This would be great discussion for in a tearoom.El Padre wrote:And I just find the whole idea fascinating enough to kick around.
Aug 3rd, '08, 21:27
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Aug 3rd, '08, 21:30
Posts: 727
Joined: Dec 22nd, '07, 21:02
Location: the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy
Aug 4th, '08, 08:51
Posts: 707
Joined: Aug 21st, '07, 15:53
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Connecticut
Contact:
CynTEAa
Yup. Most teahouses and teashops offer this kind of stuff as their "bread and butter"-- maybe 80% to 90% of their offering depending on the sophistication of the market they are in. Wider appeal and higher margins. Then you can afford to carry some of the pricier stuff you may be more passionate about.ABx wrote: I think you're probably right, though. I imagine you'd want to get a fair amount of the typical stuff, like black teas, flavored teas, and tinsanes like rooibos, and then have smaller quantities of higher grade stuff, with a smaller and more fluid variety to see what sticks.
One shop that is doing this rather well is the Tea Cup in Seattle. Many flavored teas and herbal but they have some really nice high end as well. Their space is small but they manage it well. The staff is very well trained and eager to educate the newbie client with patience. Once a year in the Spring (of course) the manager travels to pick up a few special goodies overseas. They also offer some retail items like hard-to-find teaware for the additional sales. It is decidedly non frou-frou.