KC tea shop offers cinnamon orange, jasmine green — and a rare one for $1,100 a pound

Arkansas-based Savoy Tea Co., with one area location in Lenexa, is now in the Crossroads Arts District.

The shop, at 2108 Wyandotte St., opened a month ago, but celebrated a grand opening Friday.

It carries more than 150 specialty and rare teas from tea gardens and family farms internationally. Flavors include cinnamon orange, peach white, jasmine green and apricot black. Customers can purchase loose-leaf teas to take home, or they can order any of the teas (hot or iced) to drink in the cafe or take to-go.

One rare tea, the 25-year-aged pu-erh, sells for $1,100 a pound.

“It’s a unique tea. It’s not for everybody,” said Bill Beyer, owner with his wife, Tina.

Savoy Tea Co. has tea lattes, sparkling teas, tea flights, matcha shots, chai lattes, espresso, house-made quiches, scones and cookies. It also sells tea candles, tea sachets and T-shirts. It will host tea classes, tastings and workshops.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

The couple signed the lease a year ago, but supply chain issues pushed the opening back for months.

“Some things were stuck on a boat for six months. It was really disruptive,” Bill Beyer said. “You are sitting there paying rent so it’s a big kind of relief to get it open.”

The Beyers founded the company in Rogers, Arkansas, in 2011. They now have a location in Fayetteville, Arkansas, too. They also hand-blend teas to sell at tea shops, restaurants and other retailers throughout the country. The name comes from the hotel the couple stayed at during their honeymoon in Florence, Italy.

The Lenexa location, at 16953 City Center Drive, opened in September 2020.

This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 2:22 PM.