Page 155 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2025

Like many Coast residents, Michelle Nichols and her family went through the perils of surviving Hurricane Katrina and rebuilding their lives. “I was fortunate to have my entire immediate family living
in the same town until Katrina hit. My parents instilled in us a strong work ethic and this is reflected in how my brothers and I live our lives.” she says.
She, her husband Issachar Nichols, and two-year-old daughter lived in Clermont Harbor during Katrina. Nichols had left her job as an Investment Sales Associate in 2003 when daughter Sydney was born and was enjoying life as a stay-at-home mom.
“My husband and I had made prudent financial decisions and paid off the mortgage on our home so we were living pretty comfortably,” she says. “Of course, all that changed when Katrina hit and we soon found ourselves homeless and without income.”
They lived on their property in a FEMA trailer until they found their current home in Kiln. This life-changing event pointed her in a different occupational direction. Someone who always cooked as a hobby, she is now the owner of the Gardenia Tea Room in Waveland.
“When I was young I used to bake cakes
always felt that if I was cooking for five, I may as well cook for 50.”
Her after-Katrina entry into catering came when she began working as a
house cleaner for an artist. Arts Alive rolled around and Nichols offered to make the hors d’oeuvres. “After all, it was something I loved to do,” she recalls. That led to more catering jobs and she’s been doing it for 15 years.
After years of going to tea with her sisters-in-law and cousins, Nichols decided it was time to open a tea room. “Around the same time, my daughter wanted to open a flower shop and not much goes together better than flowers and afternoon tea. We first opened in our original location, January 12, 2023, National Hot Tea Day,” she says.
Daughter Milan joined the family 15 years ago. Nichols says both daughters help with the tea room. Sydney owns Midnight Bloom House, a flower and retail shop, in the front of
the tea room.
Asked
if she made the
right decision about owning a business, Nichols doesn’t look back.
to work was not as urgent,” she says. “But, having a brick-and-mortar business can be a scary feeling. Knowing that no matter what kind of month you have, rent and all the other expenses will be due can be challenging. To be the only one of its kind on the Coast is pretty cool and we love our customers, locals and visitors.
It’s an awesome experience to be able to do what you truly love and have others enjoy it as well.”
Michelle Nichols.
and sell them to my older brother,” she recalls. “I watched every show on the Food Network and fervently followed my favorite chefs. I love entertaining and
“After we got back on our feet, the pressure
Julep and Iris.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net September 2025 | 155
Michelle Nichols
“Of course, all that changed when Katrina hit and
we soon found ourselves homeless and without income.”