Axah McCalla studies in the ultra-modern, Asian-inspired sitting area at House of Cha, 21 W. 9th St. Melodic, synthesized ballads chime in the background while she sips on her refreshing bubble tea.

“I come here a little too often,” the Lawrence senior says with a chuckle.

Typically, McCalla goes to House of Cha three to four times per week, but sometimes she goes every day, especially when school is in session. She only drinks tea; coffee is not a part of her diet. She doesn’t frequent coffee shops, but when she does choose to go, she finds it hard to get good quality tea. She also enjoys the serenity that the teashop provides.

“The teashop offers a relaxing atmosphere that helps me concentrate,” she says, “but not to the point that I want to fall asleep.”

According to the American Beverage Association, tea ranks second in global beverage consumption behind water, but is the seventh-most consumed beverage in the United States. The ABA and its market research company now notice an increasing trend in tea consumption that accompanies a growing number of teashops and tea retailers.

More and more people in Lawrence have caught on to the national shift toward high-quality tea consumption and the ever-growing tea scene in the city is indicative of its increasing popularity.

Gary Patterson, co-owner of House of Cha, says his business has increased at least 15 percent every year since the teahouse opened in 2003. The idea for House of Cha grew from Patterson’s online venture as a wholesaler of Taiwanese oolong tea, which tea connoisseurs consider to be the world’s best. Patterson and his wife, Fanny, whose family has a history in the Taiwanese tea industry, decided to open the teahouse in hopes of educating Lawrence residents about the perks of high-quality tea.

Patterson says the teahouse’s bubble-tea drinkers range from international students to Lawrence residents, and from toddlers to senior citizens.

“Once somebody tries it,” he says, “they keep coming back for more.”

Mark Ukra, a tea connoisseur known as Dr. Tea, discusses the healthful benefits and increasing popularity of tea in his book The Ultimate Tea Diet, which is set for release in December. Ukra’s Los Angeles teahouse, the Tea Garden & Herbal Emporium, offers its wide range of clientele an abundance of tea knowledge and quirky ways to incorporate tea into daily routines.

Ukra says stereotypical tea drinkers, which he describes as “the pinkies-up crowd” or “little old ladies,” are a thing of the past and the increasing number of teahouses and retailers is a sign of progress.

“Teahouses are starting to pop up in more mainstream locations instead of off the beaten path,” Ukra says. “The fact that there are coffeehouses on every corner is not adequate anymore for health-conscious individuals.”

Increasing popularity and a lucrative Lawrence market have spawned Teapouro Tea & Espresso, a new tea-inspired concept café at 712 Massachusetts St.

Teapouro plans to open in December and will be downtown’s third teahouse, joining House of Cha and Indo, 125 E. 10th St. Larry Shaus, the business manager of Teapouro, says the espresso business has done well in Lawrence, which is why he and owner Denise James have included the drink in Teapouro’s menu. Shaus adds that tea is where espresso was 15 years ago and the tea culture is spreading eastward from California.

“We don’t want to be on the tail end of the trend,” Shaus says. “We want to be on the beginning end. We’re trying to convert espresso drinkers to tea drinkers.”