Our Story

What started out as a class project in college has evolved over the years to become what many customers refer to as their second home. Tea Chai Té has been offering handcrafted, loose leaf teas in Portland and online since December 2003, and has grown in leaps and bounds both in the products we offer and the friendly community of people who cherish it. Frequently spotted on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th season of Portlandia, Tea Chai Te's brand has become a joyful Portland staple for the last decade, and we are eternally grateful for such wonderful community support.

Tea Chai Té has over 120 high quality teas, giving our customers a uniquely large selection of tea in Portland in the most casual, relaxing and inviting setting. Our first tea shop, opened up in 2003 in a victorian style house in the trendy Nob Hill area, has Portland's first tea sample wall, with tiny glass jars to smell and see the variety of tea offerings. Shiny steel tea tins in a grid display adorn this shop along with cozy couches and chairs, free WiFi and an outdoor balcony with a great view of NW 23rd and the West Hills. Looking to create more spaces of comfort in Portland, we were delighted to open our second tea shop in 2011 in the historic Sellwood Caboose. This bright red caboose looks small from the front, but step inside and you'll find two lounge rooms, a main tea hall and sky box seating as well as ample outdoor seating including a private courtyard with rock fountain. For those interested in reserving space for private events in our Sellwood tea shop, please contact us.

We chose to handcraft our own tea blends because not only do we care about providing the public with health conscious & eco-friendly tea, we also care about working with companies around the globe who make their workers health needs a priority as well. By working with organic and fair trade ingredients, we have enjoyed creating original recipes such as our Chocolate Chipotle Chai or our 2011 Award Winning herbal Be Swell Blend. We offer both rare seasonal teas as well as reliable staples to keep our menu as fresh and consistent as possible. As times change, so will our selection of teas, so we encourage you to check out our seasonal teas for new ones to try. We happily make all our teas from scratch, including our bubble teas and chai blends, giving our customers complete freedom to have their drink made the way they like it.

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for tips, raves, and insights from us or our teatenders on all things tea.

Our hearts are full of gratitude for all the love, laughter and support over the last decade as we've grown Tea Chai Te. Our little tea shops have touched many lives and connected people in ways we never dreamed of. To the couples who shared their first dates over our Tra Que Chai and proposed marriage drinking Coconut Oolong, to all the students who studied nightly and completed their educational choices (many TEAtenders included), to the people who worked hard every day to make ends meet and still came to have a brief cup of solitude and all the others who shared their love for tea by bringing someone with them-- we sincerely thank you! Thank you for opening up your hearts and taking care of yourself, one cup of tea at a time. Tea Chai Te is here for you and the reason we carry so many great original tea blends is because we want to make sure you'll find the right tea for you that lets you be free to just BE.

Cheers!
—
Dominic & Angela Valdes
Owners