Water-main break in Manayunk closes new teahouse on its second day of business

Philadelphia Water Department crews were mobilized to repair a broken water main in Manayunk on Tuesday that forced a new teahouse to shut down just a day after its soft opening.

The break, which occurred Tuesday afternoon, left about 40 properties near the 4400 block of Main Street without water, Water Department spokesperson Laura Copeland said. Properties affected included some businesses, and a fire station. Traffic in the area is expected to be affected by repairs.

One business hit by the break was the new Tsaocaa tea stand at 4415 Main St., which had a soft opening Monday. As a result of flooding from the water-main break, the location’s sidewalk and front steps collapsed and its basement flooded, owner Andrew Chang said.

The shop is closed until further notice.

Chang added that he was not sure if the shop, which also offers fried chicken and frozen yogurt, would be able to go ahead with a grand opening planed for Saturday. The shop has been in the works since June.

“I’m speechless. We were prepared to open,” Chang said. The location is his first business. “Now, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

The situation is “minute-to-minute” for the budding tea shop, Chang said. The store is cleaning out its inventory and working on repairs.

“I’m grateful for the Manayunk community. They have been nothing but great,” Chang said. “It’s an unfortunate incident.”