Going for a different cup of brew

What it did for coffee in China, starbucks aims to do for tea in the United States

When the first Starbucks cafe opened in China in 1999, it was viewed with suspicion by the nation of tea drinkers.

But what began with an outlet on the ground floor of Beijing's China World Hotel has since grown to more than 800 across the country, and a new generation of Chinese coffee drinkers.

Now the Seattle-based coffee giant is shifting weight, trying to do with tea in the US what it did with coffee in China. It has acquired the tea company Teavana in a bid to bring teahouse culture to the West.

Having just opened their first tea bar under the Teavana brand in the Upper East Side of New York to much media excitement, the US will see 1,000 more established over the next decade.

"This new store concept elevates the tea experience in the same way we've done for coffee," said Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO of Starbucks at the Teavana launch late last month.

The new teahouses are aimed at providing a slower pace and more leisurely atmosphere than those often found in the busy rush of Starbucks' coffee shops.

With 3.7 million tons of tea expected to be consumed around the globe by the year 2021, their timing couldn't be better.

Starbucks' famous green siren logo, however, will not appear anywhere in the new tea bars; only Teavana's emblem.

Originating as a specialty teashop with more than 300 outlets across American malls, Teavana specializes in premium loose-leaf teas.

With an entire wall in the new Starbucks version dedicated to displaying the shop's vast collection, customers will see they have access to wide range of high-quality teas imported from Asia, Africa and other growing regions.

"Teavana has built a strong reputation among tea enthusiasts and introduced casual tea drinkers to new experiences in tea," Cliff Burrows, group president for Starbucks America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Teavana, said in a press release.

"We are excited to work together to help create new and innovative ways to delight tea drinkers and continue growing the overall tea category in a variety of ways."

While their new shop may draw on centuries-old Chinese tradition, the tea bar will also add their own twists, emulating the drinks variety of Starbucks by offering tea lattes and non-alcoholic cocktails containing tea and juice blends.

The store will also offer accessories such as teapots and mugs. What they won't offer is coffee.

Prior to obtaining Teavana, tea sales made up just 8 percent of Starbucks total business, giving the company a lot of room to grow.

In addition to capitalizing on the latent American love of tea, the new division of Starbucks means a potential jolt to sales in markets such as Africa and Europe, where in many countries tea is a much more popular drink.

Bringing awareness of fine teas to the American public has been the goal of Chas Kroll, executive director of the American Tea Masters Association.

"Teavana is a strong brand, and they've done much to help bring awareness of high-quality teas to the US," Kroll says.

"With the US tea culture growing rapidly, it only helps spread awareness."

Having taken part in establishing the American Tea Master Certification course, Kroll says it's only a matter of time before tea reaches the level of popularity enjoyed by coffee.

"One of the advantages of tea is that it's a drink that you can slowly sip throughout the day, unlike coffee where if you have too much you'll feel sick," he says.

But whether it's one cup in the morning to start the day, or several cups into the evening, when stepping into a Teavana Tea Bar, just don't ask for a grande.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/29/2013 page7)