By Marshel Couso
Welcome to our weekly feature dedicated to covering Susanville and Lassen County’s business scene! Grand openings, new employees, renovations, new hours… each week we’ll keep you up to date with important information about the businesses you rely on.
Featuring Merry Morsels, Tea of Life, Lilith’s Place and Highway to the Gaming Zone.
Merry Morsels Bakery and Coffee Shop Has Moved!
Merry Morsels Bakery and Coffee Shop has officially moved to a new, larger location at 1420 Main Street, offering customers an expanded menu, a more spacious setting and increased accessibility. The new store, situated between Lilith’s Place and Highway to the Gaming Zone, is now open and ready to serve the Susanville community.
The relocation provides Merry Morsels with a number of exciting new opportunities.
“This new move has allowed us a larger space for our classes, a great lobby for you to peruse our selection of delicious goodies and a great location with more foot traffic than our last one,” said owner Heather Arter.
Customers can expect to find many of their long-time favorites, as well as a variety of new additions. The bakery features a dedicated chocolate case with handmade 3D chocolate pieces, from-scratch truffles, and popular Dubai chocolate bars. There’s also a pastry case and a cheesecake case, showcasing “Elora’s famous cheesecake” and other tempting treats like strawberry cups and fudge.
Merry Morsels is also catering to a wider range of dietary needs with a selection of sugar-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly goodies. Custom orders for cakes, chocolates, cupcakes, and cake pops are available for special celebrations.
The new location also makes it easier for customers to grab their morning coffee, smoothies, energy drinks, or boba, with a wide array of sugar-free drink options. For faster service, customers can text their orders to 1.530.591.2069 for pickup. Doordash delivery is also available for breakfast items and treats.
Merry Morsels continues its commitment to supporting local businesses by stocking Piper’s Sourdough daily and offering a selection of cups and tumblers from Lassen Creations, as well as merchandise and gifts from other local small businesses.
The new hours for Merry Morsels are Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., and Sunday from 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
Merry Morsels encourages its customers to follow their Facebook page for updates on class offerings and new menu items.
Highway to the Gaming Zone Celebrates Five Years
Highway to the Gaming Zone, a hub for tabletop gaming, comics, and collectibles in Susanville, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with significant expansions and a renewed focus on community engagement. The store, which marked the milestone on July 28th, is working to enhance its offerings and provide dedicated spaces for local gamers.
Store owner Thomas Herrera highlighted the store’s growth, noting a recent surge in inventory and new staff. “Almost every section has expanded tremendously within the past few months,” said Herrera. “This has been a huge focus of ours this year.”
A new employee, Drake, has joined the team and is specifically dedicated to growing the store’s TCG and tabletop sections. Herrera noted Drake’s focus on customer service and his willingness to teach new players about games like Yugioh, Magic: The Gathering, and HeroScape.
The store has also been making significant upgrades to its comic, Warhammer, and action figure sections, among others. A major project is underway to repurpose approximately 1,000 square feet of space at the back of the shop. This area, which previously housed arcade machines, is being transformed into a dedicated tabletop gaming room with nine Warhammer tables and additional tables for MTG players.
“After all the arcades are out, we will have a sole tabletop room… so that players will have their own space to play games,” Herrera explained.
In an effort to share the arcade experience with the wider community, the store has been repairing and placing its arcade machines in other local businesses. A second arcade has recently opened at Lassen Ale Works, with additional machines placed at Side Iron BBQ.
Highway to the Gaming Zone remains a busy community hub with several weekly events. A Pinball league meets every other Wednesday, with the next meeting on the 13th to be held for the first time at Lassen Ale Works. Friday Night Magic begins at 5:00p.m. every Friday, providing a space for players to “come and play for hours and make new friendships and lasting memories.” Saturdays are dedicated to Dungeons & Dragons groups and Warhammer players.
The store also hosts special events and birthday parties throughout the week.
Herrera expressed his gratitude for the community’s support over the past five years. “We are very appreciative for all of the love and support in the community and can’t wait to keep expanding and making it a place for everyone,” he said. The store plans to announce new community events soon and remains dedicated to its ongoing growth.
Tea of Life and Apothecary Moves to New Location with Merry Morsels
Tea of Life and Apothecary has officially moved to a new home at 1420 Main Street, sharing the space with the recently relocated Merry Morsels Bakery and Coffee Shop. The move provides a new, combined destination for community members seeking both delicious treats and natural wellness options.
According to co-owner Heather Arter, the new location offers Tea of Life and Apothecary an opportunity to expand its offerings significantly. “We have a great variety of the classic favorites as well as a new section of herbs!” Arter said.
The expanded selection of herbs and tea blends is intended to provide the community with local, accessible options for living a healthier life. Customers can now explore a range of natural remedies and even create their own custom tea blends.
“Come make your own tea blend for Liver health, to breathe easier, improve intimacy or to lose weight!” Arter encouraged.
While emphasizing the benefits of natural remedies, Arter also stressed the importance of consulting with a healthcare professional. “Obviously check with your doctor to make sure that your herb and tea choices will be a good fit for your health and won’t interact with medications, but that aside, come check us out!” she added.
Tea of Life and Apothecary aims to be an affordable option for all, with a stock that is increasing every week. In the coming weeks, the shop will also be adding “some pretty cute and unique gift sets.”
The new location allows for a convenient shopping experience where customers can walk in to purchase loose-leaf tea, herbs, or request a custom-made drink to go. The business is also planning to host workshops and classes in the near future, focusing on topics such as tinctures and healthy tea preparation.
To stay updated on these upcoming workshops and new offerings, customers are encouraged to follow Tea of Life and Apothecary on Facebook.
Is something noteworthy happening with your business? Let us know about it! Each Thursday morning, we present a round-up of interesting news from the Lassen County business scene and we want to hear from you. E-mail your business news to Marshel at [email protected].
