Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Beverage |
Founded | 1992 in Novato, California, U.S. |
Founders | Mel Ziegler, Patricia Ziegler, Bill Rosenzweig |
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Products | Loose-Leaf Tea Tea Bags Tea-Related Products |
Owner | Ron Rubin |
Website | RepublicofTea.com |
The Republic of Tea is a privately owned American tea company based in Larkspur, California, that makes and sells more than 350 varieties of teas throughout North America. [1] It was one of the first companies to offer varieties such as rooibos red tea, white tea, and tea seed oil to American consumers. [2]
The company was founded in 1992 by Mel Ziegler, Patricia Ziegler, and Bill Rosenzweig. The Zieglers co-founded Banana Republic and ZoZa.com. [3] [4] In 1994, they sold the company to Ron Rubin. [5] Rubin's son Todd Rubin joined the company in 2007 [6] and succeeded his father as president in 2015. Ron Rubin currently serves as The Republic of Tea's Executive Chairman and Minister of Tea. [7] The Republic of Tea designates its employees as "ministers", its customers as "citizens", and its retail outlets as "embassies". [8]
The Republic of Tea's products are distributed through speciality retailers including Whole Foods Market and Williams Sonoma. They do not intend to expand to mass market retailers such as Costco and Walmart. The company prides itself on maintaining slow but steady growth and operating without any debt. [2] [5]
The company supports sustainable agriculture. It sources several of its teas from biodynamic farms, [9] a form of alternative agriculture based on pseudo-scientific and esoteric concepts. It also produces Sonoma Teas, which are made from dried grape skins that would otherwise go to waste. [10] Prioritizing fair-trade and organic farms, the company emphasizes sustainability and the well-being of its sourcing regions and farmers. Their slogan, "Sip By Sip Rather Than Gulp by Gulp", promotes mindfulness in tea consumption. Rigorous testing is conducted at both tea garden sites and their packing facility in southern Illinois to ensure product safety. [11]
Both Ron and Todd Rubin have said that they are not interested in selling The Republic of Tea, despite a potential valuation as high as $125 million. Ron Rubin says he has always hoped his company would remain family-owned and private. [5]
Save A Lot Food Stores Ltd. is an American discount supermarket chain store headquartered in St. Ann, Missouri, in Greater St. Louis. It has about 900 independently owned and operated stores across 32 states in the United States with over $4 billion in annual sales.
Banana Republic is a US upscale clothing and accessories retailer owned by The Gap. It was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, who originally called the company "Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company". In 1983, Gap purchased the company, changed the name to "Banana Republic," and rebranded the stores to achieve a more upscale image. In the 2020s, VP of design Nicole Wiesmann has re-envisioned the brand with ad editorial campaigns that evoke luxury brands like Loro Piana with higher-end garments that have been compared favorably with Ralph Lauren, The Row, and Burberry.
Biodynamic agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture based on pseudo-scientific and esoteric concepts initially developed in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925). It was the first of the organic farming movements. It treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated tasks, emphasizing spiritual and mystical perspectives.
Tully's Coffee is an American specialty coffee manufacturing brand owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, which acquired Tully's brand and wholesale business in 2009.
Venus is an American online and catalog fashion retailer headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. The company sells clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories for women. Venus is known for its swimwear and lingerie. The company is known for actively participating in charitable endeavors and community activities.
GNC Holdings, LLC is a retail company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It specializes in health and nutrition related products, including vitamins, supplements, minerals, herbs, sports nutrition, diet, and energy products.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with staff in more than 20 countries and operations in more than 70 countries. It was founded in 1987 by Daniel Katz, an American environmental activist, who serves as the chair of the board of directors. The NGO states that its mission is “to create a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.” Its work includes the provision of an environmental certification for sustainability in agriculture. In parallel to its certification program, the Rainforest Alliance develops and implements long-term conservation and community development programs in a number of critically important tropical landscapes where commodity production threatens ecosystem health and the well-being of rural communities.
Forever 21 is a multinational fast fashion retailer headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. Originally founded as the store Fashion 21 in Highland Park, Los Angeles in 1984, it is currently operated by Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group, with about 540 outlets.
Jo-Ann Stores, LLC, more commonly known as Jo-Ann, is an American haberdashery and mercery based in Hudson, Ohio. It operates the retail chains JOANN Fabrics and Crafts and Jo-Ann Etc. The headquarters of the company is located in the former General Motors Terex plant.
Mel Ziegler and his wife Patricia Ziegler were the American founders of Banana Republic.
Hyde Park Village is an upscale open-air shopping district located in the neighborhood of Hyde Park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The center is situated in several buildings located between Swann and Rome Avenues, just a few blocks east of the SoHo district.
Ashley Home Stores Ltd. is an American furniture store chain that sells Ashley Furniture products. Opened in 1997, the chain comprises over 2000 locations worldwide. The chain has both corporate and independently licensed and operated furniture stores.
The Village of Rochester Hills is a lifestyle center located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit. Built in 2002, the center replaced a former enclosed shopping mall called Meadowbrook Village Mall. The Village of Rochester Hills features the traditional retailers Von Maur and Whole Foods Market, in addition to prominent specialty retailers such as Williams Sonoma, Talbot's, Banana Republic, Chico's, J.Jill, and Pottery Barn.
Grand Central Baking Company d.b.a. Grand Central Bakery is an American bakery chain with locations in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington and their metropolitan areas. It was founded in Seattle's Grand Central Hotel building, originally as The Bakery and later becoming Grand Central Bakery. The bakery is known for its artisan breads.
The Gap, Inc., commonly known as Gap Inc. or Gap, is an American worldwide clothing and accessories retailer. Gap was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher and Doris F. Fisher and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company operates four primary divisions: Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta. Gap Inc. is the largest specialty retailer in the United States, and is 3rd in total international locations, behind Inditex Group and H&M. As of early 2023, Gap employs about 95,000 people.
TWG Tea is a Singaporean luxury teahouse chain and a namesake brand of artisanal tea. The brand was established in 2008 as a subsidiary of the Singaporean lifestyle company, The Wellness Group - from which the acronym, TWG, was derived. In 2014, Osim International, itself a subsidiary of the V3 Group, acquired a majority stake in TWG Tea. The company sells over 1,000 blends of tea in its more than 70 boutiques and salons in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. It also distributes its tea to international retailers.
Bare Necessities is an American lingerie, swimwear, and loungewear online retailer which was established in 1998 in Avenel, New Jersey. The company claims to be the second largest online retailer in the industry next to Victoria's Secret with over $66 million in revenues.
Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc., more commonly known as Guayakí, is an organic beverage company specializing in yerba mate products based in Sebastopol, California. In addition to offering loose-leaf yerba mate, Guayakí also sells canned as well as carbonated yerba mate drinks, and energy shots. Guayakí receives American-nationwide distribution to approximately 10,000 stores, primarily through organic and health-oriented grocery stores such as Whole Foods among other retailers, as well as through online channels.
Eldridge Industries LLC is an American holding company headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, with offices in New York City, London, and Beverly Hills. Eldridge makes investments in various industries including insurance, asset management, technology, sports, media, real estate, and the consumer sector.
Ribbon Communications Inc. is a public company that makes software, IP and optical networking solutions for service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure sectors. The company was formed in 2017, following the merger of Genband and Sonus Networks and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.