The goal of this project is to scale production of Laza's Hibiscus Tea business, a product that we have already seen tremendous uptake for. Her tea is sold in 26 locations across Toronto and Southwestern Ontario. The product was popular enough to sell through the first batch of 10,000 drinks, and now we are building partnerships with grocery story chains to truly grow Laza's business. With your support, we can make this business sustainable and showcase Guelph ingenuity across Canada!

Laza's Hibiscus tea is made from the dried calyces of the hibiscus flower. The calyces themselves are known to contain high levels of antioxidants – an essential part of a healthy diet. They help to rid our bodies of free radicals (destructive molecules that can damage our cells and DNA) and can protect us against chronic disease, such as heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and cancer.

We know that dietary changes are an effective way to help manage high blood pressure, and hibiscus tea has also been reported to have a lowering effect on high blood pressure. It’s a natural and tasty way to put these changes in motion. Studies have shown that drinking as little as 2 to 3 cups of hibiscus tea each day can lower your blood pressure levels, working as effectively as some anti-hypertensive prescription medications (without the potential side effects).

Laza Food and Beverages is a community-based business. The business was founded in Guelph, and founder Melku Gebrekristos is a common fixture at Laza's store in the Ward, along with the farmer's market, Guelph Jazz Festival, corporate events, and other Guelph events throughout the year.

This is why we're asking the community to support the next step in her growth. Our multifaceted expansion plan involves growth specifically with our line of refreshing and healthy specialty drinks.

Our next steps include:

- Expanding reach in the general and grocery store market through improving our marketing materials and sales strategy

- Increasing storage space and distribution channels to meet increasing demand. This includes new storage space in the current Laza location in the Ward

- Producing locally and sustainably, including environmentally-friendly labels and production methods. We are also speaking with Guelph Solar about the possibility of using solar panels to offset our energy use as we expand the business

- And, if enough money is raised - purchasing a truck to distribute product and serve as a drink truck at events. The goal would be to purchase a small commercial drink truck (think Nissan NV food truck) to distribute drinks to partner locations, and serve drinks directly to customers - for instance at construction sites or other work locations.

You can read Laza's story here: https://lazafandb.com/about/

Thank you so much for your time and your support! We really can't do it without you!