Starbucks to open its first stand-alone tea shop

Los Angeles Times ^ | June 21,2012 | Tiffany Hsu

[Hojczyk]

Starbucks Coffee Co. will continue expanding beyond its coffee-serving cafes with its first stand-alone tea shop.

They also will be able to choose among iced teas, tea lattes and full-leaf tea sachets.

In addition to tea, the store will feature packaged chocolates, infused sugars and honey. Other foods and brewing merchandise will also be available.

Tazo already represents a $1-billion business for Starbucks, executives said in April, when they briefly referenced the brand's "unique opportunities … in multiple channels of distribution." Starbucks bought Tazo in 1999 for $8.1 million.

Some estimates peg the global tea market to be worth $95 billion.

It's becoming increasingly difficult to refer to Starbucks as a chain that serves mainly joe. The company recently launched its Evolution Fresh juice store in Washington state. This month, it paid $100 million to buy Bay Area bakery brand La Boulange.

[Hojczyk]

When Starbucks first opened I figured it would never make it...who would pay four bucks for coffee???? Tea ???? Maybe

[Jonty30]

If they have it set up like a tea emporium shop, it could be a great success.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Don’t waste your money! Get tea here;

http://generationtea.com/

[Blue Ink]

This is a business miscalculation of staggering proportions.

Tea’s had over 200 years to take hold in the U.S.

Um, it hasn’t.

Despite attempts from snotty food fascists to convince us we’re wrong, that tea is so much more sophisticated and healthier (evidence, please?), Americans drink coffee.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

There are restaurants in China that feature “therapeutic foods”, offering menu items that are helpful for treating common problems.

Everything from unusual dietary needs, to spicing foods with medicinal herbs to treat particular conditions.

There are a lot of ways this could work in the US as well, with our rather odd ground rules that it could not be sold “to treat any medical condition”, which alternative treatments must have. But that still leaves a lot of latitude.

[bgill]

Just wait until Moochelle realizes there’s a boatload of sugar in all those mocha lattes and now sweet teas. You’ll only be able to buy a wee little playset size tea cup sweet tea for $4.