Wholesale tea distributors can help you set your coffeehouse apart from your competitors by supplying you with more than the traditional tea products. Many coffeehouses, including major national brands, only offer basic tea bags to their customers. It's not surprising that business owners fail to recognize that tea options can easily outnumber coffee choices on their menus.
Tea wholesalers offer many options you'll want to consider because tea is growing in popularity. The wide variety of tea options available from wholesale tea distributors include:
1. White tea, green tea, Rooibos tea, oolong, and herbal wholesale teas.
2. Loose leaf teas.
3. Flowering teas that are like a work of art.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Consider the type of tea you want to offer before contacting tea distributors and tea wholesalers
Be realistic about what you can offer your customers. Tea bags are undoubtedly the easiest option for your employees to prepare, and they're the most familiar type of tea, but loose leaf teas taste fresher and flowering teas offer an aesthetic experience to customers. Clearly identify exactly how many varieties of each type of tea you want to offer customers.
I recommend: If you like the convenience of tea bags but still want to offer a unique experience, consider tea sachets from
Harney & Sons.
Numi Organic Tea offers a foodservice program that includes more than 20 flowering teas that are sure to be a hit with customers. The only drawback is that you need glass tea pots for serving flowering teas.
Find online tea distributors, tea wholesalers and loose tea distributors
Buying tea and tea accessories from online tea distributors and tea wholesalers is beneficial because local options are usually pretty limited.
I recommend: The
Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd. sells wholesale teas and accessories. They don't sell directly to consumers, so your customers will be getting a product that they can't get anywhere else.
Teavana is a great company to try if you're looking for incredibly unique tea varieties, but you don't need bulk quantities. While Teavana is not a tea distribution company or tea wholesale company, they sell such a diverse variety of teas that are too unique to pass up.
After buying from tea wholesale distributors, don't neglect proper tea storage
Pay attention to proper tea storage because it'll affect how the final cup of tea tastes, and this is very important to your customers. Usually the loose tea distributors and wholesale tea distributors you buy from will provide you with recommendations.
I recommend: Familiarize yourself with tips on how to
properly store tea and guidelines for the recommended shelf life. If you
store tea properly, it'll keep much longer and taste better when brewed. Also pay particular attention to any instructions your tea distributor provides.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- The great thing about loose leaf tea from loose tea distributors is that you can combine two different varieties for a unique blend, which increases your menu choices without requiring additional product space.
- Keep in mind that tea, just like coffee, tastes better when prepared with filtered or spring water. Check with your tea distributor for additional preparation recommendations.
- Store each tea variety separately to prevent one flavor from contaminating another.
The official source of Tea Distributors and Wholesalers is
the Tea Distributors and Wholesalers page at Business.com