Customers drive to Lompoc from as far as Los Osos for tea parties at One Room Escapes and Coffee. It’s one of the only places on the Central Coast for a proper, yet affordable, afternoon tea with tiny sandwiches and sweets served on dainty china.
Clusters of sofas and lounge chairs create smaller sitting rooms within the restaurant, inviting visitors to make themselves at home. Adding to the homey atmosphere, the tables are adorned with floral tablecloths and the walls covered with artwork.
Time for tea
One Room Escapes and Coffee is open Wednesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant is located at 113 N. A St. in Lompoc. Call (805) 430-8306 or visit oneroomcoffee.com to order online, check for upcoming events, and rent out the café or kids’ room.
“It’s always been family and friend oriented, and so I think the décor kind of reflects that,” owner John Frias said. “A lot of people come and just hang out for a while.”
Out of One Room’s many highlights, John and his wife, Hether, notice that many customers enjoy taking the time to experience afternoon tea. There are a few different services to choose from, but tea generally includes a decadent two-tiered platter of bite-sized sandwiches and desserts along with a steaming pot of tea. Think mini cucumber sandwiches, quiches, cheesecakes, and scones.
Since the Friases opened One Room in 2018, Hether was interested in building up their own British-inspired tea service, which is now a significant portion of their business.
“Tea is about time,” Hether said. “It is taking the time to just sit and to relax and connect with people.”
Some of the most popular events are seasonal tea parties. One Room plans to host a fall tea on Oct. 12 and a holiday tea and dessert tasting on Nov. 8. At the ticketed evening events, guests can sip reserve teas that are not typically on the menu.
Hether selects loose-leaf teas—green, black, and herbal—that are high quality and made by small companies. There are usually seven or eight teas on the regular menu, she said, which rotates periodically.
While tea is a big reason customers return to One Room, the café has more to offer. Hether mentioned that everyone has their own reason for visiting. Some come just to eat.
“The common denominator is the fresh food and the aim for that homemade feel,” John said.
All the dishes on One Room’s brunch menu are made from scratch. Crowd favorites include breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, soups, and chicken salad sandwiches.
The couple also makes all the restaurant’s baked goods in-house—English muffins, bread, pastries, and scones. While it is a team effort, John gives a lot of the credit to his wife for fine-tuning their recipes.
“She’s a recipe savant, and she reads cookbooks the way the rest of us read novels,” he described.
They make their dishes in-house to keep the food as healthy as possible, which also gives them flexibility to cater to those with dietary restrictions.
As someone with gluten and dairy intolerances, Hether said she wants to provide meals that others with similar restrictions can enjoy because there aren’t a lot of options at most restaurants nearby. Since they make small batches of everything, they can cook vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options in the morning with enough advanced notice.
“It’s not just about health, but it’s about supporting people who have those kinds of needs,” John said.
John added that he is always conscious of pricing for the quality of food he serves. One Room sells a soup box meal including a grilled cheese, a cup of soup, a cookie, and a drink for about $15 and a quiche lunch combo for $12.
The budget-friendly thinking stems from the couple’s experiences raising their children. John remembers not being able to go out to eat with the whole family, not only because of the cost, but also because kids usually can’t sit still for too long.
Now with their own restaurant, John and Hether molded it into a family-friendly community space. Inspired by Hether’s days as a homeschool teacher and preschool director, the back room of the eatery is a kids’ zone. She said parents often come to enjoy a coffee while their kids play together.
“It’s like the park,” Hether said. “You meet new families, and the kids play.”
The theme of the playroom changes monthly. Recently it’s transformed from a school to a campground, she said, and up next is a pet hospital.
Families can also check out books from One Room’s vast collection, just like a library.
For older kids, there are plenty of games to play while sipping coffee or nibbling on a pastry. From chess to Scattergories, floor-to-ceiling shelves contain games for all ages.
“We’re hoping to provide opportunities when you come here that you’re interacting with the people you’ve come with,” John said.
One of John’s dreams remains to finish building an escape room inside the café. After a career in software engineering, he’s now working full time at One Room and can give his whole attention to his vision.
“I have big dreams about where we can take this,” John said.
As the only employees besides two of their kids, the couple is focused on meeting their diners’ demand.
“You serve good food and good company,” Hether said, “and that’s all that really matters.”
Reach Staff Writer Madison White with a cup of tea at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 2 – Oct 9, 2025.