We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carole Bright-Alvarez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carole below.
Alright, Carole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?
We have always had a community of wonderful customers. One of our favorite customers, Jim, was enduring his wife’s long illness and would seek refuge in our corners as a means of escape and solace. After his wife passed away, Jim was deeply grieving, but still finding comfort in our tea.
When his wife’s birthday rolled around, Jim ordered his tea and then bought a $1,000.00 gift card!! He asked us to use it for every customer that day, all day, in honor of his wife. Grown men grew teary eyed as we told them who was paying for their tea and why. Such a display of humanity and generosity. I like to think there was a lot of paying it forward inspired that day.
Such a privilege to do what every tea purveyor dreams of: give away tea all day long! Still one of my most cherished times at iN-TEA.
Carole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
iN-TEA opened in 2008 with one goal: to bring amazing worldwide teas to the masses! We provide an affordable luxury to a well deserving community. It is our dream to introduce, educate and provide an interactive tea experience for all who seek the best! We acknowledge that tea is readily available on-line so our staff is uniquely educated to guide customers toward tea & tea blends that match their palate, health concerns, methods of preparation, and individual desires. We ask three or four questions and can narrow down from 178 choices to just 3 recommendations!
Tea infused cocktails are a very special part of our menu, as well as boba, jellies, slush teas and a vast selection of all natural fruit syrups added to any beverage. We also have a Tapas menu of small plates and snacks. La Belle French bakery supplies our sweet bites as well as a self-serve fridge with breakfast burritos, individual quiches, and paninis. – All delicious, served hot on a plate or to-go.
Tea Classes are also very popular. We offer 16 different classes; from TEA 101 to Tea Cocktails, Make your own Chai, Tea & Chocolates, Gung Foo Tea Ceremony, Personal-Teas (20 question profile to determine your tea-type), Matcha tasting and more! (See our website at www.in-tea.net for complete listing)
Wednesdays are our featured “Flights”! Try 5 teas side by side. We stamp your “Passport” and after 8 flights (around the world of tea!) – receive a free teapot! And everyday: a “Tea of the Day” sold at 20% off and ready to sample!
If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?
Creating multiple revenue streams has kept our business alive in difficult times.
We have a beautiful website: www-in-tea.net (which is really like running a whole separate business).
We also have developed a wholesale program and sell to many local coffee shops, breweries, distilleries, cafe’s and small hotels. – Yes, flavoring beer and hard seltzers with tea is a delicious thing!
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
My initial loan for about $200,000 was from Washington Mutual Bank. This was our seed money that we forecasted to pay back over the course of the first 5 years. TWO MONTHS later, WMB called in all outstanding loans and folded.
I had spent over $100,000 on our build out, deposits, plumbers, electricians, contractors and equipment….. Whaaat? I had never heard of a bank calling in loans!! Can they do that?? I dont have $100,000 (plus accrued interest!) to pay them back! – I really thought we’d have to close before we even opened!!
After several days of sheer panic, a friend (loan officer) from my daughter’s school heard of my dilemma and structured a loan that not only paid off WMB but got me more funds at a lower interest rate. I credit this friend (Dawn B, you know who you are!) with saving my business and helping create my future!
We opened in May 2008. Recession hit in September: it’d be 6 long years before I paid myself any income!
Thank goodness my husband believed in my concept and didn’t quit his day job! The loan was finally paid off in full almost 9 years later!
Contact Info:
- Website: in-tea.net
- Instagram: in.tea.littleton
- Facebook: iN-TEA.Littleton
- Twitter: in-tea
- Yelp: iN-TEA (127 reviews at 4.5 stars)
- Other: Google Maps & Search (previously Google My Business): in-tea Over 690 reviews, 4.8 stars.
Image Credits
All taken by past employees, etc. Do not know who to give credit to…..all were taken as paid employees of iN-TEA