For the MSCA April 2016 Newsletter, Steve contributed an article on a recent project: Sencha Tea Bar. Below is a re-post of the article.
If you are looking for a change to the daily coffee or soda drive-thru routine, look no further than the newly re-branded Sencha Tea Bar chain. Founded in 2001 as the Tea Garden, the six store chain, with five locations in the Twin Cities and one in Madison, Wisconsin, is nearing the completion of the brand makeover.
Sencha Tea Bar is a locally owned, family business which allows guests to experience “your tea, your way.” The management team partnered with the design firm Shea, Inc. to design a prototype store that would expand the existing customer base and increase traffic during the earlier day parts with a renewed focus on loose leaf tea.
The Uptown location was chosen to be the first to undergo the transformation in the Spring of 2015. One of the signature components of the new design is the rotating tea rack over the bar that contains over 125 different canisters of loose leaf teas. A variety of seating options are available, from comfy lounge seating to stools at the bar, most in close proximity to an electrical outlet and a USB charging station for your laptop and phone. The new fixtures and finishes create a simple, yet sophisticated atmosphere for the new tea bar experience.
Along with the new name and new look are new menus and products to sample. The award-winning drinks range from colorful, tropical bubble teas to a global expanse of traditional loose leaf teas. You can cozily sip your favorite drink at each of the tea bars, or take home any of the expansive list of loose leaf teas, and become your own tea master at home.
There are delicious food and snack items to sample as well. Whether you need your morning beverage to get you going or a place to hold an afternoon meeting, Sencha Tea Bar now offers a more interesting option than the corporate coffee guy on the corner. Sencha Tea Bar – It’s Tea Time.