The Spice & Tea Exchange Opens in Escondido

The Spice & Tea Exchange®, a specialty retail store offering an extensive selection of exotic teas, spices, exclusive seasonings, salts, and naturally-flavored sugars, recently opened in Escondido. Located on the second floor of Westfield North County, the new location – which serves fresh brewed tea-to-go – recently replaced a former Teavana shop, thrilling guests who now find a robust selection of premium loose-leaf teas and seasonings in its place.

Local owner, Joel Meek, is inviting the community to celebrate the grand opening of The Spice & Tea Exchange with events beginning on Friday, February 1, 2019 and continuing through Sunday, February 3, 2019. The weekend-long celebration will feature the following –

· Ribbon Cutting – 10 a.m. on Friday

· Gift basket giveaways Friday - Sunday

· Variety of specialty tea samples

· Foods highlighting unique spice blends and rubs

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Escondido offers an experience for all the senses and an abundance of products to choose from, with more than 140 spices, over 85 seasonings, naturally-flavored sugars, sea salts, and more than 40 exotic teas. Upon arrival, guests are transported into a charming 18th century trading post atmosphere where they are encouraged to explore, open apothecary-style jars to smell the fragrant spices, and receive helpful advice on cooking from an enthusiastic team of staff members. Guests can also watch employees hand-mix spice blends at an interactive blend counter as a part of the engaging culinary experience.

Prior to opening his own business, Meek was a traveling nurse for over a decade, taking him across the country. While working in Los Angeles in 2003, he met his wife Vicky who was also a traveling nurse, and they continued their work and travel together.

Throughout their travels they enjoyed exploring unique local shops around the cities they worked in and one day wandered into The Spice & Tea Exchange in Grapevine, Texas, which prompted Meek to consider doing something similar. Upon meeting with the franchise brand, he began working on his new business venture in 2015, moving from Texas to San Diego to open his store in Escondido. It was a homecoming of sorts for the couple, who used to live in the area.

“Vicky and I have always had a passion and love for cooking that took us into a lot of crafty cooking stores around the country, making The Spice & Tea Exchange a perfect fit for our personalities,” said Meek. “While my wife enjoys adventuring into different cultures and trying out all kinds of recipes. I prefer to rework and perfect the foods I already love cooking. I recently made hamburgers with our Backwoods Hickory Rub and Chile Lime Sea Salt and won’t be going back to regular hamburgers anytime soon!”

The Spice & Tea Exchange caters to an increasingly food-conscious consumer market, encouraging visitors to take their creativity to the kitchen. The Blueberry Black tea, served hot and cold, is a popular favorite in Escondido along with the Carolina Barbecue Rub, which Meek suggests pairing with tri-tip. Meek suggests a stop into the shop to explore and learn more about pre-made Chef to Table™ meal kits, easy meat preparation techniques, and healthy drinking habits in the new year.

For more information regarding The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Escondido, visit spiceandtea.com/Escondido or call 760-294-4511.

About The Spice & Tea Exchange

The Spice & Tea Exchange® was founded in 2008 with a vision to create a one-of-a-kind retail shopping experience. The company has 60+ franchise stores across the United States, providing guests with more than 140 spices, 85 exclusive hand-mixed blends, 40 exotic teas, naturally-flavored sugars, salts from around the world, gourmet gifts and accessories. For more information, visit www.spiceandtea.com. For Franchising information, visit www.franchise.spiceandtea.com