Bigelow rolls out mobile tea bar

BYRAM — Patrons at the Byram Shop Rite got a surprise on Friday when they pulled in to see a customized 1977 Air Stream travel trailer parked in the center of the plaza. The silver trailer has been retrofitted to welcome the pubic into the world of Bigelow Tea as the company celebrates its 70th anniversary.

The Mobile Tea Bar began its 2014 cross-country tour with stops in Boston, New York and on Friday, in Byram.

“We're hitting various events including marathons and festivals,” said Timothy Richmond, Marketing Project Manager for Bigelow. “We're also visiting grocery conglomerates such as Renetco Shop Rite because we greatly value our relationship with them."

The relationship between Renetco was underscored by the posing of the two entities mascots: Bigelow's large cup of tea mascot named Biggie, and Shop Rite's bear mascot named Scrunchie. The two posed together with visitors for photo ops. At the retro Tea Bar, customers were able to order complimentary tea from a large, canopied window, or venture inside where there are several stools and a back section which paints Bigelow's history.

“The Tea Bar tour exemplifies Bigelow's entrepreneurial spirit that has made the tea the number one leader in specialty tea,” Richmond said, "The cross-country tour aims to meet and inspire tea drinkers across the country with Bigelow's story and a chance for them to sample the plethora of flavors the company has to offer."

“We’re very excited for this opportunity to offer consumers fresh-brewed samples of some of our most popular teas such as “Constant Comment”, in a fun, new way,” said Cindi Bigelow, third generation president and CEO. “We are also looking forward to introducing new flavors and sharing the unique Bigelow family story and our passion for tea with tea lovers across the U.S.”

The Bigelow Mobile Tea Bar will open doors at street fairs and festivals in major market cities across the country. After several stops in New York last weekend, the tour will continue to Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston, Atlanta and Tampa.

“It's an awesome way to meet our customers and introduce flavors to them," Tour Manager Chris Cassinelli said. "Ninety percent of the public know our name and about 10 percent have our tea in their cupboard but didn't realize it.”

Richmond added, “The history of how Bigelow has progressed is fascinating.”

He cited a tea tin dating back to the 40s.

“David Bigelow found it to be not too exciting in black and white so he hand painted each and every tin adding color,” Richmond said.

That's one example of the passion the family has always had for the business which was started in the kitchen when Ruth Campbell Bigelow created her first cup of tea. The business has spanned three generations with Cindi Bigelow now serving as president and CEO. Prior to this, she spent 20 years in practically all areas of the company that her grandmother founded.

Along with its public appearances, the Bigelow Mobile Tea Bar will make appearances at retailers along the way.

“I can't believe I got to meet Scrunchie and that he had a friend who is a big cup of tea,” said Dylan Carlyn of Morristown.

His grandma was happy too.
“This really added a nice bit of fun to a trip to the grocery store," said Carlyn's grandmother. "He got to see the mascots and I got some free tea.”

For more information about the Mobile Tea Bar, visit bigelowtea.com/bigelowmobileteabar.