Who are we?
Brooklyn Tea was born out of the childhood memories of making tea for loved ones. Starting at 3 years old, Ali would bring tea to his mother in bed. As a curious (perhaps mischievous) boy, he began to reduce the amount of sugar he put into his mom’s teacup. He would continue to do this until not a grain of sugar was added. It was years later that he revealed to his mom that he stopped adding sugar to her morning tea and she admitted that she never noticed. That peaked his curiosity about what it meant to have an authentic tea experience and sent him down a journey of researching and sampling as much of the tea world as he could.
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Jamila and Ali met in 2014 and drinking tea quickly became an integral part of them getting to know each other. Ali told Jamila about his dream to own a tea company and from there they went full steam ahead plotting out what was to become Brooklyn Tea. Date night shifted from bar-hopping to tea-hopping as they observed and analyzed what was happening in the tea industry and where they could enter and thrive. So, they spent 3 years learning more about the art of tea as Ali studied to become a certified tea sommelier and took on a second job at a tea shop in Manhattan to learn how to run the business successfully. After some time, hard labor, and love, they knew that the moment had come to share their brand with the world. They launched in September 2017 and there hasn't been a dull moment ever since.
Why we need your support?
We are so close to reaching our goal! Brooklyn Tea started out as an online retailer participating in festivals around New York City to share an array of delicious alternatives to sugary drinks. Now, we are expanding to a brick and mortar tea shop and everyone-friendly community space! Based on the feedback from our Brooklyn community, there are very few places to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. There are even fewer places to sip a wonderful cup of tea while reading your favorite novel, studying for a midterm, or just catching up with friends. Most of the best tea in Brooklyn can be found in shops designed only for purchase and take-away, so customers don’t get the experience of sharing a pot of tea with a loved one at a seated table. Brooklyn Tea’s goal is to create a space where the community can gather.
Opening a retail store is expensive. We have already been approved for a SBA loan but we'll need to raise another $20,000 to get started.
These funds will be used for:
Build-out of USDA-compliant blending area
Increasing inventory
Furnishing our shop
Installing a serving counter
Filing fees (permits, licenses, etc.)
Insurance and security
Signage and shop decor
Marketing
What have we done?
Some of our most recent accomplishments include:
-Expanded retail distribution through the City Store, the official store for New York City paraphernalia
-Expanded online sales outside of the East Coast to Texas, California, and Arizona
-Partnered with Lakou Café to offer retail and “ready to drink” Brooklyn Tea products
-Participated in the NYC Coffee & Tea Festival, International African Arts Festival, Black Vegan Festival, Bronze Beauty Expo, and the 44th Annual Atlantic Antic.
-Donated tea products in service of the local Halsey Community Farm in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and the New York Chapter of Twelve Days of Christmas
What will be the impact on the community?
This tea shop is going to have a major impact on our community in a couple of ways. First, we plan to support and inform the community about local charities while they sip and snack in our tea shop. We plan to have 2 charities every quarter and people can choose, at checkout, which charity they would like a portion of their purchase to go to. At the end of the quarter, those charities get the money! We hope that those charities spotlighted that quarter will cross-market with us to promote their charity and our shop. Everybody wins! Second, we would like to showcase local Bed-Stuy talent through musical performances, spoken word, and book signings. We will also source most of our baked goods from Brooklyn based pastry shops that offer vegan and gluten-free options.
What do you get?
Every level of giving comes with different and exclusive Brooklyn Tea products and services that increase as you move up the donor ladder. Rewards include: buttons, free tea, tea accessories, and more. You can learn more by looking at the donor options listed on the right of the screen and clicking the accompanying links.
Risks and Challenges?
As our proposed space is currently under construction, our actual opening date may fluctuate within the boundaries of Fall 2018.
The overall cost of this project is quite more than our Indiegogo goal. With this in mind, this fundraiser serves to reduce the overall cost of starting the shop. We've received an SBA loan to assist with startup costs as well.
When the layout of the shop is fully dialed in and ready to go, there can still many challenges that can pop up during the build out and permitting phase. We've been working hard to coordinate with the contractors to ensure a timely turnaround and opening day.
Thank you for your consideration and hopefully your support!
Tea is the drinking experience that promotes self-care and community and our company hopes to spread that love...it's the Brooklyn way!