Oaktown Spice Shop, Llc

What Oaktown Spice Shop, Llc does

Oaktown Spice Shop, LLC is a privately held specialty spice and tea retailer headquartered in Oakland, California, operating from 1-10 employees. The company sells single-origin and conventional spices, hand-mixed blends and rubs, loose-leaf teas, specialty salts, and curated gift boxes, with prices ranging from roughly $4.25 for individual spices to $49.75 for premium collections. Its core operational differentiator is in-house grinding and hand-blending of spices for freshness, combined with provenance-focused sourcing (Kampot peppercorns, Afghan saffron, Indonesian cinnamon, Quang Tri peppercorns). The product portfolio extends beyond spices into adjacent categories including teas, artisanal salts, DIY tonic water kits, and gift cards, with an "Oaktown Originals" line of proprietary blends including salt-free, garlic-free, and sugar-free variants.

Name

Oaktown Spice Shop, Llc

Legal name

Oaktown Spice Shop, LLC

Website

https://oaktownspiceshop.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Spices and Teas Retail

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Specialty spice retail
• Artisanal spice blends
• Loose leaf teas
• Gourmet gift boxes
• Single origin spices

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: E-commerce sales of spices, herbs, blends, teas, salts, and specialty food products directly to consumers through oaktownspiceshop.com. Products are offered at various price points with free shipping on orders of $50 or more.
2. Corporate Gifts: B2B corporate gift box sales targeting business customers for employee gifts, client appreciation, and corporate events.
3. Wholesale: Wholesale distribution to retailers, restaurants, and other stockists through the wholesale program page.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Oaktown Spice Shop is an artisanal spice and tea retailer that sells whole and ground culinary spices, hand-mixed spice blends and rubs, specialty salts, loose-leaf teas, single-origin spices, curated gift boxes, and DIY tonic water kits. Products are ground and blended in-house from single-origin sources for maximum freshness, and sold primarily direct-to-consumer via its own e-commerce site and Bay Area retail stores, with additional wholesale and corporate gifting channels.

Product overview

Oaktown Spice Shop is a specialty spice and tea retailer offering a comprehensive e-commerce platform for high-quality spices, herbs, hand-mixed blends, teas, and gourmet food products. The company differentiates through its commitment to freshness, grinding spices in-house and sourcing single-origin ingredients. Product portfolio includes: (1) Single-origin whole and ground spices (peppercorns, chiles, herbs, seeds, aromatics), (2) Hand-mixed spice blends and rubs organized by cuisine type (BBQ, curries, international), (3) Loose-leaf teas including black, green, herbal, and specialty blends, (4) Specialty salts ranging from artisanal fleur de sel to smoked and infused varieties, (5) Gift boxes and corporate gift programs, and (6) DIY tonic water kits. The company has been recognized by Food & Wine Magazine and The New York Times as a premier spice retailer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oaktown Spice Shop E-commerce Storefront Direct-to-consumer online store selling high-quality spices, herbs, hand-mixed blends, and teas ground fresh in-house, with single-origin sourcing. Built on Shopify.
• Single Spices Whole and ground individual spices including peppercorns (Tellicherry, Kampot, Szechuan), chiles (Aleppo, Guajillo, Chipotle, Ghost), herbs (Basil, Oregano, Thyme), seeds (Cumin, Coriander, Fennel), and aromatics (Star Anise, Cardamom, Cinnamon varieties), sold to home cooks and chefs seeking fresh, single-origin ingredients.
• Hand-Mixed Blends and Rubs Signature in-house blended spice mixes including regional curries (Madras, Jamaican, Japanese, Garam Masala, Baharat, Berbere), BBQ rubs (Montreal Steak, Campfire Coffee Rub), and international blends (Za'atar, Shichimi Togarashi, Dukkah), sold to home cooks and chefs.
• Loose-Leaf Teas Loose-leaf teas including black teas (Assam, Earl Grey, English Breakfast), green teas (Gunpowder, Jasmine, Genmaicha), herbal teas (Chamomile, Hibiscus, Rooibos), and specialty blends (Masala Chai, Golden Milk, Turmeric Spice Tea) for home tea drinkers.
• Specialty Salts Artisanal salts including smoked varieties (Alderwood, Applewood, Hickory), infused salts (Espresso, Vanilla Bean, Sriracha), geographic salts (Himalayan, Hawaiian, Cypress), and fleur de sel for finishing and cooking.
• Single-Origin Spices Spices sourced from specific origins including Kampot Black Peppercorns (Cambodia), Afghan Saffron, Indonesian Cinnamon, Quang Tri Peppercorns (Vietnam), and wild mountain botanicals, for cooks seeking traceable provenance.
• Gift Boxes Curated gift collections including the Oaktown Favorites Gift Box, Lake Merritt BBQ Gift Box, Chai Gift Set, and customizable corporate gift options for individuals and businesses buying gifts.
• Tonic Water Kits DIY tonic water kits including the Classic Tonic Kit and Elderflower Tonic Water Kit for making artisanal cocktails at home.
• Corporate Gifts Program Dedicated B2B program offering customizable spice gift boxes and bulk ordering for businesses buying employee gifts, client gifts, and event favors.
• Wholesale Program Wholesale distribution program supplying Oaktown spices and blends in bulk to restaurants, specialty retailers, and other stockist businesses for food service or resale.
• Bay Area Retail Storefronts Company-operated retail locations in the Bay Area where customers can purchase spices, blends, teas, and gifts in person.

Named customers5 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

Integration1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adagio Teas: Loose-leaf and specialty tea retailer with a DTC-first model and broad catalog of single-origin and blended teas. Directly comparable to Oaktown's tea category and overlapping gift-box/gift-card merchandising.
• Burlap & Barrel: Single-origin spice DTC brand selling direct to consumers and chefs, with comparable sourcing transparency and specialty positioning. Closely aligned business model (e-commerce-led, ethically sourced, premium pricing) and overlapping customer base of home cooks and food professionals.
• Savory Spice Shop: Specialty spice retail brand operating brick-and-mortar shops plus e-commerce, with a broad portfolio of ground spices, blends, and rubs. Comparable in physical-retail-plus-online mix and in mid-premium specialty pricing.
• Diaspora Co. Single-origin, ethically sourced spice brand operating primarily DTC with a similar direct-from-grower positioning and premium price points. Competes for the same conscious-consumer and home-cook audience as Oaktown with overlapping product categories.
• The Spice House: Specialty/artisanal spice retailer with both retail storefronts and a robust e-commerce operation, offering hand-mixed blends and single-origin spices. Closely comparable in product mix, retail-plus-DTC model, and gift-box business.

Others

• Frontier Co-op: Wholesale and bulk supplier of organic spices, herbs, and botanicals to retailers and food-service customers. Not a direct retail competitor but a relevant adjacent peer on the wholesale side of Oaktown's business.

Broad incumbents

• McCormick & Company: Dominant global spice manufacturer and CPG brand with an expanding direct-to-consumer and premium-sourcing portfolio (e.g., McCormick Gourmet). A broad incumbent whose push into single-origin and DTC overlaps Oaktown's category from a far larger scale.
• Penzeys Spices: Established large-scale specialty spice retailer with broad catalog, multi-channel retail, and household brand recognition. Wider assortment and national footprint than Oaktown, but overlapping spice/blend categories and gift-oriented merchandising.

Emerging players

• Spicewalla: Chef-driven (Meherwan Irani) spice brand scaling through DTC and food-service channels with premium blends and rubs. Comparable product portfolio and audience, though earlier-stage and more reliant on a single founder-brand identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/oaktownspiceshop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oaktown-spice-shop

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 Oaktown Spice Shop, Llc