The Spice & Tea Exchange is Catering to Americans' Increasing Desire for Healthier Beverages

You never know what a vacation trip is going to bring. That’s part of the experience. Hopefully, it’s going to deliver great weather, fun activities and good times with family and friends. Or in the case of Keith Campbell-Rosen, you might just find a new career.

The 44-year-old was vacationing with his family on Florida’s Gulf Coast when he came across The Spice & Tea Exchange® (TSTE®), the purveyor of more than 30 exotic teas, 140 spices and 75 exclusive hand-mixed blends, salts from around the world and naturally flavored sugars.

“I stumbled upon their John’s Pass store (near St. Peterburg) on a family vacation,” Campbell-Rosen recalled. “I had been thinking about opening a business of some sort and thought this franchise was both viable and of interest to me. After a lot of due diligence, I decided to open my own store.”

This October will mark six years since Campbell-Rosen opened The Spice & Tea Exchange® at 1069 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown.

“Come In and Smell the Spices!®” isn’t just the company tag line; it embodies the desire of The Spice & Tea Exchange® to welcome customers to the unique concept. The mission of TSTE® is “to provide a unique spice, blend, salt, sugar and tea shopping experience; to generate excitement by immersing customers in rich & vivid sights, smells and tastes as we share our passion for cooking and dining excellence.”

Not surprisingly, next to water, tea is the second most popular beverage in the world. And although the US can’t match the tea consumption of countries such as the UK and China, tea consumption in the US is growing at a steady rate. According to the Tea Association of the US, the total wholesale value of tea sold in the US grew from less than $2 billion in 1990 to more than $10 billion in 2014. According to findings by Market Realist, a provider of investment research, “the preference for healthier beverages is driving consumers away from soda and boosting the demand for tea and other categories…”

“The constant expansion of the market of American tea drinkers bodes well for our business,” Campbell-Rosen said.

With an in-store experience that mimics that of an 18th-centry trading post, The Spice & Tea Exchange® considers its in-store experience to be one of its greatest assets, transporting guests to another place and time as they are immersed in the sights, smells and flavors of The Spice & Tea Exchange®.

“And this is a locally owned and operated business,” Campbell-Rosen said. “Patrons will most definitely meet the owner upon visiting the store.”

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About The Spice & Tea Exchange:

Founded in 2008 by Clay Freeman, The Spice & Tea Exchange® was formed by a group of talented individuals with a passion for life and a passion for food. Their vision, to create a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, brought the 18th Century Trading Post concept to life, providing guests with more than 140 spices and 75 exclusive hand-mixed blends, naturally-flavored sugars, salts from around the world and more than 30 exotic teas. The Spice & Tea Exchange® currently has 40 locations across 24 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit https://www.spiceandtea.com/. For franchising information, visit http://franchise.spiceandtea.com/.