Siptea to Close on Sunday
Ed Fuentes
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — On Sunday, Laura Stewart will close the doors at siptea's Broadway location for the last time. By next month, the space is set to be home to a cafe serving lunches.
The tea house opened in October with dreams of becoming a neighborhood gathering place, but the economic downturn led to a severe drop in revenue. Despite a recent uptick, Stewart could no longer wait for business to pick up.
"Seven months is a long time to lose money everyday," said Stewart sadly. Earlier, the shop had seen good days bring in $450. At the beginning of the year, that dropped to $250.
The low revenue wasn't for lack of a solid product. Stewart's line of organic teas are served with a disciplined style, and the tea house garnered some national attention.
That prompted westsiders to trek Downtown and try siptea, but it remained inconvenient to patronize. "Parking is a problem," says Stewart thinking about the increase in parking meter fares. "While loose leaf tea people will travel, parking is too expensive just to have tea."
Stewart also feels that with no other real options in this part of Broadway, return visits became infrequent.
Once the doors close, Stewart will continue to sell her teas online. She also plans to look at locations in other areas of the city with active walkability more favorable to her brand of tea house.
That doesn't mean Downtown's out of the question. "We came Downtown because it was an under-served community" she said. "If someone has a great [downtown] location, I would listen."
Those looking to get in a last purchase can do so at 852 S. Broadway. Doors close at 6pm on Sunday.
guest on May 14, 2009, at 05:09PM – #1
how about relocating to the South Group buildings...lots of asian tea drinkers/residents there, and there's more pedestrian activity...they can give Starbucks a run for their money.
loveandhatela on May 14, 2009, at 05:29PM – #2
So sad to hear that. I really enjoyed going to it. I will try to make it before Sunday. It was a fun and cool place because it was unique and not like every other retail spot on Broadway.
Sure it sucks that she lost money for 7 months. But when you begin a venture like a retail food establishment you have to be better prepared and capitalized for at least a year- 12 months. -thanks for the effort better luck next time. :(
Scott on May 14, 2009, at 05:52PM – #3
I don't know how much space a tea brewing operation requires, but it would seem like this might be a perfect match to share space with Caliyogurt on Grand in South Park. They seem to be struggling as well, but by broadening the offering, perhaps the two might make the space work.
tea drinker on May 14, 2009, at 06:10PM – #4
So sad, that is such a cute place. We would have been going there longer if we didn't discover it recently. We love you Siptea!
siptea on May 15, 2009, at 10:40AM – #5
loveandhatela, It wasn't just losing money for seven months. After having the lease on the space for 2 years, I can honestly say, my audience isn't at this location. So if I want my idea to survive, I must adapt & change, which means going online & looking for a different location most likely not downtown. I think my business was too niche for the area. I still love downtown & in 5 years when Broadway is a walk street siptea will be back. I think I was just ahead of the curve for downtown. Thanks for your support, Laura Stewart siptea
Raul on May 15, 2009, at 11:46AM – #6
I'm not a tea drinker (so I didn't help them out), but I love the food at siptea. The sandwiches are delicious, especially the fig and cheese. Best of luck on your next venture.
Alex Brideau III on May 15, 2009, at 12:51PM – #7
Siptea might find more of an audience just a couple blocks away, specifically in the 6th & Spring area. This area bustles with foot traffic, especially during Artwalk. I know SB Manhattan has tons of small, available retail units, and Spring for Coffee is new but seems to have acquired a devoted following.
Sheila on May 15, 2009, at 05:21PM – #8
A cafe specializing in tea is a bit of a precious idea, especially for downtown. We don't have much a blue rinse set down here and the broke hipsters on fixed bikes want cheap beer joints not Lapsong. It was a nice idea though but there's no clientele to sustain it. Even some of the tea joints in Chinatown have gone under and if anyone needs their tea, it's...well, it's obvious.
If someone were smart, they'd open up a big, well curated thrift store. Clothes. We need clothes. We dont have any clothes to buy down here. Crack Gallery isn't appealing nor is Ed Hardy. It's great to support the local economy but there's nothing to buy.
Don Noyes-More on May 15, 2009, at 07:57PM – #9
Laura is an amazing woman, a wonderful and warm human being, and is bound for great things. Laura make sure we all know your URL for on-line tea sales.
Good Luck!
littlebrowngirl on May 15, 2009, at 11:09PM – #10
man they had the coolest hand dryers...
Im not a bit tea drinker either but another cafe? Im over it....
leesa on May 15, 2009, at 11:28PM – #11
Sheila, I second having more clothing stores.I know there's the fashion district, but I want to be able to try the clothes on and not have to trip over fake dvds when im walking.
Siptea, downtown really has a long way to go in terms of making it pedestrian friendly. I think it is wise to look for another market. On Saturday afternoons, I can walk from 1st and Grand to 11th and feel like I'm in a ghost town.
This is good example of how much DT needs to improve (click on the after button on the top left) http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/transparency/web/0904/livable-streets.html
dean wermer on May 17, 2009, at 02:30PM – #12
There are several successful food and drink places in the fashion district, so, despite the admitted uniqueness of a tea house and various neighborhood-specific challenges, I wouldn't blame the area too much. I can think of several more SipTea specific reasons: (i) very uncomfortable seating not conducive to sitting, drinking and eating for any extended period of time (where were the big comfy chairs/sofa? Yes, intersting green design inside, but just not comfortable "feeling" or in actuality), (ii) poor visibility from the street (difficult to see what's up inside the store from the street - made more difficult by the placement of the ordering area at the very back of the store (obviously done for practical purposes to be near the kitchen, but still a significant drawback as there was nothing visible in the front of the store to show what the location was all about. Poor signage recently gave way to posting cheap-looking paper on the front glass with the menu, hours and free wi-fi notice), (iii) food and drink combined were too expensive - a sandwich and a hot tea pushed close to $14 without tip, which is just too much money for what was essentially a light lunch, even in the context of recent food cost increases, (iv) indifferent/unfriendly staff - the owner Laura is ok, though not the most extroverted, but the rest of the staff ranged from downright surly to indifferent and clearly not focused 100% on pleasing the customer (e.g., as an example, on more than one occasion, I'd go in to order something, and despite being the only person in the store, I'd have to wait several minutes to order while the staff was bickering about something between themselves), (v) erratic hours - SipTea opened with odd hours and then seemed to refine them over time, but the constant changing was annoying - it only takes one time showing up at the store at a time when it was previously open, only to find it closed, to get annoyed and swear off the place, (v) food items were ok'ish but by no means great - one wouldn't go to SipTea for the food, and that's a problem given their business plan (I introduced three or four friends to SipTea and each of them basically said the same thing - the food's not so hot - after eating there, (v) missing little things: why not sell the Sunday NYTimes (I'd show up there every Sunday), add more non-caffeinated options (and some non-tea options), more events - and not necessarily "green themed" events, with the goal of making the location an area meeting place, etc. I live next door in the Orpheum and really wanted to support SipTea (had food plus drink there 15 to 20 times) and really tried to like the place, but at the end of the day, I was disappointed in the execution and just gave up on the place a few weeks ago. SipTea just did not adapt quickly or well enough. Hopefully, they will find success in a new location, and I wish them well.
Oscar on May 18, 2009, at 02:51AM – #13
Dear Dean Wermer, if I could give one of my fingers in exchange for your message to come across to ALL business owners I'll ever meet in my life...
Your whole post can be resumed in one single word; CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I can't count the endless times I've seen things wrong with a place, specially the new ones, because the old ones, well, there is a reason why they are still there.
What ever happened to the old "suggestions" box?
It's almost as if they forgot, "build it in whatever way, shape or form and with whatever cheapest possible quality you can find and they will come regardless, even if you humiliate them, ignore them or nickel and dime them " it's what they seem to think these days.
But why didn't you tell them when you had the chance?
Maybe because you would look like an a'ho?
Or because they will give you lots of explanations trying to illustrate why you are wrong and they are right?
Or maybe because time is money, and there is no reason for you to waste your time (money) when you are not being retribuited?
Let this be a lesson to every new business out there.
Yes we DO want you to succeed, but no, I'm not willing to give you my income, you have to earn it.
David Kennedy on May 18, 2009, at 10:44AM – #14
I, too, would second dean wermer's comments. I used to live at the Orpheum and really wanted to like Siptea. For the reasons he outlined, I didn't become a regular.
Interestingly, the Korean couple who run the convenience shop in the lobby of my building and the taco place a few doors down were always very friendly. They made promises as a business, they consistently delivered and I patronized them. They were nothing fancy compared to Siptea. But, they provided the right service at the right price. Frankly, I miss both of these places. I wish I could say the same for Siptea.
Laura Stewart on May 20, 2009, at 04:11PM – #15
Wow, I guess I really fell down on customer service. I got good feedback from yelp & didn't realize that there were so strongly disappointed customers. I did have some staff issues and that again falls on my shoulders for not training or cracking down on attitude from staff. Will have to do more mystery shoppers at the next location & a suggestion box. I have also learned that views on the food varied widely. It was meant to be simple organic food with the tea being the star, but guess I missed on that for some people too. Thanks for the insight & it would have been helpful if I had sought it out earlier from my customers. Lesson learned. Thanks.
Jen on May 21, 2009, at 08:32AM – #16
This is really sad and comes to me as a shock! I just discovered Sip Tea a few weeks ago and had started to mobilize troops. I had three business meetings scheduled there in the next two weeks and wanted to host a community meeting there as well! It was a great space, competitively priced especially considering the incredible effort that was invested in being environmentally friendlt. This wasn't just a spot for loose tea lovers but for people who want to shop with a conscience. To me the location problem was not "downtown" as it much as it was what "part of" downtown- the center of Broadway. I agree that it was ahead of its time. It seems to me that if it could be in South Park near the "eco" friendly condo's of South Group or closer to the Spring and Main Street loft dwellers between 4th and 7th streets. I wish I would have gone there every day since discovering it. Sad to hear Luara, I was really impressed with your business model and the beautiful retreat you created from the harsness of bustling downtown.