Chico Chai brewing another retail venture with new chaihouse

Source: KRCR
Author: Muna Sadek

CHICO, Calif. -- After more than two decades of sharing her love of tea in Chico and beyond, Chico Chai Owner Sarah Adams says she's preparing to open the company's first retail location.

Chico Chaihouse is slated to open along Park Avenue in late summer or early fall, Adams says. The location will offer a variety of sustainably and locally-sourced tea blends, as well as toast offerings.

"We are pretty close to being able to move in -- we're maybe a few months away from being able our production over so we can brew and blend Masala Chai and keep doing what we're doing but in a place with a little more elbow room," she said.

Adams began Chico Chai back in 2004, after quitting her day job as a wildlife biologist. Chico Chai products are now staples in a number of coffee shops statewide from Redding to Los Angeles, as well as some natural foods stores.

"It just took me a lot of iterations on the stovetop to get me to what I thought was a really good Masala Chai recipe. I started with that one recipe, sold it at the farmer's market on Saturdays and we're still there 20 years later," Adams said.

The company is in the process of crowdfunding, collecting more than $10,000 of its $36,000 goal to help complete building restoration and to bring on new staff.

A link to donate can be found online here.

"The nice thing about Chico is everybody is in it together. I feel like on our best days this community is so strong and so supportive," Adams said.