David Rio Chai and Tea

What David Rio Chai and Tea does

David Rio Chai and Tea is a privately held, woman-owned specialty beverage company founded in 1996 in San Francisco. It manufactures and distributes premium chai concentrates, flavored chai blends under the "Endangered Species Line" (Tiger Spice Chai, Elephant Vanilla Chai, White Shark Chai, Tortoise Green Tea, Toucan Mango, Black Rhino Cocoa, Orca Spice, Flamingo Vanilla), the Chai Cart professional masala concentrate, and, since 2026, the Matcha Rio portfolio sourced from Kagoshima, Japan. The business operates as a multi-channel CPG brand with no disclosed parent company or institutional investment.

The company sells through a dedicated U.S. wholesale team serving cafés, restaurants, and specialty retailers; a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site (davidrio.com) with subscription options; one flagship retail café, Chai Bar by David Rio, opened in San Francisco's Mid-Market in 2015; and a network of international distributors reaching more than 30 countries. Pricing is unit-based, with retail canisters (14 oz) around $13.95-$14.95, professional concentrates around $27 per 32 oz, and bulk 3-4 lb formats around $47-$62. Brand and product technology centers on proprietary blending recipes (Chai Cart 1:5 dilution ratio for commercial use) and direct Japanese matcha sourcing via co-founder Rio Miura's Miyazaki heritage, rather than on software or platform architecture.

Revenue mechanics combine transaction-based wholesale and retail sales with subscription-recurring DTC revenue, supplemented by cause-marketing tied to a long-standing IFAW partnership (since 2011) that funds the David Rio Ranger Base in Kenya, Team Lioness, and the Osotua Esiteti Women's Group. Customer segments span café/foodservice operators (primary), specialty retailers, individual consumers, and international distributors. The headcount is 11-50 employees and the company is led by CEO Ai Okubo (with the company since 2002) and founder Scott Lowe, who co-founded David Rio with Rio Miura.

Name

David Rio Chai and Tea

Legal name

David Rio Coffee & Tea, Inc.

Website

https://davidrio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

David Rio is a woman-owned, San Francisco-based specialty beverage company founded in 1996 that blends and distributes premium chai and matcha products to cafés, restaurants, specialty retailers, and consumers across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chai and Tea Beverages

NAICS

Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks (Juice Drinks, Lemonades, Fruit Drinks) (CRADAHAB)

Keywords

• Premium chai blends
• Specialty tea products
• Matcha beverage line
• Wholesale beverage supply
• Chai concentrate beverages

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Wholesale - Cafes and Restaurants: Wholesale distribution of chai and tea products to cafés, restaurants, and specialty food retailers. Products sold in bulk formats for commercial preparation.
2. B2C E-commerce - Direct Consumer Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through davidrio.com website with product catalog and subscription options for recurring orders.
3. Retail Café - Chai Bar: Revenue from flagship retail location Chai Bar by David Rio in San Francisco's Mid-Market where products are served directly to consumers.
4. International Distribution: Revenue from international distributors selling David Rio products in over 30 countries worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

David Rio manufactures and sells premium specialty chai and tea products, including its flagship Signature Chai Endangered Species Line (Tiger Spice Chai, Elephant Vanilla Chai, White Shark Chai, etc.), Chai Cart Masala Chai Pro Concentrate for cafés, and the Matcha Rio sub-brand of Japanese-sourced matcha. Products are sold via wholesale to cafés and restaurants, direct-to-consumer e-commerce with subscriptions, the flagship Chai Bar café in San Francisco, and international distributors in 30+ countries.

Product overview

David Rio Chai and Tea is a premium chai and tea company offering a portfolio of flavored chai blends, matcha products, and specialty beverages. The product line centers on the Signature Chai line featuring the Endangered Species Line of premium chai products (Tiger Spice Chai, Elephant Vanilla Chai, White Shark Chai, Tortoise Green Tea Chai, Toucan Mango Chai, Black Rhino Cocoa Chai, Orca Spice, Flamingo Vanilla Decaf), each named after endangered animals with conservation donations to IFAW. Additional offerings include Chai Cart Masala Chai Pro Concentrate, Tea Frost Japanese Matcha frappe blend, and the new Matcha Rio sub-brand featuring three ceremonial and functional matcha blends (Barista Blend, Super Blend, Frappe Blend). The company also offers a Premium Japanese Matcha Latte & Frappé Mix. All products are designed to be enjoyed hot or iced and are available for both retail and wholesale customers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Matcha Rio: Premium matcha product line launched in 2026, featuring Barista Blend, Super Blend, and Frappe Blend variants sourced from Kagoshima, Japan.
• Endangered Species Line
• Chai Bar

Products and services

• Tiger Spice Chai® David Rio's signature award-winning chai, a rich and creamy mixture of black tea and premium spices including cinnamon, cardamom, and clove. Named after endangered tigers and sold in 14oz canisters at $13.95.
• Tiger Spice Chai® Decaffeinated Decaffeinated version of Tiger Spice Chai made with decaffeinated black tea and premium spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Available in 14oz canisters at $14.95.
• Elephant Vanilla Chai® David Rio's first chai recipe, a rich and creamy mixture of black tea and premium spices. Named after elephants with annual donations to IFAW's Save Amboseli's Elephants project.
• White Shark Chai™ First ever white tea chai latte blend, combining Bai Mudan white tea with organic spices and black pepper. Supports the White Shark Stewardship Project via the Greater Farallones Association. Available as 4lb bulk ($47.00) and 14oz canister ($13.95).
• Tortoise Green Tea™ Chai Green tea chai balanced with premium spices like cinnamon and cardamom, allowing the true flavor of green tea to shine through. Named after the tortoise.
• Toucan Mango™ Chai Creamy tropical mixture of mango, black tea and premium spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Delicious as ice blended smoothie or iced chai. Named after the toucan bird.
• Black Rhino Cocoa™ Chai Signature masala spices combined with rich premium cocoa for a decadent chocolate treat, served ice cold or piping hot. Supports rhino conservation. Named after the black rhino.
• Orca Spice™ Reduced Calorie Chai Original reduced calorie chai made with sucralose, a rich and creamy mixture of black tea and premium spices. Named after the orca (killer whale); available in 14oz canisters at $14.95 with monthly subscription option.
• Flamingo Vanilla™ Decaf Reduced Calorie Chai Vanilla decaffeinated reduced calorie chai made with sucralose, a rich and creamy mixture of black tea and premium spices. Named after the flamingo.
• Chai Cart 1:5 - Masala Chai Pro Concentrate Bay Area original Masala Chai Pro Concentrate brewed with Indian black tea leaves and organic spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, black pepper). Prepared by adding 5 parts milk to 1 part concentrate. Sold in 32oz bottles for $27.00, targeting café operators.
• Tea Frost Japanese Matcha Japanese Matcha Frappe blend of pure quality-grade matcha from Japan. Blend with ice and milk for a delicious and refreshing frappe. Sold as a 3lb stand-up pouch for $62.00.
• Matcha Rio Barista Blend Ceremonial grade, unsweetened matcha designed for purists and creatives. Sourced from Kagoshima, Japan, stone-ground in-house. Provides a smooth, vibrant foundation for hot, iced, blended, or shaken drinks.
• Matcha Rio Super Blend Premium matcha from Kagoshima blended with chlorella, moringa, and wheatgrass, lightly sweetened with agave. Wellness-forward functional beverage positioned in the Super Blends line.
• Matcha Rio Frappe Blend Sweetened frappe blend with rich body, vanilla, and hint of salt for depth. Matcha sourced from Kagoshima, Japan. Cremer-free design allowing customization with preferred dairy or plant-based milk.
• Premium Japanese Matcha Latte & Frappé Mix Three-in-one matcha blend that works beautifully hot, iced, or blended. Smooth enough for beginners and authentic enough for seasoned matcha drinkers. Sold as a 3lb stand-up pouch for café and home use.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• San Francisco AIDS Foundation / STRUTminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Community partnership during Pride Month supporting LGBTQ+ organizations. David Rio participated in STRUT's Pride celebration on June 21 and partnered with San Francisco AIDS Foundation to create connection, inclusion, and belonging in San Francisco communities.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Strategic partnership since 2011 with IFAW for wildlife conservation. Includes support for Room to Roam elephant conservation program, David Rio Ranger Base in Kenya (Illaingarunyoni Conservancy), Team Lioness women ranger unit, and Osotua Esiteti Women's Group. Scott Lowe serves on IFAW's Board of Directors. Donations support elephant, tiger, and general wildlife protection programs globally.
• David Rio FoundationcoreOthersThe charitable arm of David Rio Chai & Tea, dedicated to supporting global conservation and community initiatives. Partners with organizations like IFAW to protect endangered species, empower local communities, and promote sustainable practices. Built the David Rio Ranger Base in Amboseli, Kenya and supports marine mammal rescue in Cape Cod.
• Greater Farallones AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for White Shark Stewardship Project supporting protection and conservation of shark populations in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 26 miles off San Francisco coast. David Rio donates annually from White Shark Chai product sales.
• Peninsula Humane Society & SPCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco Bay Area partnership for animal welfare support since 2002.
• Cat Tales Zoological ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 1999 with Cat Tales in Mead, Washington, where the company adopted a Bengal Tiger named Atlas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stash Tea: Stash Tea is a craft tea company selling chai and specialty blends through grocery, specialty retail, and DTC—comparable to David Rio in product format, channels, and target consumers.
• Big Train: Big Train is a major supplier of chai, latte, and frappe mixes/blends for cafes and foodservice operators—directly competing with David Rio's professional concentrate line on cafe beverage menus.
• Oregon Chai: Oregon Chai is a leading chai concentrate brand sold in grocery and foodservice channels, directly competing with David Rio's Chai Cart Pro Concentrate and signature chai SKUs in cafe and retail accounts.
• Republic of Tea: Republic of Tea is a premium specialty tea company offering chai, matcha, and herbal blends through DTC and specialty retail—competing with David Rio in the same premium, story-driven specialty tea category.
• Bhakti Chai: Bhakti Chai is a Boulder-based craft chai concentrate and RTD brand sold in natural grocery, cafes, and DTC—directly competing with David Rio's chai concentrates on premium positioning and specialty channel placement.

Emerging players

• Jade Leaf Matcha: Jade Leaf Matcha is a direct-to-consumer ceremonial-grade matcha brand competing with Matcha Rio in the rapidly growing U.S. premium matcha segment through similar online channels.
• Ito En: Ito En is a Japanese tea company with matcha and bottled tea products expanding in U.S. specialty retail and foodservice—competing directly with the new Matcha Rio line on heritage and authenticity grounds.

Broad incumbents

• Tazo: Tazo (owned by Starbucks) is a major mainstream tea and chai brand with broad retail distribution; competes with David Rio in specialty retail but at much larger scale and with broader portfolio.
• Twinings: Twinings is an established global tea brand with broad grocery and foodservice presence; competes with David Rio in chai and tea categories but as part of a much wider portfolio.

Regional players

• Café Spice: Café Spice supplies premium chai and specialty beverage mixes to cafes and foodservice operators with comparable concentrate and powder formats to David Rio's professional line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DavidRioChaiSF
• Facebookfacebook.com/DavidRioChaiSF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/david-rio-san-francisco
• Instagraminstagram.com/davidriochai?igsh=Z2hqcmVwN2xybmlp
• Xx.com/davidriosf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 David Rio Chai and Tea