Russian River Tea Company

What Russian River Tea Company does

Russian River Tea Company is a privately held, woman-owned specialty tea retailer founded in 2010 and based at 336 Center Street in Healdsburg, California. The company sells loose leaf teas across the principal specialty categories — black, green, white, oolong, rooibos, herbal, and tisanes — alongside a small line of tea accessories (stainless steel tea ball, make-your-own tea bags), a Tea Sampler Set of seasonal best sellers, and digital gift cards. Per-unit pricing is concentrated around $12 per 50g package, with premium and entry-level blends ranging from $10.25 to $18.50, and no subscription or recurring pricing model is offered. A regionally themed product identity (Sonoma County ingredient references, blends such as Call me a Cab(ernet) and Wine & Roses) anchors the brand, supported by a documented ingredient supply relationship with Russian River Rose Company.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer go-to-market motion, combining a single physical retail store in downtown Healdsburg with a Shopify-hosted online storefront that accepts American Express, Apple Pay, Diners Club, and Discover. Distribution is purely domestic and direct; there is no wholesale, marketplace, or third-party reseller presence. Marketing relies on organic social channels (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter), an email newsletter, and Google Analytics for site traffic insight — a deliberately low-overhead digital stack with no proprietary technology, no mobile app, no integrations, and no AI/ML components. The company is self-described as a "small business" with 15+ years of operating history, no disclosed headcount, no outside funding, no parent company, and no publicly disclosed revenue.

Name

Russian River Tea Company

Legal name

Russian River Tea Company

Website

https://russianriverteaco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Russian River Tea Company is a woman-owned, direct-to-consumer specialty tea retailer founded in 2010 in Healdsburg, California, selling loose leaf teas, accessories, samplers, and digital gift cards through a single retail store and a Shopify online storefront to individual tea enthusiasts and gift buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Loose Leaf Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)

Keywords

• Specialty loose leaf tea
• Tea accessories
• Tea gift cards
• Tea sampler sets
• Herbal tisanes

Headquarters

HQ city

Healdsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Tea Sales: Direct sales of loose leaf teas across multiple categories (black, green, white, oolong, rooibos, herbal, tisanes) at price points ranging from $10.25 to $18.50 per 50g package. Revenue generated through one-time product purchases via the Shopify e-commerce platform.
2. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations of $25, $50, and $100, delivered via email with redemption instructions at checkout. Gift cards have no expiration and no additional processing fees.
3. Tea Accessories: Sale of tea accessories including Classic Tea Ball (stainless steel, dishwasher safe) at $6.50 and Make Your Own Tea Bags (64 bags per package) at $11.50.
4. Tea Sampler Sets: Tea Sampler Set priced at $22.00 including shipping, containing 13 sample size packages (baker's dozen) of seasonal best sellers representing black, green, white, herbal varieties including rooibos and fruit blends. Each sample makes 2 cups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Russian River Tea Company curates and sells specialty loose leaf teas across multiple varieties (black, green, white, oolong, rooibos, herbal, and tisanes), proprietary blends featuring regional Sonoma County ingredients, tea accessories (such as tea balls and tea bag filters), tea sampler sets, and digital gift cards. Products are sold directly to consumers through a Shopify-powered online store and a physical retail location in Healdsburg, California, with unit pricing typically ranging from $10.25 to $18.50 per 50g package.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Loose Leaf Black Tea Collection Curated assortment of loose leaf black teas and proprietary black tea blends sold in 50g packages, targeting tea enthusiasts seeking premium black tea flavors including fruit, floral, and spice profiles.
• Loose Leaf Green Tea Collection Curated assortment of loose leaf green teas and proprietary green tea blends sold in 50g packages, for tea enthusiasts seeking healthy daily-drinking green teas and blended green teas.
• Loose Leaf White Tea Collection Curated assortment of loose leaf white teas sold in 50g packages, targeting connoisseurs and newcomers interested in subtle, delicate white tea profiles.
• Loose Leaf Oolong Tea Collection Curated assortment of loose leaf oolong teas sold in 50g packages, for tea consumers seeking semi-oxidized tea varieties.
• Loose Leaf Rooibos Collection Curated assortment of rooibos teas sold in 50g packages, for consumers seeking caffeine-free red rooibos varieties.
• Herbal Tea Collection Curated assortment of herbal teas (caffeine-free) sold in 50g packages, for health-conscious consumers and those avoiding caffeine.
• Tisanes Collection Curated assortment of tisanes (herbal infusions) sold in 50g packages, for consumers seeking non-tea plant-based beverages.
• Tea Sampler Set A curated assortment of 13 sample-size packages of seasonal best sellers across black, green, white, herbal, rooibos, and fruit blends at $22.00 including shipping, with each sample making approximately 2 cups. Designed for tea newcomers and gift buyers wanting to explore the company's range.
• Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards sold in fixed denominations of $25.00, $50.00, and $100.00, delivered by email with redemption instructions at checkout, no expiration date and no additional processing fees. Designed for gift purchases for tea lovers.
• Tea Accessories (Teaware) Tea accessories including Classic Tea Ball (stainless steel, dishwasher safe) at $6.50 and Make Your Own Tea Bags (64 bags per package) at $11.50, designed for consumers brewing loose leaf tea at home.
• Winter / Holiday Tea Collection Seasonal/limited-edition loose leaf tea collection featuring holiday-themed blends, marketed as the '2026 Featured Tea Collection' and rotated on a seasonal basis.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Russian River Rose CompanyminorOthersLocal supplier of rose petals used in various tea blends. Russian River Tea Company sources rose petals from this regional partner for products including Chamomile Dreams, Inspiration, and Wine & Roses. The relationship reflects the company's emphasis on local and regional ingredient sourcing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TeaVivre: Online specialty tea retailer sourcing premium Chinese loose leaf teas directly from growers and selling through an e-commerce storefront. Comparable DTC specialty tea model focused on curated, single-origin and blended loose leaf offerings.
• Upton Tea Imports: Specialty tea importer and online retailer offering a deep catalog of loose leaf teas, blends, and accessories. Comparable as a niche specialist operating primarily through e-commerce without broad food/beverage diversification.
• Harney & Sons: Family-owned specialty tea company selling loose leaf teas, blends, and tea accessories online and through a flagship store. Directly comparable as a multi-generational specialty tea brand combining curated proprietary blends with direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
• Adagio Teas: Online specialty tea retailer offering extensive loose leaf tea catalog, custom blending, and a well-known subscription program. Comparable on DTC e-commerce model, broad tea category coverage, and blend curation.
• Republic of Tea: Specialty tea brand selling loose leaf teas, teas blends, and accessories through DTC channels with a subscription-based 'Tea of the Month' club. Comparable as a curated specialty tea brand with both proprietary blends and a recurring-revenue model that Russian River Tea currently lacks.

Broad incumbents

• Stash Tea: Privately held specialty tea company producing loose leaf and bagged teas distributed through grocery and online. Comparable on loose leaf specialty tea focus but with national grocery distribution absent from Russian River Tea's model.
• Teavana (Starbucks): Specialty tea brand owned by Starbucks, distributing through retail and online channels. Comparable as a mainstream specialty tea brand, though backed by a major incumbent with vastly greater scale and marketing reach.
• DavidsTea: Canadian specialty tea retailer operating stores and e-commerce with a strong subscription and blend program. Comparable as a multi-channel specialty tea retailer, though much larger and with national brand awareness.
• Twinings: Established British tea brand selling bagged and loose leaf teas through grocery, hospitality, and online channels. Comparable as a broad-line tea CPG with loose leaf offerings, though operating at far greater scale and with mass-market distribution.
• Celestial Seasonings: Mass-market herbal and specialty tea brand owned by Hain Celestial, distributed nationally through grocery. Comparable on the herbal/tisane category overlap but with vastly larger distribution and CPG positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/russian-river-tea-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Russian River Tea Company