Tea
I’ve worked in the tea industry for nearly 20 years, both in the United States and in international collaborations. Whether it’s consulting on a tea business, in-depth tea research, or building out modern tea menus, I have a toe in every aspect of the industry.
See below for past projects.
Café Matcha
Café Matcha was born out of numerous trips to Japan to open Alfred locations, and the numerous matcha partners we worked with along the way. Part Japanese kissaten, part American diner, the goal is to fuse excellent-quality matcha, in all its lively iterations, with the nostalgia of American comfort dining and atmosphere. There are currently two locations, on Melrose Place in West Hollywood, and on Ventura Blvd in Studio City.
Alfred Tea Room
I helped conceptualize and open Alfred Tea Room on Melrose Place in Los Angeles in 2016. The pink tile and neon, innovative drinks, and hip style drew lines down the block and were quickly emulated. In subsequent years, we expanded to seven locations, both in the United States and in Japan. All Alfred Tea Rooms are now closed.
World of Tea
Alongside founder Tony Gebely, served as the Editor-in-Chief a for the website World of Tea, three-time winner of “Best Tea Blog” from the World Tea Expo. Specializing in thoroughly researched tea information, editorials, and interviews, it was at one point the most-visited tea educational site in the country. Tony culminated his work from the site in his book, “Tea: A User’s Guide”.
American Tea Room
The American Tea Room was based in Beverly Hills, in the heart of the Golden Triangle. With a strong online presence, luxury teawares, and specialty imported tea and tea blends, they were the go-to retail tea shop in Los Angeles. From 2010 to 2015 I helped them expand their menu into gourmet drinks and menu items and grow their business to two additional locations.
American Specialty Tea Alliance
Co-Founded the American Specialty Tea Alliance in 2018 to help support and connect the specialty tea community of the United States. I served on the Board of Directors and helped run the first Tea Masters’ Cup in the United States, at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas.