Front Lines at TeaRetailer by Adagio Teas

The 2011 Tea Expo East just concluded this afternoon in Philadelphia, PA. This was the first east coast tea show since 2007 and the first ever to take place in addition to the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. It was a great three days (including the World Origins Tasting Tour), and I wanted to share a few thoughts as I wait to leave town.

Adagio's third Tea Experience Retail Store will open in early October at 617 North State Street in Chicago, IL. This third store completes the original intent of piloting three strategic locations: downtown, suburban street-level and high-end suburban mall.

I've just returned from another exhilarating and exhausting week of Tea Industry immersion, starting with the New Business Boot camp and ending with the World Tea Expo. 5,000 industry attendees (the general public is not allowed to enter) makes for a fascinating platform. Here's a brief recap of a few highlights:

In case there was any question as to whether or not Teavana is really successful or only well-funded, their $100 million IPO filing proves beyond shadow of doubt that there is money to be made in Specialty Tea Retail. Read more for key excerpts from their filing.

The world's largest educational conference on tea will be held this year from June 22nd to 26th at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will be the fourth year I'm presenting at the Expo and I'm definitely looking forward to what should be a record turn-out of exhibitors and attendees from around the world.

Last week I had the privilege of attending the GlobalShop show in Las Vegas. GlobalShop is the world’s largest annual event for retail design and shopper marketing. Here are a few takeaways from my time there.

The tea industry really is an amazing entity. With few exceptions, the people it attracts are open, friendly, generous and unassuming. On both a personal and professional level I have really enjoyed the opportunity to know and learn from such a diverse group of companies and people. No where else have I consistently heard would-be competitors sharing best practices and insights so freely.

Everyone loves statistics! Well, maybe not, but stats and numbers are to an entrepreneur what a new GPS is to a lost driver. The numbers tell you where you are, where you're going, and whether or not you can get there before running out of gas! With more than 200 days of sales data to work with, the picture is really starting to come into focus.

I continue to be absolutely amazed by the lack of coherence and logic behind landlord expectations. Asking prices are all over the map, and making sense of this mess requires solid research and a lot of footwork.

On days like yesterday, with the wind howling and snow falling, most shoppers hurry past the front door, bundled tightly in winter gear, faces shielded against the snow and wind. It's a bit depressing, but come spring this location will benefit from an Adagio-branded outdoor patio approved for up to 56 seats!

Adagio's second "Tea Experience" retail store opened today at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, IL. The complete renovation of the 1,200 square foot space ended up taking exactly 35 days.

Tis the season of miracles. Adagio's second Tea Experience retail store will be transformed from a rough construction zone to tea nirvana in less than 48 hours. Do you believe?

Video of the Grand Opening of Adagio Retail's first brick-and-mortar retail store.

Construction is in full swing at our second store, currently scheduled to open on November 24th at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, IL. We broke ground on October 25th and expect the build-out to be complete exactly four weeks later.

Adagio Teas is seeking passionate team members to join our second Tea Retail Store at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, IL.

Control is an illusion. This store opening has been a study in Murphy's Law. The sheer number of unforeseeable complications and delays is almost comical. The good news is that we're finally... almost... done. If the next couple days goes as planned, we should be ready to open the doors to the public on Saturday.

Today is the first day of crunch week, and I can definitely feel the pressure. It's amazing how many moving pieces there are at this stage of the process. At this point you hold on tight, make quick decisions, and pray that you can trust your General Contractor.

Construction in Naperville is moving along quickly. The framing is complete, with flooring and painting underway before millwork arrives next Monday. We’re also finalizing part-time staff, configuring the Point of Sale system, and reviewing teaware samples from outside providers. A few updated before-and-after photos are posted for your viewing pleasure.

Just a quick update today on the progress of construction at Adagio's first Tea Retail shop in Naperville, IL. Eight business days into the process we've completed framing and much of the core electrical and plumbing work, and we had our first round of inspections this morning.

Tea feeds my soul. A friend of mine who owns a small tea company recently challenged me to stop writing so much about the business of tea and wear my soul on my sleeve a little more. So I’m taking this opportunity to describe why I’ve developed a passion for tea.

We’re now 20 days from our original target opening date of September 13th. There have not been any catastrophes or huge surprises, but a series of minor challenges have forced us to re-calibrate our timelines.

Adagio Teas is seeking passionate team members to join our first Tea Retail Store in Naperville, IL. Adagio Tea Consultants are front-line tea evangelists on a mission to introduce casual consumers to Adagio's collection of more than 200 premium loose-leaf teas and line of tea brewing equipment and accessories.

With a little over a month to go before the opening of the first Adagio Retail Store, and two months from the opening of the second, I've begun hiring my team. This past week we added Suzette Hammond as our trainer and the Store Managers for Naperville and Old Orchard.

Adagio Teas is pleased to announce that Suzette Hammond has joined the Adagio Retail team to participate in the company's launch of "Tea Experience" Retail Stores. Suzette will be responsible for Training and Education within the retail division.

Adagio Teas is seeking an experienced and passionate retail professional to manage our new Tea Experience Retail stores in the Chicago land area.

I'm excited to announce that our second Tea Experience Retail Store will open in October in an 1,128 square foot corner location at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, Illinois.

The 2010 World Tea Expo is now over, and I must say it was quite the party. Industry insiders and new tea entrepreneurs gathered from around the world to meet with vendors, share business strategies, keep abreast of industry developments, and celebrate an industry that has weathered the recession of the last two years with a fraction of the scars and casualties of so many others. Here were the highlights from my perspective...

After a surprisingly long search and negotiation I am excited to announce that Adagio's first brick-and-mortar tea retail store will be at 27 W. Jefferson in Naperville, Illinois sometime in late August of 2010. Read more for a profile of the location.

"How do I get trained in tea? Where can I get certified as a Tea Master?" There are industry sanctioned answers to this question, but I'm going to take the risk of offending some rather important and influential people and suggest that...

Adagio Teas, a long-time leader in the online sale of tea will soon open its first Tea “Experience” Retail Store that aims to break with the traditional retail models and offer an environment that encourages customer interaction and experimentation. Unorthodox strategies will include allowing customers to create their own tea blends, brew samples of any tea in the store, and test accessories before buying.