The SconeLady’s Coffee Shop, Espresso Bar and Roasterie (formerly known as Classic Gourmet) at 3300 Bob Billings Parkway has undergone changes since Lukas Warden took ownership in December 2007. He and his wife, Carrie, have recoated the floor and walls, added soft lighting and curtains, displayed local artist Geoff Benzing’s work, and play quiet reflective background music to complement the peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.

They’ve also extended the coffee and tea offerings as well as the snacks. They’re open daily except for the last Sunday of the month, when they close for a personal “date day.”

The couple’s love blossomed during horticultural classes at Kaw Area Technical School in Topeka.

“Carrie knew the plants’ official names,” Lukas said. “I thought that was cool.”

They enjoy working together and bring different strengths and experiences to the running of their new business. Lukas, who worked as a coffee roaster for two years, followed by another two as a barista, roasts the beans three times a week in the original roaster situated within the seating area.

Carrie’s mother and grandmothers introduced her to tea.

“One grandmother collected antique teapots and brewed Ashby’s (of London) teas in them during our visits. The other collected miniature tea sets, and they were my favorite playthings at her house,” she said.

She’s inherited both collections and plans a specialized shelf at the shop to display these antiques, some of them over 100 years old, for the enjoyment of customers.

She extended the shop’s wide selection of loose-leaf teas and introduced “dragon balls” – white or green tea rolled around a flower. The tea ball’s the size of an uncultured pearl, a symbol of good fortune in China. I placed a Rising Sun ball in a clear cup and watched in delight as it opened to reveal a chrysanthemum when the hot water was poured over it.

Saad Aldwayan from Saudi Arabia, a doctoral student in linguistics at Kansas University, is a regular at the SconeLady’s. He was drinking the Lily Basket, a green tea ball with jasmine.

“This is the only place in Lawrence serving these,” he said, “but I predict they’ll catch on very soon.”

He hopes to graduate in the summer and teach at the King Saud University in Riyadh. As we admired and sipped our blooming teas, he told me about some of his culture’s customs.

“When people enter our homes, we serve them coffee and dates, followed by a cup of red or black tea. It’s very important to welcome our guests in this manner,” he said.

He’s felt welcomed and at home in the SconeLady’s. He’s tried all the teas and most of the coffees, and has given them as gifts.

Other internationals feel welcomed there, too. The Wardens recently hosted a coffee tasting and roasting demonstration evening for the Hispanic American Leadership Organization from KU. They brewed seven Central and South American coffees, served alfajores (traditional Latin American sandwich cookies) and Costa Rican coffee cookies, and shared information about the coffee-growing regions and the Fair Trade movement’s support of farmers.

An aptly named “Carrie’s fu-fu board” lists a variety of drinks with a wide spectrum of flavors to tickle and tease the taste buds.

“Customers get very creative with their drinks, and flavor requests, so we keep adding new things all the time,” Carrie said.

There’s the Cody Pepper with cold-press espresso and half-and-half poured over ice, named for a martial arts teacher, and “the Clumsky,” a chocolate and amaretto latte created by a local dentist. For an extreme caffeine fix you can add an espresso brownie, or sample one of their signature scones.

Children are catered to, also. When parents asked for a child-friendly hot caffeine-free drink, Carrie, an avid fan of “Little House on the Prairie,” remembered the cambric tea given to Grace Ingalls. It contains steamed milk with a dash of chamomile tea, which is reputed to have a calming sleepy effect, and is used to treat colic and insomnia. The drink is a big hit with children and their parents.

If you’re looking to create a personalized drink or just enjoy a good tea or coffee in a relaxing, pleasant atmosphere in West Lawrence, the SconeLady’s is worth a visit.

Tea: 5

Coffee: 4

Service: 5

Ambience: 4