Today we’d like to introduce you to Evy Chen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Evy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in one of China’s central tea regions, where I developed a deep love for the nearly 5,000-year-old drink. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by finding new ways of blending the ancient with the modern to create a new tea experience that people would love. Five years ago, my thoughts on exactly how I would do this became a very clear vision.
Living in Boston, I noticed two things: First, people of all ages wanted cold, delicious and healthy drinks in the spring, summer and fall months. Second, it was nearly impossible to find a tea that met all three criteria. Unsweetened ice teas were too bitter for many, and sweetened ice teas were loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners.
I discovered that the cold brewing process would allow me to make delicious teas that didn’t require any sweeteners. Cold brew tea is a smooth, naturally sweet beverage. It also contains half the caffeine or less than hot brewed iced tea, and twice the antioxidants.
Since I founded Evy Tea in 2014, it’s been thrilling to see how well people have responded to my cold brew teas. Today, our cold brew teas are sold in 500 retail locations across the Northeast. We also opened the Tea Bar by Evy in Jamaica Plain in 2016, and have been providing cold brew tea in kegs to cafes, restaurants and offices.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Entrepreneurship is never a smooth road. I’m thrilled to be where I am today, and it certainly took a lot of perseverance to get here.
One of the biggest challenges, and most rewarding activities, that I undertook was building the Tea Bar by Evy in Jamaica Plain. I had a budget that was about one fifth of what contractors estimated it would cost to convert an old garage into a tea bar. I ended up doing a lot of the construction myself along with friends, and for the first six months I managed the tea bar without any help.
Amazingly, the tea bar got built under budget, and over the last year it’s turned into a place that the whole community loves.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’m incredibly proud that over the last three years Evy Tea has emerged as an extremely popular cold brew tea brand. What’s most important to me is that people genuinely love our cold brew teas, and I’m thrilled that our teas are enjoyed by people young and old.
In addition to cold brew tea, Evy Tea is known for its ingenuity and experimentation. Our team is constantly playing with the flavors of tea, fruit, herbs, and spices to create new flavor combinations that are refreshing and truly unique.
What were you like growing up?
I’ll name two that go hand-in-hand: conviction and passion.
I have a vision for building Evy Tea into the most beloved cold brew tea brand. Having conviction in this vision is what allows me to lead my team effectively, and make sure that we don’t pursue activities that could take us off this path.
At the same time, in order for your team to trust you as a leader, you have to be passionate about your business. Your team needs to feel that they are building something that’s truly special.
Contact Info:
- Address: Tea Bar by Evy
253 Amory St.
Boston MA 02130 - Website: http://www.evytea.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coldbrewtea/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColdBrewedTea/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tea-bar-by-evytea-boston-3
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