TRUMPETS EYES SUPERMARKET TEA COUNTERS

RICHARD TURCSIK

VAN NUYS, Calif. -- Capitalizing on the growing interest in tea, Trumpets Gourmet Tea Centers here is gearing up to launch a line of service tea counters in supermarkets later this year.

"In the supermarket, you are used to seeing a bakery or deli counter. This will be a tea counter that will have our signage and our product," Donald Reynolds, vice chairman and chief executive officer, told SN.

The Trumpets Gourmet Tea Centers offer a wide variety of hot tea and iced teas -- including Cappateano, a cappuccino-like tea product and Frappeteano, which is an iced tea-based drink. In addition, the centers sell tea bags and loose teas, preserves, honeys, tea pots, cozies, aprons and "tea-shirts," all with the Trumpets logo.

"We have a lot of potential stockkeeping units here. We have upwards of 19 or 20 different teas. We have biscotti, cookies. We will also be selling bakery items on a regional basis if it doesn't compete with the store," Reynolds said.

"Our product can also be sold on the supermarket shelf, as long as it is under the Trumpets name," he said, adding the line is upscale and priced comparable to Republic of Tea brand products.

Trumpets is in negotiations with at least one major southern California supermarket chain, as well as various shopping mall, food court and race track operators across the country about setting up Trumpets Gourmet Tea Centers, Reynolds said.