Madame ZuZu's Teahouse

What Madame ZuZu's Teahouse does

Madame ZuZu's Teahouse is a privately held, founder-operated specialty retailer established in 2012 in Highland Park, Illinois by Billy Corgan (of The Smashing Pumpkins) and Chloe Corgan. The business operates as a hybrid physical-and-digital retail concept combining three distinct product verticals under one roof: (1) a curated vinyl record shop featuring 385+ releases with emphasis on Smashing Pumpkins catalog reissues, limited edition box sets (priced up to $395), and exclusive pressings across rock, metal, jazz, soul, electronic, and hip-hop genres; (2) a premium tea program offering 30+ hand-selected varieties including aged Pu-erhs, ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha, and signature blends, with bundled tea-and-vinyl pairings curated by the founders; and (3) branded merchandise (apparel, accessories, mugs) featuring Smashing Pumpkins-themed designs. The company also operates a live music stage for events and private bookings, with ticketing facilitated through Eventbrite.

The technology stack is a standard Shopify-based D2C e-commerce architecture with Shopify Payments (Stripe) for transaction processing, Supabase for cart and event data storage, Klaviyo and Omnisend for email and SMS marketing, Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity for session analytics, and Meta/TikTok/Google pixels for paid acquisition. The e-commerce storefront ships worldwide with free US shipping on orders over $150, while the physical retail location at 1876 First Street, Highland Park operates as a teahouse, vinyl shop, and live music venue with standard retail hours (Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-8, Sun 11-5). The GTM motion is direct-to-consumer with no intermediated distribution.

The business model is transaction-based across all three verticals, with no subscription, licensing, or service revenue. Customers are exclusively individual consumers segmented into music collectors/enthusiasts, tea connoisseurs, and live music event attendees. Pricing is unit-based across all product lines, with no tiered or recurring structure. Marketing relies on email/SMS, organic social, earned media from Billy Corgan's celebrity profile, and paid social/search. The company has no external institutional funding, no parent company, and operates with approximately 5 employees, consistent with a small lifestyle business scaling primarily through product cadence rather than organizational expansion.

Name

Madame ZuZu's Teahouse

Legal name

Madame Zuzu's Tea House & Record Shop

Website

https://madamezuzus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Madame ZuZu's Teahouse is a privately held Highland Park, Illinois retailer founded in 2012 by Billy and Chloe Corgan, operating a Shopify-powered D2C storefront and physical venue selling curated vinyl records, premium teas, branded merchandise, and live music events to individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Specialty tea retail
• Vinyl record shop
• Live music venue
• Premium loose leaf tea
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vinyl Records, CDs & Box Sets: Sale of physical music media including vinyl records, CDs, and limited edition box sets. Inventory includes rare pressings, exclusive editions, and deep catalog from various artists across multiple genres. Prices range from approximately $17 to $345 per item.
2. Premium Teas: Sale of premium teas including Pu-erhs, ceremonial-grade matcha, and specialty blends hand-selected by Billy & Chloe Corgan. Products include signature teas like Stimulus Hot, Tropical Fruit Medley, and 2012 Vintage Barrel Aged Hot Chocolate Pu-erh. Tea prices range from approximately $27 to $58.
3. Branded Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies), accessories (caps), and drinkware (mugs). Items feature Madame ZuZu's branding and Smashing Pumpkins-related designs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Madame ZuZu's operates a combined specialty retail business consisting of a curated vinyl record shop (385+ releases across rock, metal, jazz, soul, electronic, hip hop, and country), a premium tea program featuring aged Pu-erhs, ceremonial-grade matcha, and signature blends hand-selected by founders Billy and Chloe Corgan, and a live music stage that hosts performances and private events. Products are sold both through a Highland Park storefront and a Shopify-powered online store shipping worldwide.

Product overview

Madame ZuZu's is a vinyl record shop, premium tea house, and live music venue under one roof located in Highland Park, Illinois, established in 2012. The business operates as a unified retail and experience concept combining: (1) a curated vinyl record shop offering rare pressings, exclusive editions, and deep catalog titles across 385+ releases including rock, metal, jazz, soul, electronic, hip hop, and country genres; (2) a premium tea café featuring hand-selected teas including Pu-erhs, ceremonial-grade matcha, and curated blends by Billy and Chloe Corgan, with signature tea and vinyl pairings; (3) a live music stage hosting events and private performances; and (4) branded merchandise including Smashing Pumpkins collectibles and Madame ZuZu's accessories. The shop specializes in Smashing Pumpkins releases and exclusive pressings, with a focus on anniversary editions and limited-run vinyl.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vinyl Records, CDs & Box Sets Curated catalog of 385+ vinyl LPs, CDs, and box sets spanning rock, metal, jazz, soul, electronic, hip hop, and country, with a strong emphasis on rare pressings, exclusive editions, anniversary reissues, and Smashing Pumpkins-related releases. Prices range from approximately $15 (single CDs) up to $395 (limited deluxe box sets).
• Premium Teas 30+ premium loose-leaf and specialty teas hand-selected by Billy and Chloe Corgan, including aged Pu-erhs (notably 2012 Vintage Barrel Aged Hot Chocolate Pu-erh), ceremonial-grade matcha from Shizuoka, Japan, hand-rolled jasmine pearl green tea, oolongs (including color-changing Blue Dragon Oolong), and curated signature blends such as Stimulus Hot, Tropical Fruit Medley, and French Kissed Moroccan Mint. Prices range from approximately $27 to $58 per unit.
• Branded Merchandise Branded apparel and accessories featuring Madame ZuZu's identity and Smashing Pumpkins-related designs, including short-sleeve shirts, pullover hoodies, baseball caps, and drinkware (mugs). Prices range from approximately $19.99 (mugs) to $85 (hoodies). T-shirts typically $25-$45; hoodies $50-$85; caps $30.
• Live Music Events Live stage performances and events at the Highland Park location, including ticketed concerts (sold via Eventbrite) and private event bookings. The venue operates Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-8pm, and Sun 11am-5pm as a combined teahouse, vinyl shop, and live music venue.

Quantifiable outcome

• 385+ music releases in catalog
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Billy & Chloe CorgancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounders and primary curators of Madame ZuZu's. Billy Corgan (founder of The Smashing Pumpkins) and Chloe Corgan hand-select all teas and curate vinyl/tequila pairings. Their music industry connections enable exclusive pressings and limited editions.
• EventbriteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party ticketing platform used for event RSVPs and ticket purchases when customers register for ticketed events at the Madame ZuZu's venue.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider powering the online store, order management, and payment processing through Shopify Payments/Shop Pay.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rough Trade: Independent record store and label with physical stores and a strong e-commerce platform shipping vinyl worldwide, directly comparable to Madame ZuZu's curated vinyl retail and exclusive-edition model.
• Harney & Sons: Premium specialty tea retailer offering loose-leaf, Pu-erh, and curated blends via direct-to-consumer e-commerce, comparable to Madame ZuZu's tea product line and DTC premium positioning.
• Adagio Teas: Online specialty tea retailer offering curated blends, samplers, and rare varieties with worldwide shipping, comparable to Madame ZuZu's premium tea curation and DTC model.
• Amoeba Music: Iconic independent record store chain with deep catalog of new and used vinyl, CDs, and merchandise across multiple genres, comparable to Madame ZuZu's as a curated specialty music retailer serving collectors and enthusiasts.
• Acoustic Sounds: Specialty retailer focused on premium, audiophile-grade vinyl pressings and exclusive editions, directly comparable to Madame ZuZu's high-priced, limited-edition vinyl strategy.
• Rasputin Music: Independent record store chain in Northern California offering a wide selection of vinyl, CDs, and merchandise, comparable as a multi-category independent music retailer.
• Bull Moose Music: Independent record store chain with a large catalog of new and used vinyl, CDs, and merchandise, serving a similar collector/hobbyist base as Madame ZuZu's.
• Reckless Records: Independent Chicago-area record store chain with a deep used and new vinyl catalog, directly comparable to Madame ZuZu's as a regional independent music retailer in the same metropolitan market.

Emerging players

• Turntable Lab: Specialty vinyl and DJ/electronic music gear retailer with a curated, design-forward catalog, overlapping with Madame ZuZu's curated music enthusiast positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Teavana: Established mass-market premium tea retailer (originally standalone, now owned by Starbucks), broadly comparable to Madame ZuZu's tea retail category as a larger incumbent in the specialty tea space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/madame-zuzu's-teahouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Madame ZuZu's Teahouse