| Industry |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland, United States |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | |
| Website | capitalteas |
Capital Teas is an American specialty tea brand, founded in 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland, [1] that offers premium loose tea and tea-related products. From 2007 [2] through 2018, the company operated brick and mortar stores, peaking at 24 retails stores in eight states by late 2016. Two years later, the company shifted strategies. In October 2018, Anchor Beverages, Inc. took over the Capital Teas brand to operate exclusively in online and wholesale channels. In October 2024, the company entered into a sale transaction that relocated its operations to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In July 2024, the brand was sold to Nostrom Brands, LLC, and relocated back to Annapolis, Maryland.
From 2007 to 2014, Capital Teas was privately owned by co-founders Peter Martino and Manelle Martino who operated six street-front retail tea stores in Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia. In March 2014, Capital Teas received its first $5 million investment from Pear Tree Partners, based in Massachusetts, and began rapidly expanding the brand to 24 stores, with most expansion stores in large shopping malls in eight states. [3] Subsequent investments through Pear Tree Partners made their investment funds the majority shareholders. After several years of success where Capital Teas, Inc. was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America in both 2016 and 2017, [4] the rapidly changing retail environment resulted in the company closing many of its expansion stores due to declining foot traffic in shopping malls. [5] In March 2018, the co-founders divorced and in August 2018, the company closed its remaining stores. In October 2018, Anchor Beverages, Inc., a new company started by Peter Martino, took over the Capital Teas brand to operate solely as an e-Commerce company. In late 2022, Anchor Beverages also opened a holiday Capital Teas store at the Annapolis Mall [6] to test viability of returning to limited brick and mortar operations. In September 2024, the company entered into a private sale transaction, [7] and moved its operations to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Subsequently, when that sale transaction failed to close, the company operated temporarily from Virginia until sale of the Capital Teas brand in July 2025 to Manelle Martino, who relocated the company back to Annapolis, Maryland. The Capital Teas brand is now owned and operated by her new company, Nostrom Brands, LLC.
Capital Teas has been recognized as an innovator in the tea industry with products such as their tea and alcohol infusions including Tea Lager Beer Enhancers and Vino Teano Wine Mixers. [8]
The signature teas of the Capital Teas brand include Capital Breakfast, Annapolis Treasures, [9] Chesapeake Sunrise, Turmeric Ginger, Island Mango, and Roasted Almond. [10] The majority of the teas sold under the Capital Teas brand are USDA-certified organic, and nearly all its teas contain only natural ingredients.
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