Travellers flying through New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport can now sip on Black-owned tea as they prepare for their next adventure.
This week, Brooklyn Tea & Market celebrated the grand opening of its storefront at JFK Airport, a business venture that not only expands their operations but also makes them the first-ever tea-focused retail concept at JFK Airport and the first Black-owned tea brand to be in any airport nationwide.
“Brooklyn Tea, in partnership with JFKIAT and HMSHost, will become the first black-owned beverage brand in any airport in the country,” Jamila and Alfonso Wright, co-founders of Brooklyn Tea, told theGrio. “We are honored to be a part of this history and represent what’s possible when diverse businesses are given the opportunity to lead.”
“Working together with JFKIAT and HMSHost to prioritize the importance of diverse voices and businesses has been an incredible experience, and we look forward to what the future has in store,” she added.
A couple-founded brand, Brooklyn Tea is described as “a love letter to culture, comfort, and community,” celebrating the healing power of tea while honoring their Caribbean heritage, where tea was the solution to any problem. Born from a desire to include Black communities in the wellness space, the brand operates on a three-word mantra: “healing, ritual, community.” Since launching its online business in 2017 and opening its Bed-Stuy storefront in 2018, Brooklyn Tea has cultivated a loyal following through its community-first approach and educational storytelling around tea and wellness.
Now, the brand is bringing its deep expertise in wellness, culture, and intentional hospitality to JFK’s Terminal 4.
“I just can’t express to you all historically what [this] means, what it means for our city, what it means for people traveling globally through this airport, and just begin to experience a brand that is homegrown,” Wright said during the ribbon-cutting. “And to be here represents not just a dream of myself and my husband and our love for tea and for each other, but our community’s belief that we can do this. They’ve been standing with us every step of the way.”
Brooklyn Tea & Market joins the handful of Black-owned brands with stores at the international airport. Last year, JFK launched a Small Business Retail Accelerator, which introduced three Black-women owned brands: Mother Earth Juice Bar, Beautiful Amore Skincare, and Bevo’s Kitchen to Terminal 8.
The tea brand’s airport storefront features 11 exclusive tea varieties pulled from its assortment of over 150 teas and herbs. From energizing, caffeinated blends to relaxing, medicinal non-caffeinated blends, the range of teas was carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of travelers. In addition to cups of tea, travelers can purchase boxes of tea to make at home or gift to loved ones.
“It’s very easy to feel like you’re detached from the airport experience, and this is a place where they can feel very seen and validated and dignified,” Wright explained. “This is for us. This is for our community […] and the start of something truly dynamic.”
