After hosting tea parties for the past 18 years, the Vintage Tea Leaf, a popular tea house and restaurant in Long Beach’s East Village, will officially close in September after months of ongoing disputes with a landlord over a leaky roof.

The business had a leak in its kitchen roof for six months without any response from their landlord, said Mary Copeland, the restaurant’s chef. Staff went on a week-long vacation during July 4 holiday and later returned to a flooded kitchen.

Copeland said it was an unsuitable environment to produce any food for patrons and forced the establishment into an uncomfortable situation. She said there was no other option than to close.

“It wasn’t a suitable environment to make food with water leaking onto my work station,” Copeland said. “It put my license on the line and it also put this establishment at risk.”

Terry McClure, current owner of the Vintage Tea Leaf, declined to comment. The real estate and property manager, Pabst Kinney and Associates, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The restaurant, located at 969 E. Broadway, provided its last tea service on June 28. Regulars have stopped by for a month-long liquidation sale, leaving with China tea sets, Victoria-era furniture, paintings and giant cans of tea.

“I would come visit annually for Christmas tea with coworkers and I have very fond memories of this place,” said Karen Kennedy, a Lakewood resident who bought a canister of tea and teapots this week as remembrances.

Beverly Terfloth, the former owner and founder of the business, said she was saddened to see a landmark piece of the city forced to close its doors. Terfloth, who opened the establishment in 1997, said the intent was to create a sanctuary safe for any age, gender and ethnicity.

“It’s sad commentary that a business that’s been featured in Forbes as one of the top tea houses couldn’t get any support to maintain a building,” she said.

For Anita Bussing, a Long Beach resident and frequent visitor of the tea house, it was the perfect place to gather some friends for an afternoon gathering. The tea house also had a gift shop where patrons were encouraged to borrow fancy hats to enhance their experience – a trait Bussing said she would fondly miss.

“It’s in my neighborhood. It was such a gift. I didn’t have to go to a hotel for tea and it was the perfect place to play dress up,” she said.

For the remaining days of August, the business will be open daily in effort to sell their decor. There aren’t any plans to relocate the business elsewhere, but the Vintage Tea Leaf does plan to continue selling tea through its online website, vintagetealeaf.com.

Vintage Tea Leaf is located at 969 E. Broadway.