Tea Triumphs & Tea-rs (Origin Stories)

It started with my wife Renata and me, two clueless yet passionate souls diving headfirst into the world of tea without a clue about business. We hit the road, selling tea at every event we could find, from bustling trade shows to cozy farmers' markets.

It was tough, but man, it was thrilling!

We hustled like that for years, and eventually, we were able to open our very own shop. It wasn’t just any shop—it was a place buzzing with energy, filled with laughter, good vibes, and of course, our infamous bow ties. It became a community hub, and honestly, it felt like we were on top of the world.

Then boom, COVID hit.

Everything we built seemed to just pause overnight. We tried to keep the spirit alive online, but it wasn’t the same. The supply chain mess didn’t help either. We kept pivoting, trying to find our footing again, launching Daniel’s Chai Bar, thinking small chai bars could be the next big thing.

We even opened five locations in less than a year. But just when we thought we were getting back on track, a lease fallout closed our best spot right before Christmas. Talk about a gut punch.

We were down, but not out.

We tried again, thinking maybe packaged tea bags for businesses could be our comeback. We even got a Kickstarter going and launched it. But guess what? The magic just wasn’t there. It felt like we were forcing it, and it wasn’t sticking.

That’s when it hit us. What people really missed, and what we missed too, was the old T By Daniel—the funky, whimsical place where every visit was an adventure.

So, we're stripping back to what worked, what made us happy, and what made our customers smile from ear to ear.

This shift back to our roots, to T By Daniel, isn’t just a business move. It’s a return to magic, to joy, to those early days of making every cup of tea a little party. It’s going to be bumpy, and not everyone will get it right away. But for those who've been with us from the start, and for new friends we'll make along the way, we’re bringing back the fun, one cup at a time.