Growing Together: The Partnerships Behind Tea Chest Hawaii

The Partnerships Behind Tea Chest Hawaii

At Tea Chest Hawaii, founders Byron and Satomi Goo have built the company around tea, Hawaii and relationships. For more than 30 years, they have worked with farmers, chefs, hotels, restaurants, spas, retailers and other businesses throughout the islands. They work with local growers to explore what can be grown in Hawaii. They work with hospitality teams to find new ways to serve tea. They also create products for businesses that want to share a taste of Hawaii with their customers. These relationships have become an important part of how Tea Chest Hawaii has grown.

When Tea Chest Hawaii started in 1995, Hawaii’s food scene was changing. The Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement was getting started. Chefs were paying more attention to local ingredients and where food came from. Hotels and restaurants were introducing guests to new flavors and new ways of experiencing Hawaii through food. Yet tea remained largely overlooked. Byron saw an opportunity to offer more choices and help people better understand what tea could bring to the table.

Tea Chest Hawaii began working with Hawaii’s hospitality industry and building relationships with the people responsible for creating guest experiences. Those early relationships grew as the company worked with hotels, resorts and restaurants throughout the islands. Some relationships were built around selecting teas and improving tea service. Others developed into products created for a particular property. Over time, Tea Chest Hawaii became a resource for businesses that wanted to make tea a more thoughtful part of what they offered their guests.

At The Kahala Hotel & Resort, Tea Chest Hawaii helped develop the hotel’s tea program. The relationship later led to an exclusive tea line created for the hotel. Collaborations like these show how a business relationship can grow from supplying tea into creating something together. They also show how tea can become part of the identity and experience of a property.

Tea Chest Hawaii’s hospitality relationships extend beyond traditional hotel and restaurant service. The company has worked with resorts, spas, restaurants, attractions and other local businesses. Each setting offers a different opportunity for tea to become part of the customer experience. A restaurant may serve tea with a meal while a spa may offer it as part of a relaxing visit. An attraction or local destination may introduce visitors to a tea that gives them another taste of Hawaii.

Chefs have also been an important part of the company’s story. Tea Chest Hawaii has worked with chefs throughout Hawaii as the islands’ food culture has continued to develop. These relationships have created opportunities to think about tea alongside food rather than as something separate from the dining experience. Tea Chest Hawaii also worked with Alan Wong to create Alan Wong’s Iced Tea. Working with chefs has helped the company better understand how tea can complement a menu and connect with the flavors being served. It has also helped bring tea into the larger conversation about food and ingredients in Hawaii.

Relationships with local farmers have developed alongside Tea Chest Hawaii’s work with hospitality and food service. The company has worked with growers across Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. Together, they have explored tea and ingredients such as mamaki, moringa, and cacao. For Byron and Satomi, these relationships are about more than finding ingredients. They are about learning from the people who grow them and understanding what is possible in Hawaii agriculture. The connection between grower and tea maker gives both sides an opportunity to explore how locally grown ingredients can become part of something new.

Some agricultural relationships begin when a grower is experimenting with a crop. Others develop when Tea Chest Hawaii sees an opportunity to use something already being grown in the islands. Relationships with local farms are part of this wider network. Tea Chest Hawaii has also worked with growers who are interested in developing tea from a small experiment into commercial production. These relationships create opportunities to share knowledge while learning from farmers about their land and growing conditions. They also help Tea Chest Hawaii stay connected to the people behind the ingredients used in its teas.

The company’s work with agriculture has also created relationships with researchers and educators. Byron has worked with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to explore tea cultivation in Hawaii. These relationships bring together different kinds of knowledge about agriculture and tea. They also support a larger conversation about what can be grown and produced in the islands. For Tea Chest Hawaii, local agriculture has always depended on people being willing to learn from one another. A farmer may grow an ingredient while a tea maker finds a way to bring it into the cup.

Other partnerships have grown from Hawaii’s history and culture. Tea Chest Hawaii worked with The Friends of ʻIolani Palace to create the ʻIolani Palace Tea Collection. The teas were developed to share stories connected to Hawaii’s monarchy while supporting the preservation of the Palace. A portion of the proceeds from the collection supports The Friends of ʻIolani Palace. The relationship gave Tea Chest Hawaii an opportunity to use tea as a way to share a larger story about Hawaii. It also showed how a product collaboration can support the work of another local organization.

Education has become another part of the relationships Tea Chest Hawaii has developed over the years. Since 2012, the company has worked with Kamehameha Schools’ Kapili ʻOihana Career and Postgraduate Program. The relationship provides young adults with opportunities to gain work experience and explore possible careers. Tea Chest Hawaii has also shared its knowledge through hospitality training and culinary education. Teaching is a natural extension of the company’s work because good tea service depends on the people preparing and serving it. Helping people understand tea gives them more confidence when they share it with customers and guests.

As Tea Chest Hawaii grew, its relationships also created new ways for customers to discover the company. Tea Chest Hawaii teas have been served aboard Hawaiian Airlines flights. The company has also worked with retailers and local businesses that bring its products to customers throughout Hawaii and beyond. These relationships place tea in settings where people may already be looking for something connected to the islands. A customer may discover Tea Chest Hawaii while traveling, dining, visiting a local destination or shopping for something to take home. Each setting creates a different introduction to the company.

House of Mana Up became part of Tea Chest Hawaii’s story in another way. Tea Chest Hawaii participated in the Mana Up accelerator, which works with Hawaii-based product companies as they grow their businesses. The experience helped Tea Chest Hawaii strengthen parts of the business and explore new ways to reach customers outside Hawaii. Distribution also became more important as the company grew. Working with distributors such as Sysco helps Tea Chest Hawaii reach hotels, restaurants and other businesses. These relationships may be less visible to customers, but they are an important part of getting tea from the company to the businesses that serve it.

Today, Tea Chest Hawaii works with businesses in several ways. Hotels, restaurants and spas can purchase tea and develop tea programs that fit their guests and operations. Hospitality teams can receive help with tea selection, menu development and staff training. Retailers and other businesses can carry Tea Chest Hawaii products for their customers. Companies can also explore custom blends and private-label products. These different services allow a relationship to begin with what a business actually needs rather than with a single type of program.

For some partners, the relationship begins with an existing Tea Chest Hawaii product. For others, it begins with an idea for something different. A hotel may want a tea that reflects its property and the experience it offers. A restaurant may want teas that fit naturally with its menu. A spa may want tea to become part of a wellness experience, while a retailer may be looking for a Hawaii product for its customers. Tea Chest Hawaii’s role is to understand what the business is trying to accomplish and explore how tea can become part of it.

The company’s business relationships also connect Tea Chest Hawaii with a larger network in Hawaii and beyond. Tea Chest Hawaii is a supplier member of the Hawaii Food Industry Association, which connects food producers with retailers, distributors and other businesses throughout the state. The company has also participated in trade programs and events in Japan while exploring opportunities in international markets. Byron serves as chair of the Hawaii Pacific Export Council and helps businesses in Hawaii and the Pacific explore opportunities outside their home markets. These experiences have given Tea Chest Hawaii another perspective on what it takes for a local company to reach new customers. They have also reinforced the importance of relationships when entering new markets.

After more than 30 years, Tea Chest Hawaii has grown through relationships across agriculture, hospitality, food service, retail, education and manufacturing. A grower can produce an ingredient that becomes part of a new tea. A tea maker can work with a chef to bring that tea to the table. A hotel or spa can introduce it to a guest, while a retailer can help someone take it home. A distributor can help the same tea reach another business and another group of customers. Each relationship becomes part of a larger network that connects the people growing ingredients with the people ultimately enjoying the cup. For Tea Chest Hawaii, growing the company has also meant growing together.

Interested in Working Together?

Tea Chest Hawaii has spent more than 30 years building relationships with businesses throughout Hawaii and beyond. Whether you are looking for wholesale tea, a hospitality tea program, staff training, a custom blend or a private-label product, the conversation can start with an idea. Tell us about your business and what you are looking for. We would be happy to learn more about your needs and explore how Tea Chest Hawaii can work with you.

Contact Tea Chest Hawaii to start the conversation.

Q&A: Partnering with Tea Chest Hawaii

What types of businesses does Tea Chest Hawaii work with?

Tea Chest Hawaii works with hotels, resorts, restaurants, spas, retailers and other businesses. The company provides wholesale tea for hospitality, food service and retail accounts. It can also help businesses develop tea programs and custom products. Some relationships focus on serving tea to guests while others focus on products for retail. The approach depends on what the business needs and the experience it wants to create.

Does Tea Chest Hawaii offer wholesale tea?

Yes. Tea Chest Hawaii provides wholesale tea for hospitality, food service and retail businesses. Wholesale products can be used in hotels, restaurants, spas, cafés, gift shops and other settings. Tea Chest Hawaii can work with a business to identify products that fit its operation. The needs of a restaurant may be different from those of a spa or retailer. The wholesale relationship can be built around those differences.

Can Tea Chest Hawaii help with our tea program?

Yes. Tea Chest Hawaii can help businesses with tea selection, menu development and staff training. The company has decades of experience working with Hawaii’s hospitality industry. That experience can help a business think about how tea fits into its menu and guest experience. Training can also help employees understand how to prepare and serve the teas they offer. The goal is to create a program that works for both the operation and the customer.

How do we start working with Tea Chest Hawaii?

The first step is to share what your business is looking for. You may need wholesale tea for an existing operation or help developing a complete tea program. You may also have an idea for a custom blend or private-label product. Tea Chest Hawaii can learn about the business and what you want to offer your customers. From there, both sides can explore what type of partnership makes sense.