Where did Teavana go?

Where did Teavana go?  Have you ever heard of Starbucks? Well, then you know where Teavana went. Thats right, Starbucks purchased them back on December 31, 2012.  Starbucks acquired Teavana in a deal with an estimated value of $620 million. On July 27, 2017, Starbucks announced it would close all 379 Teavana stores by 2018. In my opinion, this is horrible news.

I found out about the closing of these stores back in August of 2017. I walked in to Teavana for the first time in 2012 in San Diego. A few weeks before I had some of the most wonderful jasmine tea at a restaurant and next I wanted to make my own more often. This also started my research as to the benefits of tea. Anyways, I walked in to Teavana so many moons ago and walked out with my first purchase of real leaf tea. My favorite was the jasmine oolong and over time I became a fan of many more. One of the ones I enjoyed the most in the past few months was the Jade Citrus Mint.

Anyways, in August I had walked in to the store closest to me and low and behold I wasted they would be closing. I was told a few stories from the people in the store. One of the stories was that when Teavana first opened, they were not build in a fashion in which to expand. I don’t know how true this is, but frankly if Panera has figured out a way to create a drive through, then I am sure Teavana could have come up with  a way to not only be in the mall. Another story I heard was that out of the total amount of revenue Starbucks was making with the tea, most of the revenue was coming from the Starbucks stores not the Teavana stores. My own thoughts is that Starbucks has no desire to actually expand Teavana, probably something in the acquisition stated that it was required to remain open for a certain period of time and that Starbucks didn’t get the rights to all the team until after a certain time.

I know my thoughts are just that, thoughts and I didn’t and don’t work for either company, but the way Starbucks went about closing the stores I think there is more to the story then just the two stores I heard when I was in the store. When I shared my story with the manager, he was very quick to defend Starbucks, which sorry Mr. Manager but this leads me to believe that you had already secured a job with Starbucks after they closed the Teavana stores. So of course you would defend the company that would be paying you your paycheck in the new year.

So here we are, early in 2018 and all of the Teavana stores around me are closed. I am glad I stocked up on some of my favorite leaf teas before they closed. I am also glad that Starbucks still carries the Jade Citrus Mint.

Interesting enough, early in the new year I went in to a Starbucks and requested my Jade Citrus Mint and come to find out they had ran out. Come to find out they decided to change the ingredients and make it Organic. Check it out!

For someone who has tried both the non-organic and organic, I can say that I don’t even taste a difference. I am hoping that Starbucks decides to carry several most Teavana teas, but I know only time will tell.

So when I run out of my leaf tea’s I don’t know where I will go but I am starting my search now. Have you heard of DAVID’s Tea?