Specialty Teas?

I am considering expanding our tea business into the b2B realm and offering
our specialty teas to other restaurants, and I was wondering how much
interest there might be in such a thing among restaurant owners. Would
serving flavored iced teas or just very high quality
iced teas to guests be a product/service a restaurant owner would find interesting? Keeping in mind that tea is still a very high
margin item, would a restaurant owner be willing to pay a slight premium to have something
that not every other restaurant on the planet is serving? I have teas that
I know will work best with the commercial brewing equipment, and I can offer
them in about 100+ flavors or as just high quality Assam (very stout,
robust, flavorful) or Nilgiri (lighter, sweeter, sun-tea like experience)
estate teas. I am thinking I will also be able to get filter packs that
hold 3 ounces, to be able to brew three gallons at a time. Which of those
options do you think would be most appealing to a restaurant owner--3 gallon or one gallon?

I would really appreciate your input on this. I am trying to get an idea of how much
demand there might be for my products. Thanks in advance for your input.

I'd buy it in 3 oz. packs, if the price was right.

quote:

Originally posted by chewingthefat

I'd buy it in 3 oz. packs, if the price was right.

May I ask what a "right price" would be, in your estimation? Do you know what you are currently spending for tea?

Speaking strictly as a customer, I would like to see more restaurants do more with tea.
Most restaurant tea is horrid. I don't even bother, especially with iced tea. I want my tea hot
and want to know the brand or blend I am getting. If it is morning make it English or Irish Breakfast. If it is lunch, make it Earl Grey or a good China Black. Afternoon and into evening
Lapsang Souchong is ideal.

Anything that would improve restaurant tea seems like a good idea and I would pay extra for it, but I don't think most folks would as we are all used to insipid tea at restaurants and usually order coffee as a matter of course. I think any restaurant trying to establish itself as a place for good tea has a lot to overcome in consumer resistance. Good luck, anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by Greyghost

Speaking strictly as a customer, I would like to see more restaurants do more with tea.
Most restaurant tea is horrid. I don't even bother, especially with iced tea. I want my tea hot
and want to know the brand or blend I am getting. If it is morning make it English or Irish Breakfast. If it is lunch, make it Earl Grey or a good China Black. Afternoon and into evening
Lapsang Souchong is ideal.

Anything that would improve restaurant tea seems like a good idea and I would pay extra for it, but I don't think most folks would as we are all used to insipid tea at restaurants and usually order coffee as a matter of course. I think any restaurant trying to establish itself as a place for good tea has a lot to overcome in consumer resistance. Good luck, anyway.

Some information that I think most of you restaurateurs might find interesting: the best tea indisputably comes from India (Assam, Nilgiri, Darjeeling...), China, Japan, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and Taiwan (Formosa), BUT, the number one exporter of tea to the United States is (drum roll, please...) Argentina! Argentina produces a very inexpensive, third rate, mechanically harvested tea that almost all of the big name brands use as filler in their tea bags.

Secondly (and then I will get off my soapbox), when your tea purveyor tells you with a gleam in his eye that he's offering you Orange Pekoe, you should know that it has nothing to do with oranges and that OP is in fact the LOWEST grade of whole leaf tea in a long progression of grades which starting with OP progresses as follows: OP, OP Superior, F(Flowery)OP, FOP1 (1st grade leaves), G(Golden)FOP1,T(Tippy)GFOP, TGFOP1, F(Finest)TGFOP. The running joke among tea nerds is that FTGFOP stands for Far Too Good For Ordinary People. I always get the biggest kick out of tea that is boldly merchandised as "Orange Pekoe" as if this was something amazing and/or a type of tea (It isn't. It only refers to the leaf style). I have customers who come in sometimes who tell me that they really like Orange Pekoe tea which doesn't tell me anything about what type of tea they like, just what leaf size they have been buying. Anyway, just a little tidbit of information to pass on.

Well, I don't know why you quoted me as I never mentioned Orange Pekoe. What is your price for Lapsang Souchong and how fast can you deliver?

Is this an advertising plot? Thinking that maybe some of us will want to jump on board? Is that why your previous posts were deleted?
Sorry to sound so defensive but it has been know to happen. Especially with newbies that pose themselves with the greatest invention or food concoction in the world. Again I apologize if I am wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by DandyDog

Is this an advertising plot? Thinking that maybe some of us will want to jump on board? Is that why your previous posts were deleted?
Sorry to sound so defensive but it has been know to happen. Especially with newbies that pose themselves with the greatest invention or food concoction in the world. Again I apologize if I am wrong.

Am I here just because I am trying to sell my wares? No. I actually enjoy the give and take of the forums, the opportunity to share problems and solutions. (I also have some restaurant management and accounting experience that I am happy to share.)

Would I hate it if in the process of sharing what I do, I found some new customers? No. I'm very proud of our products. I think we offer something unique, and I like to let people know that they have options. That said, I think there is a difference between letting people know that there are alternatives and soliciting a sale. I am a small business man, like (I imagine) a lot of you, and yes, I will do a lot of things to ensure the survival and growth of my business, but am I willing to potentially offend the people whom I might be able to lean on for a bit of support and information and assistance in the planning and development of that business? Hmmm, let me see, which is more important, a cheap, quick sale or the opportunity to network with similar business owners and operators? I think the latter.

As for my previous post, I sincerely do not believe that it was in any way solicitous or spammy, but that is my opinion. The main difference between the first post and the one that was finally approved was that I was asked to leave out my business' name and I had quoted a price on the one ounce teabags and posed the question of whether the readers here thought that was reasonable. It was not an invitation to buy. Honestly, none of this was intended to be. I just wanted your opinions as consumers in the market I am planning on entering. Frankly, I don't even have the product ready to sell at this point (I am still trying to decide between one ounce and three ounce filter packs).

In any event, I apologize if I have offended anyone. That was certainly not my intent. I am just trying to gather some information.

quote:

Originally posted by Zoomdweebie

quote:

Originally posted by chewingthefat

I'd buy it in 3 oz. packs, if the price was right.

May I ask what a "right price" would be, in your estimation? Do you know what you are currently spending for tea?

I buy Teatley Tea,,,32,3 oz. packs,$38.33

So, what would be a fair price for some QUALITY teas? If you could have something completely unique and crowd pleasing, keeping in mind the really high margins you make on tea already, what do you think would be fair?

quote:

Originally posted by Zoomdweebie

So, what would be a fair price for some QUALITY teas? If you could have something completely unique and crowd pleasing, keeping in mind the really high margins you make on tea already, what do you think would be fair?

I have no idea, as a matter of fact I don't think I've ever tasted a real quality tea...It's always been the Tetley level quality.