Buddha Teas was founded in 2008 by John Boyd and Nick Marier to bring organic tea in bleach-free bags to the public. We caught up with Boyd to discuss the latest.
WC: Has the pandemic changed how Buddha Teas does business? If so, to what extent?
JB: COVID-19 has certainly posed new challenges, though, perhaps the biggest being the demand for our products. At a time when the demand for hot teas is usually lower, we’re producing substantially more tea than is normal for this time of year. Our new Carlsbad location has great energy, which has helped the company further its five-year growth rate.
When it comes to safety protocols, in a nutshell, we are following all the suggested sanitation habits as per the CDC/OSHA guidelines for manufacturing, but most of these practices were already in place. We increased ventilation, and encourage social distancing. We require masks be worn, and limit the number of people in the break room. Additionally, everyone who arrives for their shift gets a temp check before entering the facility.
WC: What takes place at your Carlsbad facility?
JB: We import and receive all the raw teas (herbs) where they are processed, blended, and made ready for manufacturing. Most of our manufacturing is for tea bags. We have 11 machines that perform this function. Once the final product is ready, it’s put into shipping boxes, palletized, and sent out to distribution.
WC: Have your top sellers changed recently?
JB: Our Elderberry Tea, which is loaded with antioxidants and helps boost the immune system, is selling very well; we sold almost five times as much Elderberry as we did in the exact same time frame last year. Other top sellers right now include Turmeric Ginger, Chaga Mushroom, Hibiscus, Mullein Leaf, Matcha Green Tea, Milk Thistle, Calm Buddha Blend, Burdock Root, and Divine Immunity Blend.
WC: Other than your website, where can San Diegans can find your product?
JB: We are proud to announce that many of our teas can now be found on the shelves of Sprouts! We’re also available at these spots: Cream of the Crop (Oceanside); Seaside Market (Cardiff); Ralphs; Frazier Farms; and Mission Square Market (a vegan marketplace with all six CBD teas).