The Spice & Tea Exchange

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.

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

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

• Gourmet spices
• Loose-leaf teas
• Specialty foods
• Flavored salts
• Culinary accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. 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
2. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Runamok MaplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/spiceandtea
• Instagraminstagram.com/spiceandtea
• Pinterestpinterest.com/spiceandtea
• Xx.com/spiceandtea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Spice & Tea Exchange