Meet Robin E. Durfee of Robin’s House of Tea in Ft. Lauderdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin E. Durfee.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Years ago, I owned a tiny yoga studio in S.W. Broward.  It was located in the rear of an ice skating rink/boxing studio.  It was similar to my current space, in that, it’s an unconventional space/location made even more unusual by the fact that the property was once a former lumber yard.  Everything about the space is upcycled, repurposed or resuscitated in some unique or odd way.

Ladies would attend my early morning classes and would stand around for 30, 40 minutes chatting with each other afterward. This is where the idea to set up a tea bar was conceived as I wanted to offer my students a comfortable spot to sit and congregate. I loved fostering the growing sense of community and camaraderie that was developing in my studio.

Well, that never happened as professionally, I went off in other directions but, the idea of the tea bar stayed with me.  Fast forward 15 years later and I’m hiking the medieval Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage in northern Spain.  It’s a journey that takes approximately 30 – 40 days to complete.

Along the way, I became fascinated with farmer’s market culture and how every village, town and city along the route has it’s own unique daily market.  I noticed how these neighborhood markets were an integral part of daily life and how it was a gathering place for the local community as folks met, shopped, chatted with their favorite baker, butcher, cheesemonger, etc.  I sensed that this could be a good marriage: tea shop + farmer’s market.

When I returned from Spain, I set out to find the right market in our Community and it was not long after, I was introduced to Evan Anthony, the creative visionary behind Lola’s Market @ the Yard and so it began…people seem to discover my shop by accident as they give in to curiosity, exploring and wandering around the property.  My space is located in the way back so people always seem surprised when they come upon it unexpectedly.   

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When one is on track, in alignment and passionate about what you’re offering or doing in the world, energy seems to flow, doors open and the right people and places show up,  but, that doesn’t always translate into ‘a smooth road!’

I’ve had many struggles along the way as this is a new endeavor for me in every regard.  I grew up in Panama, Central America which is known for its excellent coffee lands.  Tea was definitely not part of my culture nor background so basically, I started everything from scratch.  From educating myself about the tea plant; Camelia Sinensis, to how to run the business side, to begin to build a recognizable, trustworthy brand, from finding the right suppliers, to curating a tea program for my particular demographic and trying to live up to my business mission which is to ‘Foster Tea Culture in our Community” – this has not been easy as coffee dominates our culture.  Nevertheless, I am encouraged and see progress in that, the specialty tea market is becoming more trendy and the niche is growing.

Also, within the location itself, we’ve had our share of challenges. As I mentioned, it’s an old converted lumber yard warehouse not intended to function as a market.  We’ve had electrical issues, water leaks and anything else you can think of – we’ve been through it!

The most difficult struggle to overcome, however, is the fact that we’re located in the rear of the warehouse, in the rear of the property so creating and maintaining a steady flow of ‘people traffic’ is the number one challenge.

Please tell us about Robin’s House of Tea.
As a Company, I am most proud of having created what has become known in the Community as the ‘hidden gem’ of tea!  I’m delighted when people who had not yet discovered our shop/booth come upon us for the first time and just stand there taking it in.  It’s a fun, unique blend of whimsical fancy, charm, Zen, glamour and elegance in a totally unexpected location and setting.

We specialize in gourmet quality loose leaf teas with a selection of over 40 teas in 6 categories; black, green, oolong, white, herbals, and elixirs. We aim to ‘demystify’ loose leaf teas by demonstrating to our customers that enjoying a superior cup of tea can be simple and easy.  Many in our selection are USDA certified organic, fair trade and carefully sourced.

Also, coming soon is an assortment of healing herbs and tea spices to round out our selection.

What sets us apart is the variety of tea-related services we offer such as tea tastings (I call them tea flights much like a wine or beer flight), served with a little bit of education on the different categories of tea; black, green, oolong, etc.  I also offer menu pairings such as tea + chocolate, tea + cheese which are a lot of fun and offer new taste and sensorial experiences.

As a soon to be ‘Certified Tea Sommelier’ (certified by the Canada Tea and Herbal Association), and the first in our Community;  I can also curate a menu, pairing dishes with the best tea in each category in order to enhance the flavors of both.  I offer workshops, consulting and tea bar/tea station set up for private events, conferences, workshops, business establishments, etc.

Lastly, I am looking forward to a new service we will be offering soon which is Tea Ceremony in the Cha Dao (The Way of Tea) tradition. This Tea Ceremony can stand on its own or be a mindful compliment to a workshop, event or mark a special occasion.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I enjoy and work best when in collaboration with other professionals…for example, I have a great relationship with both my graphic designer/brand strategist and set designer and we really enjoy working together.

For these two first years, I allowed my business to develop naturally and although it’s worked out well, I think one aspect I would have done differently from the very start is to have a more clear picture of the direction in which I would like to see my business grow.  So to that end, I’ve just hired a terrific business coach and we’ll be working together soon to develop a results-oriented business plan with a clear picture for 2018.

I’m looking forward to this next stage.

Pricing:

• Price range for 2 onz bag of tea (yields aprox 15 cups of tea) is between $8 – $11.00

Contact Info:

• Address: 2501 NE 13th Avenue
  Wilton Manors, FL 33305
• Website: www.robinshouseoftea.com
• Phone: (954) 478-4633
• Email: robinshouseoftea@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Eric Lieux nowitsforever.com

Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.