Tiesta TEA

Tiesta Tea is a Chicago-based producer of loose leaf tea and tea beverages. Its catalogue is organized two ways: by tea type (black, green, white, oolong, rooibos, herbal, fruit, single origin, matcha and cold brew) and by five functional categories tied to the blends' natural health benefits — Energizer, Slenderizer, Immunity, Eternity and Relaxer — so a customer can select the intended effect first and then a flavor within that function. The company states it sources more than 150 ingredients from over 40 countries and uses whole fruits, herbs and spices rather than finely chopped bagged tea.

Beyond single-blend loose leaf tins and pouches, the product range includes cold brew pitcher packs and variety packs, samplers and starter kits, bundles, gift boxes, gift cards, subscription mystery boxes and brewing hardware such as the Brewmaster infuser, brew baskets, tea balls, biodegradable tea filters and iced tea pitchers. Retail list prices on the company's site run from roughly $3.95 for cold brew samples and $4.39 for single samples to about $45–$50 for larger blends and multi-tea samplers.

The company also runs a philanthropic arm, the Tiesta Tea Foundation, which funds assistance for people facing economic hardship, awareness and acceptance for people with special needs or disabilities, and clean drinking water projects, including water wells in Nigerian farming communities and Warmth Kits distributed in Chicago.

Founding story

The idea came from a study abroad semester in Prague taken by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign friends Dan Klein and Patrick Tannous, who were struck by the popularity of tea and the number of teahouses there and asked why Americans were not drinking more tea. Enrolled in an entrepreneurship program at the university, they pitched a loose leaf tea retail concept offering high quality tea at reasonable prices to Jimmy John's founder Jimmy John Liautaud, whose advice they cite as "listen to your customers and outwork your competition." After about two years of preparation, the business launched in 2010; early obstacles they cite were limited access to capital and little business experience.

Business model

Tiesta Tea manufactures and sells loose leaf tea blends, cold brew and ready-to-drink teas, matcha, samplers, gift bundles and brewing accessories. It sells directly to consumers through its own e-commerce store, including a rewards program and subscription mystery boxes, and to businesses through wholesale, store-within-a-store, private label and corporate gifting programs.

Revenue comes from product sales: direct-to-consumer online orders of loose leaf tea, cold brew, matcha, gift sets and teaware, plus wholesale and retail distribution, private label production and corporate gifting. A portion of bottled tea sales is dedicated to funding water wells.

Traction

Products were reported as distributed in 8,000 stores nationwide, and the company operates as a manufacturer with its own warehouse capacity in Elk Grove Village. Retail traction includes Tea-Osk kiosks in all 71 Fresh Thyme Market stores across ten states. A data provider estimated 2026 annual revenue of $10M–$25M and approximately 25 employees.

Latest developments

A collaboration with Daily Crunch produced Sweet Chai Sprouted Almonds, unveiled at Expo West in March 2026. The company's site continues to promote new samplers, bundles, seasonal blends and cold brew products.