Please don't mistake my nerves for a lack of enthusiasm.  I realize I look like someone just ran over my puppy, but trust me, it's just because I was nervous with that camera pointed at me.

What we did

In 2007, armed with a little excess student loan money and about 12 credit cards (and the help of an angel investor who by all accounts allowed his business sense to take a temporary leave of absence) I launched what was accidentally the coolest bohemian tea house ever.

I say accidentally, because I thought I was launching the Starbucks of tea.  I went looking for young professionals to come in and buy my premium, hand-made artisan tea blends, but what I got instead was a lovable gang of misfits, freaks and geeks who more or less (through no fault of their own, really) scared away the young professionals and the deep-pocketed tea aficionados.  Some people just don't know how to react to someone wearing a tail or wielding a giant foam sword.

What we do

For the last three years since we closed the tea bar, we have served the tea-loving public via our presence on the Internet.  We create truly unique, innovative and daring blends like Maple Bacon tea and Pancake Breakfast tea.  Our Southern Boy Teas line of iced teas includes flavors like Cotton Candy and Rainbow Sherbet.

Our teas have shipped to every state in the Union and every province and territory in Canada as well as more than a dozen countries overseas.  I love creating new blends and sharing them with customers from around the world.  

But in these last three years, hardly a week has gone by that I haven't heard from at least one of our former tea bar's customers, pleading with me to bring back the tea bar.  And the truth is, I miss our freaks and geeks.

What we want to do

I closed the tea bar because it wasn't serving the purpose I intended for it.  I went into business with the same motivation a lot of people who go into business have.  I wanted to make money and be rich.  When I didn't get rich, I got discouraged.  I liked the young people who visited our tea bar, but sometimes they did scare away other customers.  I started to secretly think they were hurting my business.

What I did not realize when I closed the tea bar was this:  Those young people made me rich in ways that money cannot.  They were, and are, the most amazing group of people I've ever met.  And I did them a grave disservice when I closed Zoomdweebie's.

So now, with your help, I would like to bring Zoomdweebie's back.  We have a space picked out owned by an understanding and enthusiastic landlord.  We have an army of loyal followers who want to see it come back.  It's just a matter of raising enough money for some furniture and fixtures, a few minor touch ups and some operating capital to keep us in the black.

 

What We Need

We are going to need tables and chairs and commercial food service equipment so we can serve beverages and sandwiches.  We need mugs and glasses and display fixtures, utility and rent deposits, inventory and licensing fees.  I've gone over the numbers very carefully and our goal here is the absolute bare minimum that I'd feel even remotely comfortable attempting an undertaking like this.  

If we do not reach our goal, ALL perks will still be honored and we will use the funds to open a retail shop without a bar or purchase additional equipment to help us compete with the big tea companies.

What You Get

We are offering some amazing perks with this campaign.  We have a special blend we're creating just for the campaign, a few different samplers (with the exception of our annual 12 Teas of Christmas Sampler, we NEVER do samples otherwise), opportunities to create your very own blend, and even an chance to spend the day blending teas with me followed by a special Mad Hatter Tea Party where you are the guest of honor.  EVERY contribution helps. 

The Impact

For those of you who never got the chance to visit Zoomdweebie's, it's a bit hard to explain.  Zoomdweebie's was more than just a tea bar.  It was a melting pot of nerd-dom.  Zoomdweebie's served knitters, gamers, cosplayers, the LGBTQ community, furries, lolitas, bible studies, poetry circles, and LARPers.  Zoomdweebie's welcomed EVERYONE and even if you didn't fit into one of the categories, even if you were a total muggle like me, you could come into Zoomdweebie's, have a GREAT cup of tea and catch some of the best people-watching ANYWHERE.  Trust me.

What you're doing with your contribution here is more than just helping give a small business a second chance,  you're creating a sense of belonging for disenfranchised groups in Wichita.

Other Ways You Can Help

Spread the word!  Tell everyone you know.  Post links to the campain on your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, blog, whatever.  All we need is for 1,000 people to contribute $25 for one of our samplers, and we've made our goal.

Buy some tea from us online:

www.zoomdweebies.com

Like our Facebook pages:

www.facebook.com/Zoomdweebies

www.facebook.com/52teas

Check out the all new website we've created just for the tea bar and sign up to subscribe to our email notification list.  We'll be posting updates there about the campaign, and later about events at the new Zoomdweebie's Tea Bar:

www.zteabar.com

You can also sign up to subscribe to our 52teas email newsletter, where we create a new hand-crafted artisan tea every week.  See what we created this week:

www.52teas.com

Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities.

Also, if you have commercial restuarant funiture, fixtures or equipment you need to get rid of, please contact me.

Want a chance to win one of our $1000 perks? Work with Frank to create your own tea blend or iced tea and get some GREAT tea! And help us spread the word about our campaign all at the same time!

Enter HERE