“We’ll do for tea what we’ve done for coffee”
Starbucks has recently changed its concept by acquiring the ‘Teavana’ chain of specialty teas and tea accessories, rebranding it as ‘Teavana Fine Teas + Tea Bar’, its first adventure into the tea business.
“The difference between a Starbucks coffee shop and a Teavana teahouse is like night and day, it’s much more zen-like than anything you’ll find in a Starbucks store,” said Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who likens the tea bar to “a shrine to tea”. Forget coffee beverages on the menu.
Teavana serve up an impressive array of fine teas and herbal infusions. Gourmet food items include Lemongrass Ginger Chicken Rice Balls and Roasted Butternut Squash Strata, and are priced a little more steeply than Starbucks food items. With its first Teavana outlet located in the Upper East Village, Starbucks plans to open at least 1,000 more outlets in the next five to 10 years.
“We’ll do for tea what we’ve done for coffee,” said Schultz.
