and my partner was putting things into the POS [point of sale] system.” The rushed opening wasn’t without its upsides. “We didn’t have a soft opening like restaurants do, so it was certainly a learning experience,” Barela reflects.
In those early days, Barela found himself not just a business owner but also an educator. “Tea is the most widely drunk beverage in the world, but in the States, it’s a coffee culture,” he notes. Many customers arrived with a limited understanding of tea varieties. “Most people think it’s either black or green, but there are so many varieties of teas,” Barela says, his enthusiasm evident. “So much of it is artisanal and depends on the region in which it grows … so I really enjoy sharing that aspect of tea with people.”
A trained massage therapist, Barela always had an expanded vision for Heart’s Pace. Six months after opening, he slowly began incorporating the “Healing Arts Lounge” aspect of the business by introducing massage therapy services, which he saw as a natural extension of the tea experience. “I thought it was important to at least start building a client base in terms of the tea portion, and that was kind of a bridge to get people to know we had these other aspects of our business,” he explains. He now employs one other massage therapist; another practitioner will begin offering reiki sessions in September. Committed to keeping his services affordable, Barela offers 60-minute massages at Heart’s Pace for $75, which he notes is about 25 percent less than typical rates in the area.
The physical space of Heart’s Pace has evolved alongside its offerings. Barela, who studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, has poured his creative energy into the cafe’s interior. “I wanted it to feel like an inside garden, and I wanted it to feel very natural and dreamy in a sense,” he says. Barela wasn’t satisfied with the initial result, but an opportunity to redesign The Trail in Adams (formerly the Topia Inn) allowed him to refine his aesthetic. The result is a striking transformation of Heart’s Pace, with floor-to-ceiling drapes in muted tones, olive green textured color blocking, and a dramatic rearrangement of furniture creating several mini-environments within the cafe.
Heart’s Pace collaborates with artists and businesses in the area, too. The walls of the space are adorned with art from local artists, which is changed to highlight a different artist every three to five months. Huge prints by Evan Jaccodine are currently on display and for sale. Local potter Yvon Kennon has led workshops at Heart’s Pace and has pottery for purchase there as well. Heart’s Pace is the only cafe in downtown providing pour-over coffee, with beans from West Stockbridge’s No. Six Depot. And over 40 loose-leaf teas are available to take home.
For Barela, Heart’s Pace is more than just a business—it’s a community hub. “There are people who come in and are just like, ‘I’m so grateful that you’re here, that there’s a place for me to go where it feels like I belong,'” he shares. This sense of belonging extends to historically marginalized communities, with events like Queer Connections and regular gatherings of Queer Men of the Berkshires (Q-MoB) finding a home.
The cafe has also become something of a co-working space for MCLA professors, a meeting place for visiting artists at Mass MoCA, and a venue for book clubs. “An important aspect for us is community—getting people together and being a space … to get together and feel safe,” Barela emphasizes.
Heart’s Pace continues to participate in North Adams’ First Fridays, with live music and mocktails starting again in October. Barela provides tea tastings in collaboration with other venues, such as the Clark Art Institute and Williams College. Coming up, the North Adams Public Library will host a free tea tasting and chair massage event on Wednesday, September 11, at 6 p.m.
Looking ahead, Barela is excited about the future of Heart’s Pace and North Adams. “I love it here. I think there’s a lot of opportunity here,” he says. He’s expanding his beverage options to include more rotating curated drinks, like a blueberry matcha latte, and adapting his tea offerings to reflect seasonal changes. “I find that a lot of people drink tea based on what the weather is like and how they’re feeling that day, what they’re looking to get out of that experience,” Barela observes. “So I find tea to be much more experiential and feeling-based.”
As Heart’s Pace enters its third year, Barela remains committed to growing at the right pace and fostering a sense of community. “When we have nights of live music, and people are yearning for an experience that makes them feel something … We hear that story more than any other, and I find that that’s what keeps us truly going,” he muses.
In a town hungry for connection and unique experiences, Heart’s Pace Tea & Healing Arts Lounge has found its niche. Whether you’re seeking a perfectly brewed cup of tea, a moment of relaxation, or a space to connect with others, Barela and his team are ready to welcome you.
