Our Story: Quality Tea, Made Affordable, Since 2006

Our Roots

In the early to mid-2000s, tea drinkers in the U.S. didn't have many options, and even mediocre teas were expensive. Wen Li grew up in a family with a long background in the tea trade, in a culture where people gather around tea time. He believed quality tea could be affordable here too. He spent almost a year researching and sourcing gourmet teas from around the world, then teamed up with his cousin, Wing Kwan, to open a tea shop.

The Tea Zone Years

In 2006, Wen and Wing opened their first shop, Tea Zone, in the Porter Square neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts. It soon did well as both a local tea shop and an online and mail-order tea store.

As Featured in the Press

In 2007, the Boston Globe and the Somerville Journal both wrote about Tea Zone and our tea story.

The Boston Globe, October 17, 2007: "Their future's in tea leaves"

Somerville Journal, 2007: "If you can't find good tea, start your own store" by S. H. Bagley

Learning at the Source

In 2011, Wen spent three years in China, the world's largest tea producer, working with his uncle, a collector and trader of vintage Pu-erh teas. He studied everything from tea making to tea trading and advised tea exporters on global marketing. In 2014 he came back to the Boston area with the same mission.

Our Promise

We're picky tea drinkers. We taste every tea several times before it goes into our catalog, so you get quality and freshness, and many of our herbal and chai blends are our own recipes. If you're not satisfied for any reason, send it back within 15 days for an exchange or a full refund, no questions asked.

Find your next favorite cup.

Questions, or just want to talk tea? Email info@beantowntea.com.