News

Starbucks Teavana Fine Teas + Tea Bar opens in Chicago, features Teavana Oprah Chai

April 29, 2014

Starbucks and Teavana today announced the opening of a Teavana Fine Teas + Tea Bar in Chicago. The new tea bar is located in Chicago's Southport neighborhood at 3428 Southport Ave., and features a curated assortment of handcrafted tea beverages, premium loose-leaf teas, tea-inspired food offerings and tea merchandise.

Starbucks plans to open additional Teavana Fine Teas + Tea Bars in Los Angeles and New York City later this year. The Tea Bars will also feature the new Teavana Oprah Chai.

Oprah Chai Tea now available

Also, Starbucks today launched Teavana Oprah Chai Tea, developed by Oprah Winfrey in collaboration with Teavana's teaologist.

According to a news release, Oprah's blend features a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves, blended with loose-leaf black tea and rooibos. Customers can order the blend as a latte or loose-leaf tea in participating Starbucks stores across the U.S. and Canada. The loose-leaf tea and brewed tea is also available in Teavana stores across the U.S. and Canada.

As part of this new core offering, Starbucks will make a donation for each Teavana Oprah Chai Tea product sold to benefit educational opportunities for youth through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation.

"This is a momentous day for Starbucks and Teavana collectively, and we are honored to share Teavana Oprah Chai with our customers," CEO Howard Schultz said in the release. "This distinctive and remarkable tea developed personally by Oprah Winfrey, someone whom I admire and [who] shares so many of our core values and beliefs, will help introduce even more customers to the ritual and comfort of a great cup of tea."

Carbonated beverage launch planned

Starbucks also plans to launch "Fizzio," a carbonated beverage, in 3,000 U.S. stores, South Korea, China and Singapore this summer.

The Seattle Times reported that CEO Howard Schultz called the chain's carbonated beverage test "overwhelmingly successful." The carbonated beverage line will be all-natural, preservative-free and "with the theater of a custom handcrafted beverage."

The initial beverages will come in three flavors: golden ginger ale, spiced root beer and lemon ale. More are expected to be added eventually, including "locally relevant" flavors.