Brooklyn Tea
Brooklyn Tea is a privately-held premium loose-leaf tea retailer and tea room operator founded by Jamila and Ali Wright, serving health-conscious consumers through DTC e-commerce, tea rooms in Brooklyn and Atlanta, an airport concession at JFK Terminal 4, and wholesale distribution via Target and Wegmans.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Brooklyn Tea does
Brooklyn Tea is a privately-held, premium loose-leaf tea company and tea room operator co-founded in 2017 by Jamila Wright and Ali Wright in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The company retails over 100 varieties of teas sourced globally (Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, Taiwan) and sells premium loose-leaf pouches ($5.99–$87), pyramid sachets, curated gift boxes, teaware, and branded apparel. It operates a multi-channel distribution model: a Shopify-powered DTC e-commerce site shipping to all 50 US states and internationally, two brick-and-mortar tea rooms in Brooklyn (411 Lewis Ave) and Atlanta (329 Nelson St), an airport concession at JFK Terminal 4 via a joint venture with HMSHost, and wholesale distribution through Target and Wegmans.
The business model blends transactional DTC sales, recurring subscription revenue (via Appstle, 10% discount on bimonthly/monthly/quarterly deliveries), paid tea tasting experiences led by co-founder Ali Wright (a certified tea sommelier), and wholesale/transactional revenue from Target, Wegmans, and the HMSHost airport concession. Subscription pricing, a Tea Finder Quiz, and a proprietary podcast ("The Benefits: Plant Medicine Unlocked") function as retention and content marketing layers. The company ships to all 50 US states and territories, with free shipping over $50 and a 3–5 day fulfillment window.
Brooklyn Tea is positioned as the first Black-owned tea brand and first tea-focused retail concept in any US airport, with brand recognition driven by endorsements from Beyoncé and Shonda Rhimes, recognition by the Fifteen Percent Pledge, and earned media across the Today Show, Bloomberg, and ABC 7 NY. The company's tea rooms double as community gathering spaces hosting book clubs, cultural events, and nonprofit partnerships. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity.
Brooklyn Tea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brooklyn Tea
- Legal name
- Brooklyn Tea Seller INC
- Website
- https://brooklyntea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Brooklyn Tea is a privately-held premium loose-leaf tea retailer and tea room operator founded by Jamila and Ali Wright, serving health-conscious consumers through DTC e-commerce, tea rooms in Brooklyn and Atlanta, an airport concession at JFK Terminal 4, and wholesale distribution via Target and Wegmans.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brooklyn Tea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Tea & Beverages
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)
Keywords
Where Brooklyn Tea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Brooklyn Tea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Online sales through brooklyntea.com selling loose leaf teas, sachets, gift boxes, apparel, and teaware. Products sold in various sizes with subscription option offering 10% savings.
- Brick-and-Mortar Tea Rooms: In-person sales at tea rooms in Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy) and Atlanta featuring tea drinks, tastings, and retail products. Also hosts events, tastings, and private bookings.
- Airport Concessions: Joint venture partnership with HMSHost operating Brooklyn Tea & Market at JFK Terminal 4, offering top teas and treats from NY favorite brands.
- Wholesale Distribution: Products sold through Target and Wegmans retail stores, and participating in Target Takeoff Food and Beverage program for small brand scaling.
- Tea Tastings and Events: Paid tea tasting experiences at Brooklyn tea room, including guided sessions by certified tea sommelier, with 50% off product purchases for attendees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Loose Leaf Tea Pouches |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Tea Tins |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sachet Box (12 Count) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free Shipping Threshold |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Brooklyn Tea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brooklyn Tea sources, blends, packages, and sells over 100 premium loose-leaf teas globally (black, green, oolong, white, pu-erh, herbal, rooibos), pyramid sachets, curated gift boxes, teaware, and branded apparel. The brand operates two physical tea rooms in Brooklyn and Atlanta, runs a Shopify-powered DTC e-commerce site with subscription service, distributes wholesale through Target and Wegmans, and runs a JFK Terminal 4 airport retail concept. Certified tea sommeliers lead paid tea-tasting experiences, and the company hosts cultural programming including book clubs and community events.
Product overview
Brooklyn Tea is a premium loose leaf tea company and tea room operator offering over 100 varieties of teas sourced globally. The core product portfolio includes premium loose leaf teas (black, green, oolong, white, pu-erh, herbal, rooibos) sold by weight in various sizes, and tea sachets in pyramid format. The offering extends to curated tea gift boxes, digital gift cards, a subscription service (powered by Appstle), tea tastings/experiences led by a certified tea sommelier, and a branded podcast on plant medicine. Physical retail includes two brick-and-mortar tea rooms in Brooklyn and Atlanta, plus a new airport concept at JFK Terminal 4. The company also sells teaware accessories and branded apparel. The business operates on a Shopify e-commerce platform with Mailchimp email marketing integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Premium Loose Leaf Teas
- Tea Sachets (Pyramid Sachets)
- Tea Gift Boxes
- Digital Gift Cards
- Tea Subscription Service
- Tea Tastings & Experiences
Quantifiable outcome
- Ships to all 50 US states and US territories
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Brooklyn Tea
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brooklyn Tea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature2 records
Brooklyn Tea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- HMSHostcoreJoint venture partnership with HMSHost to open Brooklyn Tea & Market at JFK Terminal 4. This is the first joint-venture partnership under the street market programme. HMSHost provides mentorship and backs a ten-unit concessions contract. The opening aligns with Port Authority's JFK redevelopment strategy through 2026.
- JFKIATcoreJFKIAT operates JFK Terminal 4 and has partnered with HMSHost to introduce local food and beverage concepts including Brooklyn Tea under a new street market programme. Seven additional local partners joining a ten-unit concessions contract.
- Target (Target Takeoff Program)coreBrooklyn Tea selected for Target Takeoff Food and Beverage program's third cohort in 2023. The six-week program helps small brands scale on mass retail shelves through mentorship and guidance.
- WegmanscoreWholesale distribution partnership with Wegmans grocery stores for Brooklyn Tea products nationwide.
- Port Authority of New York and New JerseysupportingThe Port Authority operates JFK Airport and facilitated the opening of local and diverse business concepts in terminal concessions as part of broader JFK redevelopment strategy through 2026.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brooklyn Tea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Harney & Sons: Family-owned premium loose-leaf tea company with broad assortment, wholesale distribution, and tea-tasting rooms. Direct competitor in the premium loose-leaf space with similar sizing, pack formats, and DTC-plus-wholesale model.
- Adagio Teas: Online-first premium loose-leaf tea retailer offering 100+ varieties, subscription options, and customizable blends. Comparable assortment depth and DTC subscription model to Brooklyn Tea.
- Republic of Tea: Premium tea brand offering loose-leaf, sachets, and gift sets via DTC and wholesale into grocery and specialty retail. Comparable premium positioning, assortment structure, and multi-channel distribution.
- DAVIDsTEA: North American specialty tea retailer with brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce, and extensive loose-leaf assortment. Operates the same DTC + retail tea room model that Brooklyn Tea uses.
- Smith Teamaker: Portland-based premium loose-leaf tea maker with whole-leaf teas, tea subscription, and wholesale presence in grocers and cafés. Comparable craft sourcing narrative and assortment structure.
- Argo Tea: Tea café chain operator offering loose-leaf teas, lattes, and retail products in physical locations. Directly comparable tea room/cafe model with prepared beverages and packaged tea sales.
Broad incumbents
- T2 Tea: Global premium tea brand with retail stores, signature loose-leaf packaging, and lifestyle marketing. Comparable premium positioning and tea room retail format, though significantly larger and broader.
Emerging players
- Laloo's Tea: Small-batch premium loose-leaf tea brand focused on goat milk tea and unique blends, with DTC and select retail. Comparable brand size and niche premium positioning.
Others
- Possibly Adwoa (community-forward Black-owned beauty) — not a tea peer; include Mumgry/80 Acres as adjacent: Not a direct peer.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium craft CPG brand with comparable Target/accessibility plus DTC omnichannel structure and cult community following. Adjacent rather than competitive — useful for benchmarking artisanal CPG scale-up.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brooklyn Tea social profiles
Digital presenceBrooklyn Tea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brooklyn Tea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Brooklyn Tea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brooklyn Tea 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 Brooklyn Tea
What does Brooklyn Tea do?
Brooklyn Tea sources, blends, packages, and sells over 100 premium loose-leaf teas globally (black, green, oolong, white, pu-erh, herbal, rooibos), pyramid sachets, curated gift boxes, teaware, and branded apparel. The brand operates two physical tea rooms in Brooklyn and Atlanta, runs a Shopify-powered DTC e-commerce site with subscription service, distributes wholesale through Target and Wegmans, and runs a JFK Terminal 4 airport retail concept. Certified tea sommeliers lead paid tea-tasting experiences, and the company hosts cultural programming including book clubs and community events.
Is Brooklyn Tea a public or private company?
Brooklyn Tea is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Brooklyn Tea founded?
Brooklyn Tea was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Brooklyn Tea based?
Brooklyn Tea is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brooklyn Tea make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are brick-and-Mortar Tea Rooms, airport Concessions, wholesale Distribution and tea Tastings and Events.
Who are Brooklyn Tea's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Harney & Sons, Adagio Teas, Republic of Tea, DAVIDsTEA, Smith Teamaker and Argo Tea. T2 Tea is listed as a broad incumbent. Laloo's Tea is listed as an emerging player. Others are Possibly Adwoa (community-forward Black-owned beauty) — not a tea peer; include Mumgry/80 Acres as adjacent and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.
Does Brooklyn Tea have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brooklyn Tea.
What industry is Brooklyn Tea in?
Brooklyn Tea's product category is Specialty Tea & Beverages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAF, Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes, with a secondary code of AFAFADAG, Tea Blending & Flavoring. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.