The never been told insider story of Teavana. What happened, what didn’t happen, and where is the brand positioned today? This is a story of a dream career that started as a General Manager at one Teavana store in NJ, all the way to transitioning the brand into Starbucks, after the acquisition. The heart and soul of the brand can still be experienced, not necessarily in the US, but in Asia, through a few Teavana flagship stores in Shanghai and Tokyo. New and tea companies can learn how to run a successful and enduring tea business, which ultimately depends on your vision, mission & values. There is no secret sauce, but I can share a narrative so tea businesses large and small can arrive and ideate with their own takeaways. 1. Knowledge is power. 2. Innovation is Key To Success. Don’t follow the status quo. 3. Let Passion and Perseverance finish its work.
Naoko’s tea career started at the French Culinary Institute in 2001, where she was awarded Best Final Project for incorporating loose-leaf tea as an ingredient into a 5-course French menu. She would then work in a predominantly women-led kitchen at Takashimaya’s NYC Tea Box Caf... Read More →
