The following questions and answers will help you understand the Tealeaves concept and if you have the skills & desire to become a Franchisee:

Why is Tealeaves different to the traditional Tea Room or Tea Bar?

Tealeaves décor is modern and utilizes glass tables and very comfortable chairs and plays soothing piano music – we have a full Café food menu - and here is the big difference - we serve over 125 teas that can also be purchased for brewing at home. We offer a relaxing environment for the entire family, including men and teenagers. One of our customers put this in our suggestion box: “I love your place; it gives me time to relax and enjoy my life.”

What is on your menu and do you have to have a cooking background or need a chef?

Tealeaves offers a wide variety of delicious food – meat and vegetarian hot pies, quiches, high quality soups, six types of sandwiches served on freshly baked French baguettes, crumpets, decadent desserts that include daily baked English-style scones with Devonshire clotted cream and jam, and many other items. Apart from the scones, tea bread pudding and one summer soup, all the food is bought from high quality approved suppliers. This means that we prepare and heat food instead of starting from scratch. So you just need to be organized, follow instructions and keep the kitchen clean. 

What drinks do you offer?

Tealeaves offers over 125 high quality loose leaf teas that are brewed in ceramic teapots with a fine mesh infuser. A timer is used to get the correct brewing time and tea candle warmers are on the tables to keep the tea hot. All the teas can be offered iced, with daily iced tea specials, as well as tea smoothies, refreshers and bubble tea. Coffee and sodas are also served.

Is tea becoming more popular and what about the health benefits?

Since Tealeaves started six years ago tea and its health benefits have received increasingly significant TV, radio and press coverage.  There are many studies that confirm tea’s benefits – from cancer prevention, cardio vascular improvements and cholesterol reduction, to weight loss, bone density improvement and much more. But customers don’t drink tea just for health benefits. As we offer so many choices, our customers experiment and find several teas that they really enjoy drinking as well as getting the health benefits.

What do you sell on the retail side?

We sell all of the 125 teas, as well as sample tea packs.  We help customers decide which teas to purchase by featuring our unique “sniffer jars” of all the flavored teas. All the brewing equipment we use in the Café is available for purchase as well as many different styles of teapots, infusers, mugs & infuser mugs from all around the world, electric kettles, teamakers, and some traditional china cups and saucers. At the counter we have tea bars and tea chocolate for impulse buying.

Do you offer high teas?      

We call them tea parties and as tea is the first word we stress tea and nobody leaves thirsty. We also offer the party by reservation at the customers preferred time.

Tell me about the History of Tealeaves

Tealeaves opened in May 2002 in Parker, Colorado, and was founded by Rob & Lynne Ridge who had moved to the USA in 1981 from England. Rob started his career as an apprentice engineer and worked for a Swedish Company for 24 years, finally as a Marketing VP, before leaving big business to start Tealeaves. Lynne worked as a translator, before becoming a home maker and devoting time to volunteer work. Through hard work we have built a successful business with a proven business model.  It can be fun!

What training and support will be given as we know nothing about Cafes and Tea?
We have put together a comprehensive Operating Manual that details everything from brewing teas, tea types and times for cooking pies. Franchisees will be extensively trained, which will include working in our café, then before you open, we will come to your location to continue the process.  We provide advice on location selection, lease content, tenant improvements and opening advertising.  Our goal is to give you all the tools and training necessary to help you succeed so that the Tealeaves name is held in the same high esteem as the first Café.

What is the next step if we are interested and what would follow?

We will schedule a time to discuss your questions about this very important venture.  If you decide to continue with the process, we will ask you to fill out a confidential questionnaire that will ask you to detail your reasons for wanting to purchase the business opportunity.  It will also ask for financial information.  We will use our good faith business judgment in evaluating our fit with each other.  Should we both decide to go forward, we will deliver the franchise disclosure document to you.  At this point, you should obtain the services of competent legal and accounting professionals with significant experience in franchising.  Once we have answered all of your questions and concerns about franchising, we will proceed to the signing of the franchise agreement.

Please call Rob or Lynne on (720) 851-6099 to schedule a time. Thank you for your interest in Tealeaves.

Notes:

We will be offering Franchises in the second quarter of 2010 

Priority will be given to Colorado

Start-up costs are estimated to be between $220,000 to $350,000.