30 Black-Owned Tea Businesses to Support
Did you know that August is #BlackBusinessMonth? Now more than ever, people are looking for ways to support the Black community. One of the easiest ways to further support is to buy + source locally or online from a Black-owned business.
Sharing resources and spreading awareness for allies means a lot, including us at The Boba Social. Of course, this list is just the beginning. We hope you pass this list along and join the conversation in introducing us to more Black-owned tea businesses that we’ve might’ve missed. Honestly... what is boba if you don’t have any tea? Here’s to sipping, shopping, sourcing local, and spreading the tea.
Arizona
Steep & Sip Teas | Website | @steepandsipteas
Based in Phoenix, Steep & Sip to provide organic loose leaf teas and tisanes for their customers to enjoy. All of their teas are blended and tested by certified professionals to ensure drinkers are receiving premium and quality ingredients, crafted for one’s health and wellness.
California
Classy Hippie Tea Company | Website | @classyhippietea
*Correction: We had a hiccup in our original Instagram post. Pardon us—it’s Classy Hippie Tea Company, not Classic Hippie Tea Company 😊
Classy Hippie Tea Company’s mission is to break cultural barriers through service and education tea, with a larger goal of improving public health. Check out their selection of teas, which include sencha green tea, Beautiful People; Sweetheart’s moringa leaf tea with watermelon; or the new Fireflies @ Night black lychee tea concoction — perfectly served with ice.
Teas With Meaning | Website | @teaswithmeaning
Founded by cancer survivor and tea connoisseur, Kamilah Mitchell, Teas with Meaning was born. Kamilah began learning more about herbs that can assist with the new diagnosis and creating tea blends from learned herbs, as well as how to organically grow and cultivate. With more than 20 tea blends on her menu, Teas with Meaning sources tea ingredients from Mt. Shasta and farms from around the world.
Hella Tea | Website | @hellateaoakland
Inspired with a deep passion of hip-hop culture, founder Chantrelle Edwards launched her Oakland-based tea company to offer a great tea experience with a unique Bay Area twist. Her raved about loose leaf teas named in homage of Black artists include the popular NipsTEA Hussle, M. Tea. Hammer, and E-4Tea.
Mingles Tea Bar | Website | @minglesteabar
Nestled right in the heart of Inglewood, Mingles Tea Bar offers a large selection of premium loose leaf teas that could be enjoyed there or to take home by the cup or the ounce. Mingles Tea Bar host monthly tea tastings to introduce customers to the wonderful world of tea, how tea is made, the tea's history, and the proper cupping procedures. This also provides customers an opportunity to sample teas in order to expand their knowledge on teas.
Connecticut
INI Sips | Website | @INI_SIPS
Tea duo, Gulaid and Davina are opened the veteran and family-owned company, INI Sips in New Britain, CT — selling flavorful blends of loose leaf tea along with premium organic coffee. They offer an affiliate program and sell a number of tea and coffee accessories for your drinking experience.
District of Columbia
Calabash Tea & Tonic | Website | @calabashtea
Originated from the evergreen tropical gourd, Calabash can be consumed, planted and used to carry water. “It feeds the village,” says master herbalist and naturopathic physician, Dr. Sunyatta Amen. With two locations in the nation’s capital, her tea company brings elevated herbal tea flavors that takes a medicinal and healing approach, one that is no stranger to Dr. Sunyatta, who grew up helping her father’s vegan juice bar in Harlem.
Dwell Tea Co. | Website | @dwellteaco
Dwell Tea Co. is a modern, eco-friendly tea and lifestyle brand based in the Washington, D.C. area, created to merge our passions for tea, community, and holistic living. Dwell provides high-quality loose leaf tea and accessories. They also host curated intimate events called "CommuniTEA In A Cup," where we gather to enjoy tea and connect.
Delaware
Levitea | Website | @leviteashop
Delaware-based Levitea, is a tea brand dedicated to providing you with the most delicious and amazing teas on the planet. Levitea teas are carefully created and curated based on our high quality standards and must pass its five step approval process. Each tea is evaluated for aroma, flavor, body, mouth feel & overall tea quality.
Florida
Kemiyah’s Tea | Website | @kemiyahs.tea
Ke'Miyah's Tea is to create a line of exquisite teas filled with love, magic, and positive energy that will transform your day into something extraordinary. There’s teas are a magical gateway to a profound “you.” Tea has so many unique benefits to help you connect to your mind, body, and spirit. Their relaxation line has four custom blended herbal teas, offering three other different tasty loose-leaf teas as well.
Georgia
Jayida Ché Herbal Tea Spot | Website | @jayidacheteaspot
Thanks to the auntie and niece duo, Aleathia and Mariyah, Jayida Ché Herbal Tea Spot opened its doors in 2017 to foster and create spaces to practice self love, self care, and self development as a communi-tea by sipping tea. Their first brick and mortar store in ATL is in the historic Ormewood neighborhood and our second location in East Atlanta, where they offer organic and fair trade loose leaf teas.
Just Add Honey Tea Company | Website | @justaddhoney
Created by a tea lover, for tea lovers. Combining flavors from around the world that was pleasing to the palate while still keeping it light and interesting, Just Add Honey Tea Company was born. just add honey tea company wants you to enjoy the best, freshest, and most flavorful teas with every sip. Whether it is a black tea, herbal tea, fruit tea or specialty tea, Just Add Honey wants you to enjoy every cup. Anytime…anywhere.
Iowa
BLK and Bold | Website | @blkandbold
Founders, Pernell & Rod, created BLK & Bold with a desire to make purpose popular. They welcome the obligation to equip young people with tools to live their best lives and overcome familiar unfortunate circumstances by turning a daily ritual, enjoying a cup of coffee & tea, into a means of giving back. BLK & Bold pledges 5% of its profits to initiatives aligned to sustaining youth programming, enhancing workforce development, and eradicating youth homelessness.
Illinois
Good Thoughts Tea Co. | Website | @goodthoughtsteaco
Started in 2014 by head tea maker, Ebone’ McCloud, Good Thoughts Tea Co. is located in and operates from Chicago. They are an all natural loose leaf tea company that is centered around the healing properties of herbs. The Illinois-based tea company’s main goal is to help heal from the inside out all while reawakening the conversation and experience of tea.
Indiana
Tea’s Me | Website | @teasmeindy
Tea’s Me is Indianapolis’ premier tea bar and cafe. Dedicated to providing our customers with a complete tea experience, they offer the highest quality selection of teas and tisanes from around the world.
Maryland
Ivy’s Tea Co. | Website | @ivysteaco
Ivy's Tea Co. is owned and operated by first-generation herbalist , holistic practitioner and dubbed “Tea Bae,” Shanae Jones. She launched Ivy's Tea Co. in November 2016. Since then, the brand has transformed into the hip-hop inspired tea company you shop from today. Through Ivy's Tea Co., Shanae hopes to change the way you see tea drinkers and introduce more African holistic health remedies into the holistic health industry.
Missouri
Teatopia | Website | @teatopiastl
Based in STL, owner Reginald Quarles opened Teatopia, where he offers a diverse range of more than 40+ flavors including varieties from Sri Lanka, India and more. “Brewing better lives one leaf at a time,” dubs Reginald’s tagline. Aside from tea, a small food menu is also offered. A true midwest charm, for sure!
Nevada
Tranquili-tea Organic | Website | @tranquiliteaorganic
Established 2018 in Las Vegas, Tranquili-tea Organic mission has always been to provide gourmet organic loose leaf tea blends and accessories. They believe you shouldn't have to sacrifice your health for flavor. At Tranquili-Tea Organic, its blends are crafted to taste great without compromising what you put into your body.
New York
Brooklyn Tea | Website | @brooklyntea
Brooklyn Tea creates an authentic and accessible escape for our customers through our tearoom and luxurious teas. Our teas are of the highest quality, organic, and fair trade whenever available. As part of its mission, Brooklyn Tea provide free expert-level tea education. They are currently situated at 524 Nostrand Ave in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Black Momma Teas | Website | @blackmommateacafe
Known for our gluten-free loose leaf tea selections, biodegradable tea bags, CBD hemp tea and organic flavored agave, Black Momma Teas offers all that you need to savor every last drop without the guilt. Whether you're a daily sipper looking for eco-friendly tea bags or a casual tea drinker on a diet, you'll find all of the purest essentials for stocking your collection at Black Momma.
North Carolina
Jeddah’s Tea | Website | @jeddahstea
Founded in 2018 by Morgan Siegel, Jeddah’s Tea was birthed from both a passion for tea and a deep love of community. Sourcing small-scale organic, vegan-friendly and fair-trade teas, herbs, and spices, Jeddah’s Tea prepares authentic, traditional teas, blends and concentrates from geographies and cultures underrepresented in the American tea-sphere.
Ontario (Canada)
Cup of Té | Website | @cupofteshop
Cup of Té is a premier online retailer of loose leaf organic teas and teaware. Based in Ontario, Canada, founder Taylor Lindsay-Noel was determined to turn a life-defining situation into a passion that has today transformed her into a flourishing entrepreneur. She was determined to overcome her challenges and transform her situation into something meaningful and extremely valuable to lives, she launched Cup of Té with the goal of providing the world’s finest loose leaf organic teas and teaware at fair prices.
Pennsylvania
Oya Tea Co. | Website | @oyatea
Oya Tea Co. believes in premium herbs and teas that can enhance your quality of life. From increasing peace of mind to decreasing muscular aches and pains, our unique blends were formulated for calming life's storms. Oya Tea Co. brings a taste of the Africa with teas sourced from Kenya and Malawi.
Rhode Island
The Black Leaf Tea and Culture Shop | Website | @theblackleafpvd
Founded by Amber Jackson in 2019, The Black Leaf Tea Shop was incepted with a passion for tea, people, and Black culture. Amber’s tea blends are here to spread joy and inspire all who sip to be as creative and bold as the blends they drink. She’s also curated conversations and created spaces for young Black professionals that don’t have a space here in New England, also hosting a monthly Young Black Professionals Mixer and Tea Talks. Check it out and visit her site to learn more!
Tennessee
My Cup of Tea | Website | @mycupofteamemphis
My Cup is Tea is a specialty tea company based in the Orange Mound community. Orange Mound is the oldest African American Community in America. In 1895, a portion of the land from the vast Dederick Plantation was sliced into narrow lots and sold to African Americans for a small sum. More of that here, but the Memphis-tea company is more than just the tea. It exists to stabilize and edify marginalized women from teaching computer literacy to job readiness — in order to provide excellent teas for tea enthusiasts.
Texas
Bea’s Wellness Teas | Website | @beaswellnessteas
Creator Adrienne Jones started Bea’s Wellness Teas through her diagnosis f pericarditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and pre-diabetes all at once — inspiring her to research holistic approaches to wellness. “Herbs became an integral part of my healing process as I began to experiment with different herbal tea mixtures,” says Jones.
Virginia
Adjourn Teahouse | Website | @adjournteahouse
Adjourn Tea House is an artisanal loose leaf tea company that offers beautifully unique, superior quality, hand blended teas that are sustainably sourced from around the world. “Tea drinking was a major part of my upbringing. Growing up, we routinely enjoy warmed apple juice, sleepytime tea, and the occasional hot toddy,” says founder LaTonia.
Lady Rose Specialty Teas | Website | @ladyrosespecialtyteas
Lady Rose Specialty Teas is a lifestyle brand that promotes education, community engagement, and empowerment for all women and men, while acknowledging unique concerns for Black women and women of color, such as having a higher percentage of fibroids, cysts, endometriosis and more.
Little Urban Tea Co. | Website | @little_urban_tea_co
Norfolk founders of Little Urban Tea Co., April and Stephen, launched a small loose leaf tea company. Teas are handcrafted, 100% organic loose leaf teas and blended free with no added color or flavors.
This list was curated with the help of multiple resources thanks to the tea biz’s themselves, Yelp, Shoppe Black, Tea Happiness and everyone who reached out in our DM’s. Have more or want to add one? Comment in our Instagram post and tag the business!