CANTON, KS — It’s the end of an era for Canton.
When the calendar turns to 2026, scones will go unbaked, and tea will go unsteeped.
Three Sisters Victorian Tea & Treasures is closing.
Perhaps more significant, though, is that for the first time in 42 years, 68-year-old Cheryl Everhart will not have a business on Main Street.
“My whole life has been on Canton Main Street,” Everhart said. “There are a lot of mixed emotions. It’s gratefulness and sadness. Canton’s been very good to me.”
Before she became a tea merchant, Everhart owned and operated Cheryl’s Cafe, which she opened when she was 26 years old. When she started to feel burned out, though, she knew it was time to move on.
In her case, that meant opening another business.
“We just walked across the street and put things in this building,” she said.
Three Sisters opened in July 2003, inspired by Everhart’s childhood and her siblings. When she was young, she often played with a small blue willow toy tea set, so when she decided to slow down a bit and sell the Cafe, a passion project was the obvious choice.
“I loved antiques, and I liked the Victorian Era,” Everhart said.
Maryl Williams, Everhart’s 71-year-old sister who also helped at the restaurant, was a fixture at the tea room. She served customers and assisted her sister in any way she could, especially after she retired from Farmer’s Alliance six years ago.
“I just come and play,” Williams said. “It gives me something to do.”
Though running the tea room and antique shop was still work, both agreed it was a slower pace than the grind of the restaurant world.
“It’s kind of like retirement,” Everhart said.
Williams agreed.
“It’s pretty laid back,” she said.
It helped that making a profit wasn’t part of the goal.
“This was never for me to make money,” Everhart said. “It was always a break-even deal.”
Brewing Fun, Memories
Instead, it was about bringing people together and making memories. That is why Three Sisters organized Victorian fashion shows every fall and spring, had a Christmas open house each year, served monthly themed teas, hosted an annual Titanic-themed event, and accepted reservations Tuesday through Saturday.
“It was never really work,” Everhart said. “It’s been a stress-free job.”
Williams agreed.
“Nobody’s ever demanding,” she said. “I don’t recall ever having a crabby person. If they were crabby when they walked in, they weren’t when they left. They were usually in a great mood.”
That wasn’t the case at the restaurant, which served people who were in a hurry to get to work or somewhere else.
“The people who come in here are coming to visit with friends,” Everhart said.
Along the way, they might look at the antiques in the store portion of the building. Many pieces Three Sisters sold were built and refurbished by Everhart, who said she enjoyed doing that aspect of the work.
Williams praised her sister for having a knack for finding “diamonds in the rough” when it came to furniture.
Still, Everhart and Williams are ready to hang up their aprons and store the tea kettles.
“It’s time,” Everhart said. “I’ve put in my time. I’ve had a lot of fun.”
“I won’t miss the work, but I’ll miss the people,” Williams said. “There’s been a lot of fun people.”
Everhart agreed.
“We tried to make it fun,” she said. “Whatever we did, we tried to make it fun.”
Maintaining Main Street
A business closing in a small town can often lead to an empty building, but that won’t be the case in this instance.
Everhart’s 26-year-old granddaughter, Desiree Pearson, is following in her grandmother’s footsteps. At the same age Everhart was when she owned her first business, Pearson is inheriting the building, and she plans to open a pet boutique called The Dog House. It will include pet daycare and grooming services, as well as a special bakery for people’s furry friends.
According to Everhart, Pearson already has events she hopes to host, such as a monthly photoshoot or holiday-themed activities.
Having businesses in town is important for attracting customers. If it’s a unique business, that’s good, but any business is important, Everhart said.
“You would be able to thrive in a business if you had enough of them,” she said. “I encourage people to try it. At least try it.”
That’s why Everhart wants to support her granddaughter.
“I want her to have a chance,” she said.
Enjoying Retirement
Even after Three Sisters is closed, Everhart and Williams will look back at their time in the tea room fondly.
“It’s been good,” Williams said.
Everhart agreed.
“I’ve been pretty fortunate,” she said. “I love Canton.”
Everhart said she will continue to work by helping Pearson get started, and Williams plans to go to the races in Kansas City when she can.
Of course, there will be one other activity they can take part in.
“We’ll come play with puppies if we get bored,” Williams said.
NOTE: This feature story was written for the Santa Fe Way newspaper serving the central Kansas communities of Canton and Galva. It was published Dec. 5, 2025.
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