FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER OPENING OF NEW HOLLYWOOD LOCATION FUELS TEA HOUSE TREND
BRENTWOOD, CALIFORNIA MARCH 26, 2004
Zen Zoo, a pioneer in the launch of specialty tea cafes, today announced the upcoming opening of a new location in Hollywood. The success of Zen Zoo’s original Brentwood location, a premier modern tea café, has generated considerable buzz about the new tea bar experience while awakening Los Angeles residents to a refreshing alternative to coffee.
Located at 1517 N. Vine in Hollywood, the new Zen Zoo tea café is scheduled to open September 2004, the first of several location expansions scheduled for the thriving tea café.
Since its 1998 opening, the Brentwood Zen Zoo tea café has quickly become one of the hottest meeting places on the Westside, attracting a wealth of celebrities and Angelenos – from busy moms looking for a quick afternoon escape, to the hippest teens searching for new ways to kick back after school.
Zen Zoo integrates custom tea beverages, light Asian food, and merchandise to create a unique social environment. Sights, sounds, tastes, and smells transport customers as they see and hear their tea drink being prepared, smell steaming dumplings, and peruse beautiful ceramic teapots and aromatic candles. In addition to many blends of teas brewed by the cup or by the pot, Zen Zoo is known for its popular ZenFusion™ “bubble tea” drinks. Bubble teas are a combination of freshly brewed tea, natural fruit-based syrups and soy (and sometimes black pearls or Boba), shaken in a cocktail shaker to incorporate air and create a tantalizing foamy head. Bubble teas have taken Asia by storm and are gaining a reputation as the drink for Los Angeles residents tired of their coffee routine.
“At Zen Zoo, people can escape from the frantic pace of Los Angeles living – it’s a place to get a bit of Zen in the Zoo of life™,” said Alfred Ritter, co-founder of Zen Zoo Tea, Inc., the company behind Zen Zoo Tea. “The appeal of specialty teas is quite a trend across the country, and as a city known for setting trends, Los Angeles is primed to be a leader in tea cafes with the opening of our new location.”
TEABUCKS? MCTEAS? TEA ENTREPRENEURS NATIONWIDE RECOGNIZE TREND HEATING UP THE COUNTRY
From Boston, to San Francisco, Portland, to Los Angeles, tea cafes are being established across the country as savvy entrepreneurs serve up innovative creations using this ancient drink.
• According to the Tea Council of the United States, wholesale sales of tea reached $5.3 billion at the end of 2002, more than double the almost $2 billion sold at the end of 1990.
• The number of tea rooms offering sit-down service rose 15 percent in 2003, to about 1,100, while the number of shops selling loose tea and accessories rose 15 percent, to more than 200.
• Bon Appétit magazine named green tea the best flavor of the year (January 2004).
Increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits of tea makes Zen Zoo Tea an ideal choice for consumers concerned not only with taste but also with wellness. Tea contains vitamins, minerals and high levels of antioxidants and amino acids. Studies have linked consumption of tea to the prevention and treatment of cancer and heart disease, and tea has been shown to help lower blood pressure, strengthen bones, control bad breath and assist with weight loss.
In Southern California, trend-setting Angelenos are discovering another perk of tea cafes such as Zen Zoo – they’re the perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous. “People are finding that specialty teas can be a great and healthy way to start the day, but the Zen Zoo phenomenon is also making our tea café the city’s hottest place for casual dates,” said Linda Yu, co-founder of Zen Zoo Tea, Inc. “In fact, we know of several couples who met and fell in love over a cup of tea at Zen Zoo.”
For more information on the Zen Zoo Tea experience, visit www.zenzootea.com.
SEPTEMBER OPENING OF NEW HOLLYWOOD LOCATION FUELS TEA HOUSE TREND
BRENTWOOD, CALIFORNIA MARCH 26, 2004
Zen Zoo, a pioneer in the launch of specialty tea cafes, today announced the upcoming opening of a new location in Hollywood. The success of Zen Zoo’s original Brentwood location, a premier modern tea café, has generated considerable buzz about the new tea bar experience while awakening Los Angeles residents to a refreshing alternative to coffee.
Located at 1517 N. Vine in Hollywood, the new Zen Zoo tea café is scheduled to open September 2004, the first of several location expansions scheduled for the thriving tea café.
Since its 1998 opening, the Brentwood Zen Zoo tea café has quickly become one of the hottest meeting places on the Westside, attracting a wealth of celebrities and Angelenos – from busy moms looking for a quick afternoon escape, to the hippest teens searching for new ways to kick back after school.
Zen Zoo integrates custom tea beverages, light Asian food, and merchandise to create a unique social environment. Sights, sounds, tastes, and smells transport customers as they see and hear their tea drink being prepared, smell steaming dumplings, and peruse beautiful ceramic teapots and aromatic candles. In addition to many blends of teas brewed by the cup or by the pot, Zen Zoo is known for its popular ZenFusion™ “bubble tea” drinks. Bubble teas are a combination of freshly brewed tea, natural fruit-based syrups and soy (and sometimes black pearls or Boba), shaken in a cocktail shaker to incorporate air and create a tantalizing foamy head. Bubble teas have taken Asia by storm and are gaining a reputation as the drink for Los Angeles residents tired of their coffee routine.
“At Zen Zoo, people can escape from the frantic pace of Los Angeles living – it’s a place to get a bit of Zen in the Zoo of life™,” said Alfred Ritter, co-founder of Zen Zoo Tea, Inc., the company behind Zen Zoo Tea. “The appeal of specialty teas is quite a trend across the country, and as a city known for setting trends, Los Angeles is primed to be a leader in tea cafes with the opening of our new location.”
TEABUCKS? MCTEAS? TEA ENTREPRENEURS NATIONWIDE RECOGNIZE TREND HEATING UP THE COUNTRY
From Boston, to San Francisco, Portland, to Los Angeles, tea cafes are being established across the country as savvy entrepreneurs serve up innovative creations using this ancient drink.
• According to the Tea Council of the United States, wholesale sales of tea reached $5.3 billion at the end of 2002, more than double the almost $2 billion sold at the end of 1990.
• The number of tea rooms offering sit-down service rose 15 percent in 2003, to about 1,100, while the number of shops selling loose tea and accessories rose 15 percent, to more than 200.
• Bon Appétit magazine named green tea the best flavor of the year (January 2004).
Increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits of tea makes Zen Zoo Tea an ideal choice for consumers concerned not only with taste but also with wellness. Tea contains vitamins, minerals and high levels of antioxidants and amino acids. Studies have linked consumption of tea to the prevention and treatment of cancer and heart disease, and tea has been shown to help lower blood pressure, strengthen bones, control bad breath and assist with weight loss.
In Southern California, trend-setting Angelenos are discovering another perk of tea cafes such as Zen Zoo – they’re the perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous. “People are finding that specialty teas can be a great and healthy way to start the day, but the Zen Zoo phenomenon is also making our tea café the city’s hottest place for casual dates,” said Linda Yu, co-founder of Zen Zoo Tea, Inc. “In fact, we know of several couples who met and fell in love over a cup of tea at Zen Zoo.”
For more information on the Zen Zoo Tea experience, visit www.zenzootea.com.