Specialty teas come to Downtown Greensboro

Nothing helps quench a thirst on a warm day than an ice-cold glass of tea, whether it be sweet or plain. What’s better is knowing that your tea beverage can pack a wallop of key nutrients and benefits to your body, including a necessary burst of energy throughout the day.

Most people prefer their coffee in the morning but Main Street Nutrition in Greensboro proves that many prefer tea and its specialty flavors just as much.

Main Street Nutrition at 108 N. Main St. in historic downtown Greensboro opened just last month and has been steadily welcoming new customers with its unique blends of tea, organic flavorings, specialty gifts, and a warm welcome. Brandi Price, the owner, has developed a love for tea and the health benefits it provides. She is a beacon of knowledge of its medicinal value and has developed clever flavorings that complement the beverage.

“While working in Watkinsville for some time managing and owning a tanning salon, I became a regular at a tea shop across the street,” she said. “I really became of fan of tea and started researching both a business opportunity and potential location. I was drawn to Greensboro for the historical appeal and historic downtown.”

Tea has a rich history and is shared among many countries where it is grown and harvested. It is thought to have originated in southwest China thousands of years ago. It was a medicinal beverage obtained by boiling fresh tea leaves in water and letting it steep. Hybrids grew from many varieties and were cultivated and produced to include the familiar black and green tea varieties.

A whole new consumer arm grew in the 1990s with the introduction of the popular Teavna stores and others like it throughout many shopping malls. The arm introduced the art of tea preparation, specialty serving utensils and sets, and tea sachets.

With the decrease in mall visits and shopping malls in general due to online consumerism, Teavana and others like it has suffered closure.

Yet, tea continues to be popular with more than $265 billion in global sales annually and nearly $13 billion in U.S. sales alone last year.

Price, 42, and her business partner, Sanford Arnold, produced a business plan and soon started scouting locations. She claimed once she saw the “For Sale” sign on the vacant building in Greensboro and Arnold peered through the quaint bay windows of the store, they knew they had found the perfect location.

“We wanted a special downtown location where it would welcome both residents and visitors,” she said. “The city was helpful in helping us apply and use grant funds for decorative signage due to the historic district. Our coffee neighbor, Bonnie’s Coffeeshop, and other downtown Greensboro merchants were excited about the opening and continue to offer support. That is key to any successful business.”

Main Street Nutrition offers healthy energy drinks with tea as its foundation and offers more than 100 combinations of flavorings. Her “loaded” tea varieties can include additional protein and collagen powders and more. Of the different loaded blends and her and the customer’s favorite appears to be berry blends.

Unique to her store are vendor kiosk walls featuring a variety of products. A local 14-year-old, Hailey Perreira who attends nearby Greene County High School, sells colorful handmade t-shirts which have sold well.

“Greensboro has become a special place for us,” Price said. “I am thrilled to become active with our local clientele and was happy to encourage a local and young artist to use the space here. I hope to attract more interested people in the community to sell their products here.”

Main Street Nutrition is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They have recently added local delivery keeping them busy about the city and meeting other area businesses and customers.