Billy Corgan Opening Suburban Tea House

Rocker signs lease for Chinese/French-style space in Highland Park

Music. Professional wrestling. Tea.

Billy Corgan is proving to be a man of many talents these days, with the latest news that the Smashing Pumpkins frontman is planning a tea house in Highland Park.

According to Eater Chicago, Corgan plans to open the unnamed Chinese/French-style tea shop in the former U.S. Post Office on Roger Williams Avenue.

Corgan lives in the area and told the Web site that he decided to pursue the venture because there's a "lack of culture for someone in their 30s or 40s."

A lease has already been signed and the opening is planned for March or April, Eater reports.

The tea house will offer lectures, cultural programs, rotating exhibits and teas from around the world.

In other words, it'll be the anti-Starbucks, which Corgan called "cookie-cutter culture."

"I don't want to hang out with those people," Corgan told Eater.

Corgan says he won't be running the day-to-day operations of the business.

Contact Us