A new chapter in tea

Taking time to share what brings me joy

Last week when I got back from Japan, I was making drinks at the shop when I had a sweet encounter. Side note: I still do make drinks because I like doing things with my hands, even though our team makes them much better than me now.

A customer excitedly introduced herself to me. She mentioned that she was finally able to make her first visit and recognized me from PARU’s how-to-make tea videos. That was very touching to hear and got me thinking about how fast time flies—we just reached our six years as a business this past May. It seemed like only yesterday when I made the move to San Diego in 2017. Lani and I got a studio apartment in Bankers Hill, where most of my day-to-day PARU activities were held. I kept busy, reaching out and showing up whenever other businesses would be interested in hiring me to pour tea for folks. I made tea videos for myself thinking that nobody else would really watch them!

Fast forward to now. Two shops and a growing team later, I couldn’t ask for more. And now, I feel like I’m just beginning to have some time to share the tea stories I’ve been wanting to share. I hope to use our Substack as a place to highlight these stories, collaborations, and other things that bring me joy, like which teapot I’ve been brewing with lately.

TL;DR: I hope you enjoy this new form of communication. Thank you to everyone who subscribed already. Your support means a lot to me.

Behind this head of hair is Lani at our studio apartment helping me with our menu, which only had three options: black, green, or herbal. We also had a handmade sign that read, “Life is like a cup of tea, it’s all in how you make it.” Lani didn’t want me to post this photo because of her posture, but I think it’s an important part of our company history. May 27, 2017.

Next week, I plan to dive more into our sourcing trip and release some bonus posts for our Substack subscribers about our 2023 collection, which I’m eager to share!

Currently drinking: Moriuchi’s Sencha (I’ve been in a green tea mood).

Masumi Moriuchi, Amy Truong (me), Lani Gobaleza, Yoshio Moriuchi at the Moriuchi Tea Farm in Shizuoka, Japan, on May 24 2023.

Cheers,

Amy