The Spice & Tea Exchange
The Spice & Tea Exchange is a privately held specialty retailer founded in 2008 that sells gourmet spices, teas, salts, sweeteners, and accessories through nearly 100 franchise locations across 38 states and a Shopify-powered e-commerce site.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersPalm Harbor, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Spice & Tea Exchange does
The Spice & Tea Exchange is a privately held specialty food retailer founded in 2008 in St. Augustine, Florida, that markets and sells a curated portfolio of gourmet spices, teas, salts, sweeteners, and culinary accessories. The company's product catalog is anchored by 144+ proprietary hand-mixed spice blend formulations and a broad loose-leaf tea assortment spanning black, green, herbal, oolong, white, pu-erh, matcha, yerba mate, chai, decaf, iced, and organic varieties, with complementary lines in flavored sugars, infused honeys, monk fruit sweeteners, infused sea salts, fused olive oils, specialty pastas, and artisan soy candles. Distribution is dual-channel: nearly 100 franchise storefronts across 38 states, sited in historic downtowns, university towns, and tourism markets with in-store tea bars, plus a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce site offering free shipping on orders $75+.
The underlying technology stack is a commodity Shopify storefront integrated with standard payment processors (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, Amazon Pay); no proprietary platform, APIs, AI/ML components, or mobile apps are disclosed. The franchise model carries unit-level pricing ranging from $2.99 for basic sugars to $172.99 for premium tea collections, with seasonality heavily concentrated in the holiday window between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, which the company indicates generates nearly one-third of annual revenue. The Spice & Tea Exchange is led by Founder & CEO Amy Freeman and operates as an unbacked private company with no institutional investors, parent company, or M&A activity disclosed in the input materials.
The Spice & Tea Exchange firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Spice & Tea Exchange
- Legal name
- The Spice & Tea Exchange
- Website
- https://spiceandtea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Spice & Tea Exchange is a privately held specialty retailer founded in 2008 that sells gourmet spices, teas, salts, sweeteners, and accessories through nearly 100 franchise locations across 38 states and a Shopify-powered e-commerce site.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Spice & Tea Exchange industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Foods & Spices
- NAICS
- Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF)
Keywords
Where The Spice & Tea Exchange is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palm Harbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Spice & Tea Exchange business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Sale of proprietary spice blends, loose-leaf teas, flavored salts, sugars, honeys, accessories, and specialty food products through company-owned e-commerce and franchise retail locations
- Franchise Revenue: Franchise fees and ongoing royalties from nearly 100 franchise locations across 38 states, with multi-unit development commitments in Virginia and Oklahoma
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product purchases across categories |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Spice & Tea Exchange product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Spice & Tea Exchange is a specialty foods retailer and franchisor that sells hand-blended gourmet spices, loose-leaf teas, flavored salts, artisanal sweeteners, culinary accessories, recipe kits, and curated gift sets. Its private-label, proprietary spice and tea blends are developed in-house and sold through franchised retail stores (~100 across 38 U.S. states) and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site. The company also licenses its brand and operational model to franchise partners.
Product overview
The Spice & Tea Exchange is a specialty retail franchise brand founded in 2008, offering a curated portfolio of gourmet spices, teas, salts, sweeteners, and kitchen accessories through nearly 100 franchise locations across 38 states. The core product offering consists of proprietary hand-mixed spice blends and loose-leaf teas, complemented by flavored sugars (including rose sugar, pineapple sugar, sweet onion sugar), infused honeys (honey jars, honey straws, and bestselling bourbon honey), maple syrups, and artisan soy candles. The company has recently expanded into new product lines including Create & Share recipe kits, olive oils, and bulk/organic tea options. Products are available for purchase both in-store and through the company's Shopify-powered e-commerce platform. The brand emphasizes experiential retail with tea bars and in-store sampling, while also offering franchise opportunities for expansion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Spice Blends Collection A collection of hand-blended spice blends produced in-house by The Spice & Tea Exchange, sold to gourmet home cooks for everyday cooking and gifting.
- Grinder Blends Specialty spice blends packaged in grinder format for fresh-table grinding, sold to home cooks and food enthusiasts.
- Meat Blends Hand-blended seasoning blends formulated for meats, sold to home cooks and grillers.
- Salts Collection Curated assortment of gourmet and flavored salts retailed to consumers for cooking and finishing.
- Infused Salts Salts infused with herbs, spices, or aromatics, sold to gourmet home cooks and gift buyers.
- White Teas Loose-leaf white tea offerings sold to tea enthusiasts and gift purchasers.
- Matcha Ceremonial and culinary matcha green tea products sold to tea drinkers and home baristas.
- Yerba Mate Yerba mate tea products sold to consumers seeking traditional South American-style caffeinated teas.
- Chai Chai tea blends (loose-leaf and spiced) sold to tea enthusiasts.
- Decaf Teas Decaffeinated loose-leaf teas processed via CO2 decaffeination, sold to caffeine-sensitive tea drinkers.
- Organic Teas Certified organic loose-leaf teas sold to consumers seeking organic-certified beverage options.
- Sweeteners Collection Curated assortment of artisanal sweeteners (flavored sugars, honeys, syrups) sold to gourmet home cooks and gift buyers.
- Flavored Sugars Infused and flavored sugar products sold to bakers, tea drinkers, and gift buyers.
- Monk Fruit Sweetener Monk fruit–based natural sweetener sold to consumers seeking sugar alternatives.
- Honeys Specialty and flavored honeys sold to gourmet home cooks and tea drinkers.
- Maple Syrups (Runamok partnership) Specialty maple syrups offered through a partnership with Runamok, sold to gourmet home cooks and gift buyers.
- Culinary Accessories Culinary and tea accessories that complement the company's spice and tea products, sold to home cooks and gift buyers.
- Grains, Rices & Pastas Specialty grains, rices, and pasta products sold alongside the company's spice and tea assortment.
- Curated Gift Sets Pre-curated gift sets bundling the company's spices, teas, salts, and accessories for holiday and occasion gifting.
- Recipe Kits Pre-portioned spice kits paired with recipes, sold to home cooks and as gifts.
- Tangerine Tea & Aromatics Collection Limited-time collection of tangerine-themed teas and aromatics, sold to gift buyers and seasonal shoppers.
- Franchise Program Licensed franchise opportunity granting entrepreneurs the right to operate a franchised Spice & Tea Exchange retail store using the brand, products, and operating model.
Companies that use The Spice & Tea Exchange
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Spice & Tea Exchange technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature1 record
The Spice & Tea Exchange partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Runamok MaplecoreCollaboration with Vermont-based Runamok Maple for exclusive infused maple syrup products including Bourbon Barrel-Aged, Cinnamon Vanilla, Ginger Root, and Hot & Spicy varieties. The partnership features co-branded products sold exclusively through The Spice & Tea Exchange.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Spice & Tea Exchange competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Adagio Teas: Online and retail specialty tea merchant offering loose-leaf teas, custom blends, and accessories. Direct competitor in loose-leaf tea retail and custom blending with comparable product taxonomy.
- Harney & Sons: Specialty tea retailer and blender offering loose-leaf teas, tea blends, and gift sets via DTC e-commerce and physical tea rooms. Direct comparable in premium loose-leaf tea with similar giftable product mix.
- Penzeys Spices: Specialty spice retailer with proprietary blend catalog sold through DTC catalog, retail stores, and e-commerce. Closest direct comparable in proprietary spice blend retail and giftable spice assortments.
- The Republic of Tea: Specialty tea brand offering loose-leaf teas, iced teas, and gift collections through DTC, food service, and select retail. Direct comparable in premium loose-leaf tea curation and gift-occasion positioning.
- Stash Tea: Specialty tea brand selling loose-leaf and bagged teas across grocery, foodservice, and DTC. Comparable in tea category breadth (black, green, herbal, chai) and channel mix.
- Tea Forte: Premium loose-leaf tea brand with proprietary whole-leaf silken pyramid teabags and curated gift collections sold through DTC and upscale retail. Comparable in premium tea positioning and gifting focus.
- Mountain Rose Herbs: Online retailer of organic herbs, spices, teas, and botanical products. Comparable in curated botanical/spice/tea assortment with focus on organic and gourmet positioning.
Broad incumbents
- McCormick & Company: Global leader in spices, seasonings, and flavor solutions across retail, foodservice, and industrial channels. Broad incumbent operating at massive scale in the same product category with overlapping shelf presence.
- Teavana (Starbucks): Premium tea brand and retail concept now owned by Starbucks. Historically competed directly in specialty loose-leaf tea and tea-bar retail; comparable in tea-bar experiential model.
- Frontier Co-op: Wholesale and retail supplier of organic herbs, spices, and botanical products. Comparable in bulk spice and botanical assortment with overlapping retail and bulk-product positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Spice & Tea Exchange social profiles
Digital presenceThe Spice & Tea Exchange financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Spice & Tea Exchange leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Spice & Tea Exchange funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Spice & Tea Exchange M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Spice & Tea Exchange
What does The Spice & Tea Exchange do?
The Spice & Tea Exchange is a specialty foods retailer and franchisor that sells hand-blended gourmet spices, loose-leaf teas, flavored salts, artisanal sweeteners, culinary accessories, recipe kits, and curated gift sets. Its private-label, proprietary spice and tea blends are developed in-house and sold through franchised retail stores (~100 across 38 U.S. states) and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site. The company also licenses its brand and operational model to franchise partners.
Is The Spice & Tea Exchange a public or private company?
The Spice & Tea Exchange is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Spice & Tea Exchange founded?
The Spice & Tea Exchange was founded in 2008. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Spice & Tea Exchange based?
The Spice & Tea Exchange is headquartered in Palm Harbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Spice & Tea Exchange make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are franchise Revenue.
Who are The Spice & Tea Exchange's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Adagio Teas, Harney & Sons, Penzeys Spices, The Republic of Tea, Stash Tea, Tea Forte and Mountain Rose Herbs. Broad incumbents are McCormick & Company, Teavana (Starbucks) and Frontier Co-op.
Does The Spice & Tea Exchange have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Spice & Tea Exchange.
What industry is The Spice & Tea Exchange in?
The Spice & Tea Exchange's product category is Specialty Foods & Spices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAGAI, Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories), with a secondary code of AFAFADAG, Tea Blending & Flavoring. Its NAICS code is 44529 and its SIC code is 2090.