Tea in Seattle?

Starbucks debuts Teavana bar. Although, not really. Teavana has been around since 1997. What debuted is Starbucks $630 million dollar buy into the $90 billion global tea market. Tea, as in the second most-consumed beverage behind water. But not in the United States. And, definitely, not in Seattle. But CEO Howard Schultz should know that.

I guess the new part is "+ Tea Bar" because we already have seven Teavana's in the state of Washington. But the "+ Tea Bar" changes everything. Now,

. . . the Tea Bar will elevate the premium tea experience by delivering a carefully curated assortment of handcrafted tea beverages, premium loose leaf teas, tea-inspired food offerings and beautifully made tea merchandise, making the ritual of tea more elevated and accessible for customers.

Market Watch

Whatever that means.

A second store is scheduled to open in Seattle around Thanksgiving. I guess that's really a second, second store since Seattle already has a Teavana.

According to this Wikipedia article, the United Kingdom tops the list of tea drinkers consuming an average of nearly 14 pounds of tea annually, per person. The United States rates sixty-ninth, the average being a mere 12 ounces per year. Meanwhile, we consume over nine pounds of coffee per year. But I'm sure Mr. Schultz already knows that.

From the USA Today article, "It's doable, but it will be a hard slog," says Allen Adamson, managing director at Landor Associates. And, according to it's own website, Landor is the "world's preeminent brand consulting firm, specializing in creative strategy, design, innovation, and naming." But I'm sure Howard Schultz already knows that.

Howard Schultz must know something. So, cheers. And, good luck with that.