10 Years of Growth, Gratitude, and Global Flavor

Heads up: this is a long one. We get it, life moves fast and nobody has time for a novella. But honestly, trying to sum up ten years of chaos, growth, and spice-fueled adventure in a few sentences? Impossible. So settle in, maybe pour yourself some tea, and let us tell you how we got here and where we're going.

We love to travel. I love to cook. We both love to eat.

We love to travel, cook, and eat. The Spice & Tea Shoppe grew from that shared passion. Our goal is to bring our community a taste of the world, one dish and one cup at a time, using the finest ingredients from around the globe discovered through our travels and experiences.

Sharing food is a universal experience that connects us all. It may sound simple, but if you stop and think about it, food is a deeply personal experience for many. We remember meals, where we had them, and who we shared them with. These tastes, smells, textures, and sights become part of our memories, holding both our past and the moments we hope to enjoy again.

Our journey to there and back again.

We are carry-on travelers. Years ago, I realized that dragging a suitcase packed with too many clothes over cobblestones was never worth it. Traveling light gives you freedom. But it makes bringing home souvenirs a challenge. More than 30 years ago I discovered the perfect travel gift, both compact and full of meaning.

Spices and teas. They tell a story and spark curiosity.

I remember the first time I brought them home, loose leaf teas from London and Spanish saffron. I was so young and not even sure how to use saffron at the time, but I knew I wanted to learn. From that moment on, everywhere we went we returned with spices, teas and other gourmet goods. Herbes de Provence, Mediterranean oregano, black truffle sea salt, Tunisian spice blends, and countless varieties of tea from all over the globe and our backpacks confused more than one drug-sniffing airport dog and security agent. Without realizing it, we had become importers of global flavor.

Home is truly where the heart is.

One unforgettable moment came in October 2014, sitting in a park in France with autumn leaves glowing and a perfect picnic before us. The magic of that day sparked a vision, living every day with the same sense of freedom, curiosity, and purpose. We knew we wanted a meaningful life on our own terms, full of passion and possibility. But the next step was still a mystery.

When we came back at the end of October, something had shifted. We went through the usual post-travel adjustment, but this time felt different. We had committed to creating a life of intention, one aligned with our values and full of purpose. We were no longer working for someone else and we were looking for inspiration to build something that reflected who we really are and the things we love.

You gotta have friends.

One afternoon a friend asked me where she could find really good loose-leaf tea. She told me there just was not a good local option, and I had to agree. That question lit a spark. I had been sourcing teas and spices for years for friends and family, why not for our community too? Thank you Christy for becoming our muse without even knowing it at the time.

After we returned from that 2014 trip, we began drafting a business plan. We took a culinary road trip up and down the West Coast and quickly realized most places were selling the same generic blends under different labels all made by the same suppliers. That is when we decided we were going to make our own. I had owned a business before, and I was a great cook. How hard could it be? Turns out, it’s very hard.

You need both a dreamer and a doer to make anything work. I’m a dreamer. Thank you to my amazing husband Brent for being the doer even when you think I’ve lost my mind.

Why is it so hard to get a startup business loan?

Getting a startup loan is incredibly complex, even with excellent credit. Banks are not just looking at your credit score. They want to see financial history, steady revenue, collateral, and a proven track record. Obviously, startups usually do not have any of that yet, which makes them too risky for most lenders. Buying an existing business with a known track record is much easier. Starting from scratch, especially with a concept that is not familiar, is another story.

We had great credit and a well-researched business plan but still was told funding was not likely. Most lenders just did not understand our concept, and they were not convinced that our local market would either. They were not judging our numbers. They were uncertain about our business model. Even SBA loans, which are supposed to support small businesses, are difficult to secure without a history of revenue or proof of customer demand.

We ended up putting everything on the line. We used our savings, signed a personal guarantee, and made every tenant improvement ourselves. From 6 AM to nearly midnight for two solid months, we worked nonstop to open our retail doors in late June 2015. Many people close to us thought we had lost our minds. Again, thank you, Brent, for everything from your mad excel skills to your ability to just “figure stuff out”. There is no better problem solver than you and there are few men who can run both a pivot table and a power saw.

Learning to flavor and understand tea. Why can’t I find any helpful information?

Blending and flavoring tea is not easy. No one wanted to share techniques or trade secrets. The tea industry is incredibly guarded. Tea itself is complex. There are so many varieties, black, green, oolong, white and each responds differently depending on origin, processing, and even how it is brewed. I thought I knew a lot about tea, but I was not yet an expert.

Developing a trained palate takes time. You have to taste a wide range of teas repeatedly and learn how to describe them accurately. Flavor is deeply subjective, and what tastes floral to one person might seem earthy to another. Sensory training involves both taste and smell and requires consistency. After thousands of cups and months of focused learning, I finally began to understand how to create well-balanced blends. For example, I made 26 different versions of our Turmeric Ginger Rooibos before landing on the right one. Thankfully, it does not take that many tries anymore. Thank you, Wolfgang, for teaching me the European method.

Why is it so hard to source high quality spices from around the world?

Sourcing premium spices is a lot more complex than placing an order. The quality of any spice depends on growing conditions, harvest timing, drying methods, and proper handling. Even spices from the same region can vary from one crop to the next. Consistency is always a challenge.

International sourcing also involves navigating customs, language barriers, agricultural regulations, and unstable supply chains. Quality control practices differ between regions, and poor handling can lead to product degradation or even contamination. That is why we have invested years into building strong relationships with trusted growers and exporters. We test everything and maintain strict standards to ensure we bring our customers nothing but the best. This process is time consuming and more expensive, but it is the only way to guarantee freshness, flavor, and safety. Thank you, Reese, for your knowledge and putting that biochemistry degree to excellent use.

102 California Avenue. The little shop that could.

Many of you may remember our tiny storefront on California Avenue. In those early days, it was just the two of us working twelve to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, with only Thanksgiving and Christmas off for the first eleven months. We were all in. Every day, we opened the doors and hoped people would walk through them. And you did. You showed up, and we are still so grateful for that.

By month eleven, we were exhausted and beginning to get on each other’s nerves. We hired our first part-time employee out of necessity and relief. While writing this and reflecting on that first year, I looked back at our original Profit and Loss statement. It was rough, but we made it through. The numbers certainly were not earth shattering, but our resolve never wavered. Just keep swimming….

What’s in a name? From salty-savory-sweet to The Spice & Tea Shoppe

When we first launched, we operated as salty-savory-sweet, a name that reflected our broad culinary focus. But it also caused frequent confusion. Many thought we were a candy shop or dessert store, and most could not remember the name in the right order. We heard everything from “savory-sweet-salty” to “sweet and salty,” and it quickly became clear that the name was holding us back.

In 2017, we began doing business as The Spice & Tea Shoppe. The new name clarified what we offer and made it easier for customers to find us and refer us. We are still salty- savory-sweet at heart, but our name now reflects our specialty in premium spices, handcrafted blends, and luxury loose leaf teas. As for “shoppe” that was an intentional choice. Finding a unique, trademarkable name with a matching domain was no small task. The classic spelling gave us a timeless feel and a legally secure identity. Every small change has moved us closer to our goal of serving you better. Thank you to our lawyers for their expertise with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

5061 S. McCarran Boulevard. More space and well, more everything.

After eighteen months of long hours and personal sacrifice, we were finally able to expand into our current space. It is more than four times the size of our original shop. In late 2017, after five months of construction delay and setbacks, we made what can only be described as a chaotic and exhausting move. I will never forget that final weekend, especially applying 1,000 olive oil labels by hand in one day just to meet our reopening deadline. Our customer and now friend volunteered for this monumental task. Thank you, Mary C. You saved us, and after that we invested in automated equipment!

Once we reopened in the new space, we could finally hire and train a team. That first holiday season in our larger shop was fueled by adrenaline and tea. It was one of the most exciting and validating times in our journey.

A serendipitous sign and a lasting bond.

In January 2018, one of the most unexpected and meaningful moments in our business happened. We posted a help wanted sign, and a wonderful customer (thank you Madeline!) told us her daughter was looking for a job. Samantha arrived for her interview with homemade matcha macarons and a quiet warmth that told us instantly she belonged with us.

Seven years later, she is now our Store Director and so much more. Samantha is part of our family. That shy young graduate has become a confident, capable leader who brings light to everyone she meets. Her humor, empathy, work ethic, coachability, and commitment to customer service have helped shape who we are today. If you have met her, you know how special she is. We are endlessly grateful for you and we love you, Sammy.

2019 was an incredible year. We could hardly wait to see what 2020 would bring.

Then came COVID. It hit fast and without warning. Like many of you, we heard it called by different names in those early days, which only added to the confusion. No one really knew what was coming. I remember reading on Facebook that the husband of a customer had passed away before any of us fully understood what this virus was. He was young and healthy. We were stunned.

What followed were challenges no small business could have prepared for. Our storefront was forced to close, and because we work with bulk ingredients and manufacture in-house, our closure lasted longer than typical retail only shops. To complicate matters further, one employee lived with an ICU nurse, another had a partner at the VA hospital, another had a mom teaching at a university, and one had an underlying health condition. Very early on, we decided, our team and customers meant more to us than any sales. Businesses can be rebuilt. A life cannot.

Health and safety guidelines shifted constantly, making daily operations unpredictable. Global supply chains were suddenly disrupted, impacting everything from tea and spices to jars, bags, and packaging tape. We pivoted quickly to curbside pickup and began hand-delivering local orders to keep things moving. At the same time, ecommerce exploded—but so did the problems. There were no boxes, no shipping materials (thank you Kelly for all the bubble wrap). We scrambled to keep up with online demand, manage stock shortages, and stay on top of delayed shipments. We were screamed at, cussed out and threatened by some who saw us working in the store during quarantine to let them in. It was crazy. Every day brought new questions and unbelievable challenges. How long will this last? Would we be able to keep going? Would our customers still be there when it was over?

Despite everything, we made it through, and many facets of our business were forever changed by covid and how we operated had to become even more streamlined. Many of these changes were for the best and had we not been forced to make the changes we may not have realized their importance. It was one of the hardest times in our business, but also one of the most important. We learned just how strong and adaptable we could be.

The outpouring of support from our community and customers carried us. We got through it together with grit, creativity, and commitment. That period tested us, but it also helped define us. Thank you to each and every one of you who invested your energy and dollars making sure we survived.

Building it ourselves: Our website story and the lessons we learned.

In late 2023, we made the decision to invest in a newer, shinier, faster website to better support our business and give customers an improved experience both online and in store. After months of planning and research, we hired a development team and officially started the project in February 2024. What happened next was a hard and expensive lesson.

Deadlines were missed. Our questions went unanswered. Files disappeared, were corrupted, or replaced with ones that had nothing to do with us. Then came a failed database migration. We had no choice but to cut ties and start over with the burning dumpster fire that was left. I think that was the only time in these last 10 years that I completely broke down. This new website was my idea, and I picked the developers, and it was a massive failure. I cried.

With few options, Brent pulled out a whiteboard, started going all E=mc2, and after a solid couple days of planning out the steps required, he and I decided to build the site ourselves. We had limited experience in web development, having only built our previous much less complex site using a template with closed coding. But we were determined and probably in hindsight stupidly optimistic. Our goal was not just to create a new website, but to fully integrate it with our point of sale and inventory systems. This meant rebuilding tens of thousands of products, variants, images, and data points, many of which had been damaged by the previous developer. Thankfully, Brent had made backups of critical files, which saved us from starting entirely from scratch. That Brent, always saving the day.

We had no idea how to manage domain redirects or DNS servers, but we learned fast. For more than two months, our dining table became mission control. Computers, monitors, new POS hardware and notes covered every surface. We worked around the clock trying to repair what had gone wrong and build something that finally worked the way we needed it to. When the time came to migrate the domains, we held our breath. Miraculously, it worked.

Not perfectly, but well enough. The site was up, it was ours, and we were proud of it. In the weeks (and months) that followed, we addressed every glitch and issue, searching for missing images, customer lists, gift cards, emails and accounts while syncing inventory and refining how everything functioned. Some problems were minor, others were much more involved, but we tackled each one with the same persistence that has gotten us through everything we've endured together. We kept testing, adjusting, and learning. Continuously.

Looking back now, it is hard to believe we pulled this off without a tech background. The days were long, the nights were longer, and the problem solving felt never-ending. But we did it. We are proud of the result and even prouder that it functions in the way we envisioned. The new site reflects who we are and what we care about.

Thank you, Andy Walden at KPS3 and Kurt Thigpen at Ace Studios for taking the time to give guidance and for talking me off the ledge. Building the site pushed us farther than anything had, but with resilience, teamwork, focus and a sense of humor we again discovered we can get through anything. And it reminded us that we are stronger together. Thank you Brent for wiping my tears.

Global Realities and Daily Challenges

Operating a global supply-based business in today’s world comes with a unique set of challenges. Ongoing tariff fluctuations, unpredictable inflation, political instability in growing regions, and climate change have all impacted the cost, availability, and transportation of the spices and teas we source. Crops are becoming harder to predict, shipping routes more expensive, and lead times less reliable. These issues are not seasonal they are becoming part of the daily landscape for anyone working in international food supply. Despite that, we work tirelessly behind the scenes to secure the freshest, highest quality ingredients, often planning months or years in advance to avoid interruptions and price spikes that would affect our customers.

We constantly monitor these evolving conditions, adjust purchasing strategies, and stay in close contact with our suppliers around the world. By being flexible, responsive, and solution-oriented, we have been able to avoid many of the pitfalls that could otherwise compromise quality or drive prices out of reach. We do all of this while continuing to pay above industry standards to our staff, support fair wages for farmers and harvesters, and maintain pricing that reflects both our values and your expectations. These are not easy paths, but they are the right ones for who we are and who we serve.

Looking Ahead

As we look to the future, our mission remains unchanged. We are committed to bringing you the highest quality spices, handcrafted blends, and luxury loose leaf teas at the best prices we can offer. That means continuing to work directly with trusted growers, staying ahead of market changes, and doing whatever it takes to keep our pantry and yours stocked with the very best.

We will keep investing in our incredible team because they are the heart of this business. Their knowledge, warmth, and dedication to customer service are one of the reasons why so many of you keep coming back. We know that challenges will always arise, but if the past decade has taught us anything, it is that there is nothing we cannot navigate with a strong work ethic, a willingness to adapt, and a deep belief in what we do.

With Deep Gratitude to Our Customers, Team, and Community for Ten Years of Shared Success

To all of you who have supported us along the way—thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Whether you visited us in our tiny original shop, recommended us to a friend, shared a kind word, joined our team, or placed an order from miles away, you have helped shape The Spice & Tea Shoppe into what it is today.

This journey has been full of learning, hard work, and plenty of unexpected turns, but it has also been filled with deep purpose and connection. In this ten years we have lost our parents, watched our three sons grow into men, gained daughter-in-laws and now have the most adorable granddaughter, Eloise who in my opinion is the cutest, funniest, most precocious child ever. I may be biased though.

And while many things have changed others have stayed the same. We could not have done this without our incredible employees, loyal customers, trusted suppliers, and the local community that believed in us, even when we were still figuring things out. Thank you for every purchase, every bit of encouragement, and every moment you chose to share with us. We are honored to continue this journey with you.

With sincere appreciation,
Lindy & Brent