Far Leaves Tea

What Far Leaves Tea does

Far Leaves Tea is a privately-held specialty tea retailer founded in 1998 in Berkeley, California by co-founders Peter and Donna. The company sells premium loose-leaf teas, herbal infusions, and teaware sourced from single-origin growers across Taiwan, China, Japan, India, Kenya, and other regions, with co-founder Donna conducting annual international sourcing trips since inception. The product portfolio spans nine core tea categories — white, green, oolong, black, puer, herbal, Japanese, FLT Original Blends, and teaware — at price points ranging from $4.50 (tea bags) to $380 (aged Old Tree Green Puer Cake). The company also markets city-inspired blends (Berkeley Blend, Oakland Blend, San Francisco Blend) and co-developed signature blends (Ohayo, Oyasumi) with partner Umami Mart.

The business operates a hybrid distribution model combining a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce site (with nationwide US shipping and free shipping over $75), a single flagship retail teashop at 2626 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, and B2B wholesale to restaurants and corporate accounts. B2B customers include 8+ Bay Area fine-dining establishments (Quince, Cotogna, Terzo, Roses Cafe, Chez TJ, Pizzaiolo) and a corporate wellness relationship with Google (Cafe Jia, Maverick Cafe, Root Cafe, Chou Peko Peko), plus retail boutique distribution in Japan. The technology stack is standard Shopify e-commerce with integrated Shopify Payments; no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are in evidence. Tea master Brad Lebowitz (25+ years tenure) anchors the brand's educational programming, including monthly Story Slams, 'Mastering the Art of Tea' tastings ($25/person), and Saturday Porridge events that double as community engagement and revenue channels.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time purchases — individual tea tins, bulk sizes, gift sets, premium aged puer cakes, teaware, and digital gift cards ($10–$100) — supplemented by event ticketing and wholesale. Pricing is unit-based across all tiers with no subscription model disclosed. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, no headcount disclosed, and has operated continuously for 27 years, positioning it as a mature, lifestyle-oriented specialty retail business rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

Far Leaves Tea

Legal name

Far Leaves Tea

Website

https://farleaves.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Far Leaves Tea is a Berkeley-based specialty tea retailer (founded 1998) selling premium loose-leaf teas, herbal infusions, and teaware through a Shopify e-commerce store, a flagship Berkeley teashop, and wholesale to Bay Area restaurants and corporate wellness accounts including Google.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea Retail

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD), Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

Keywords

• Specialty tea retail
• Loose leaf tea
• Teaware accessories
• Tea tasting events
• Corporate tea programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Tea Sales: One-time purchase model for loose leaf teas, herbal infusions, and tea accessories sold through e-commerce and physical teashop. Products range from entry-level tins to premium aged puer cakes.
2. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available in $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations, delivered by email with redemption instructions.
3. Event Ticketing: 'Mastering the Art of Tea' guided tasting events at $25 per person, featuring 4-5 premium teas with hands-on instruction.
4. Wholesale to Restaurants: Tea supplied to Bay Area restaurants including Quince, Roses Cafe, Terzo, Cotogna, Chez TJ, and Pizzaiolo. Corporate wellness programs at Google.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Far Leaves Tea is a specialty tea retailer that curates, blends, and sells premium single-origin loose-leaf teas, herbal infusions, and teaware sourced from growers worldwide. The company distributes through a Shopify-powered online store, a flagship Berkeley teashop, B2B wholesale to Bay Area restaurants and corporate accounts, and ticketed in-store tea tasting events. Beyond retail, it operates FLT Original Blends (house-developed proprietary blends) and co-developed signature blends with Umami Mart.

Product overview

Far Leaves Tea is a specialty tea retailer offering a comprehensive portfolio of premium loose-leaf teas and tea accessories through an e-commerce platform powered by Shopify. The product lineup centers on nine core tea categories: White Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea, Puer Tea, Herbal Infusions, Japanese Tea, Far Leaves Original Blends, and Teaware. The company also curates specialty collections including Bundled Teas, Chinese Green Teas, and Gifts & Collections. Featured products span individual varieties like Panda Green, Earl Grey, Dragon Well, and Alishan High Mountain, as well as signature gift sets including the Organic Wellness Tea Gift Set and City-Inspired Tea Gift Set. The tea offerings range from single-origin premium teas to house-blended infusions, with price points from $4.50 for tea bags to $380 for aged Puer cakes. The company was founded in 1998 in Berkeley, CA and operates a physical teashop at 2626 San Pablo Avenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FLT Original Blends: House-blended teas including Breakfast Tea, Berkeley Blend, Oakland Blend, San Francisco Blend, and various herbal infusions.
• Ohayo
• Oyasumi

Products and services

• White Tea Collection Premium white teas ranging from sparkly sweet honey notes to grassy flavors, including Silver Needle, White Peony, and specialty blends such as Lavender White. Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Green Tea Collection Fresh, energizing green teas including Japanese varieties (Sencha, Hojicha) and Chinese varieties (Dragon Well, Bi Luo Chun). Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Oolong Tea Collection Half-oxidized teas ranging from green-end varieties like Baozhong to dark roasted varieties like Iron Goddess and Phoenix Oolong, including flagship Dong Ding Oolong and Four Seasons Oolong. Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Black Tea Collection Fully oxidized teas with robust flavor profiles, including single-estate teas from China, Kenya and India, plus classic blends like Earl Grey and Chai Organic. Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Puer Tea Collection Hand-crafted teas from Yunnan province in forms including bricks, nuggets, cakes, and broken leaf teas, including aged puers such as Old Tree Green Puer Cake ($380), Chizi Puer Cake, and Bulang Dark Puer Cake. Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Herbal Infusion Collection Caffeine-free herbal teas made from fruits, roots, berries, nuts, herbs, spices, and flowers with healing and restorative properties (e.g., Rest Well Organic, Herbal Chai Organic, Lemon Ginger Organic, Stay Well Organic). Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Japanese Tea Collection Japanese teas harvested at the right time and processed according to traditional practices, including Sencha, Genmaicha, Hojicha, Matcha Sencha, Kagoshima Sencha, and 1st Flush Sencha. Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Far Leaves Original Blends House-blended proprietary teas including Breakfast Tea, Berkeley Blend, Oakland Blend, San Francisco Blend and various herbal infusions, sourced from organic ingredients worldwide. Sold to individual consumers and as the brand's signature identity line.
• Teaware Collection Tea accessories including traveling teasets, ceramic, glass and raku teaware, tea infusers, and tea bags. Sold to individual consumers via the Shopify store and Berkeley teashop.
• Gifts & Collections (Gift Sets) Tea gift sets and samplers including Organic Wellness Tea Gift Set, City-Inspired Tea Gift Set, Green Tea Sampler, Signature Tea Sampler Gift Set, plus gift cards and gift certificates. Sold to individual consumers for gifting purposes.
• Digital Gift Card Digital gift cards available in $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations, delivered by email with redemption instructions for use online or in the Berkeley teashop.
• Mastering the Art of Tea (In-Store Tasting Events) Ticketed guided tasting events priced at $25 per person, featuring 4-5 premium teas with hands-on instruction primarily using the Chinese gongfu cha method. Sold to individual consumers via Eventbrite.
• Wholesale Tea Supply to Bay Area Restaurants Wholesale tea supply program for Bay Area restaurants including Quince, Roses Cafe, Terzo, Cotogna (San Francisco), Chez TJ (Peninsula), Pizzaiolo (Oakland), and Umami Mart (Oakland) with co-developed signature blends Ohayo and Oyasumi.
• Corporate Tea Wellness Program (Google) B2B corporate tea wellness supply with teas served at multiple Google campus cafes including Cafe Jia, Maverick Cafe, Root Cafe, and Chou Peko Peko.

Quantifiable outcome

• 222+ customer reviews with overwhelmingly positive feedback
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Umami MartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakland-based retailer specializing in Japanese drink and bar furnishings. Collaborated with Far Leaves to create two signature blends: Ohayo (morning tea with Hojicha, Chicory Root, Cassia Seeds) and Oyasumi (nighttime tea with Green Rooibos, Brown Rice, Shitake Mushroom, Shiso Leaf). Partnership active for over 7 years.
• GooglecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate wellness partnership where Far Leaves helped Google start its tea wellness program. Teas are now served in multiple Google cafes including Cafe Jia, Maverick Cafe, Root Cafe, and Chou Peko Peko.
• DropboxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate account where Far Leaves teas are served to Dropbox employees as part of workplace refreshments.
• QuinceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSan Francisco fine dining restaurant serving Far Leaves teas to patrons.
• Roses CafeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSan Francisco restaurant serving Far Leaves teas.
• TerzominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSan Francisco restaurant serving Far Leaves teas.
• CotognaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSan Francisco restaurant serving Far Leaves teas.
• Chez TJminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPeninsula restaurant serving Far Leaves teas.
• PizzaiolominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOakland restaurant serving Far Leaves teas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TeaVivre: DTC retailer of premium Chinese teas including puers, oolongs, and greens sourced direct from growers. Comparable to Far Leaves' single-origin sourcing model, premium pricing, and China-origin product focus.
• Adagio Teas: Online-first specialty tea retailer offering single-origin teas, samplers, and teaware with customizable blends. Closely mirrors Far Leaves' Shopify-style DTC model, premium product range, and gift-set merchandising.
• Yunnan Sourcing: Specialty Chinese tea importer and DTC retailer focused on puers, oolongs, and single-origin Yunnan/Chinese teas. Highly comparable to Far Leaves' puer catalog, single-origin sourcing philosophy, and premium pricing structure.
• Smith Teamaker: Portland-based premium tea brand combining DTC retail, wholesale to restaurants, and a tasting room experience. Comparable to Far Leaves' hybrid retail+B2B model and curated premium positioning.
• Republic of Tea: Premium loose-leaf tea brand selling through DTC, catalogs, and wholesale to hospitality and corporate accounts. Comparable to Far Leaves in premium positioning, blend-led assortment, and B2B wellness channel ambitions.
• Samovar Tea Lounge: San Francisco Bay Area tea lounge chain offering curated tea service, food pairings, and retail. Directly comparable to Far Leaves' Berkeley teashop as a Bay Area experiential tea venue with food/tea pairings.
• Teance: Berkeley-based specialty tea house and retailer offering premium loose-leaf teas and a teahouse experience. Highly comparable to Far Leaves in geography, scale, and curated single-origin positioning.
• Upton Tea Imports: Long-established specialty tea retailer and importer offering single-origin teas, blends, and teaware through DTC and B2B. Comparable in product depth, premium pricing on rare teas, and importer-retailer model.
• Harney & Sons: Established premium tea retailer (founded 1983) selling loose-leaf teas, blends, and teaware through DTC e-commerce and wholesale to fine-dining/hospitality. Comparable to Far Leaves in product depth, premium positioning, and B2B restaurant channels.

Regional players

• Imperial Tea Court: San Francisco Bay Area-based premium Chinese tea company operating teahouses and retail, founded by a Master Tea Maker. Comparable to Far Leaves in Bay Area teashop format and premium Chinese-tea focus, though with broader Chinese-tea specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp9_0p8AWtjh0APzUs6RQjw
• Facebookfacebook.com/farleaves
• Instagraminstagram.com/far_leaves_tea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Far Leaves Tea