Starbucks to open its first stand-alone tea shop
Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest coffee-shop operator, will open its first tea-only store in October under the Tazo brand.
The shop will sell more than 80 varieties of loose-leaf tea, which will be priced by the ounce, said Holly Hart, a spokeswoman for Seattle-based Starbucks. While there are no immediate plans to open more stores, the company may consider additional Tazo shops “if we see another opportunity where a location is the right fit,” Hart said.
Starbucks is expanding its offerings beyond coffee to win new customers and help accelerate sales growth. The company this month acquired Bay Bread LLC for $100 million in cash, its biggest purchase, to offer better quality food, and earlier this year opened a store selling flash-pasteurized juice.