Farmington Small Business Spotlight: Culteavo Tea Shop

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this exciting series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

• Business: Culteavo Tea Shop
• Owners: Viviana Pinhasi and Claudio Schutz
• Website: www.culteavo.com
• Address: 29 Mill St, Unionville CT

How did you come up with the name?

The name Culteavo originates from the Spanish word ‘cultivar’ which means to cultivate. We added the word tea to it, and ended up with Culteavo. The tea plant is cultivated in fields where it is picked to then be brewed and enjoyed. In this sense, we want to “cultivate” the experience and appreciation of tea.

Why start a business in this town?

Although we have lived all over the world in places like Argentina, Mexico, and Germany, our kids were raised in Farmington and through all the friends and wonderful people we have met here, this is now the place we call home. We wanted to bring a place to the community that one can go to and relax, socialize, and discover what tea can do for your well-being.

What business are you in?

We are a boutique local tea shop located in Unionville, CT. We offer over 70 kinds of loose-leaf tea, including black teas, green teas, oolong teas, white teas, herbal infusions, and tea blends. Culteavo aims to make the experience with tea approachable to both connoisseurs and newcomers alike. In our Tea tasting bar, customers can sample different teas, with the goal of enabling them to discover their preference and create appreciation for the fascinating world of tea, guided by our knowledgeable personnel. In addition, we sell tea infused premium chocolates and other tea themed food, gift baskets, and tea accessories and tools, such as infusers, cups and kettles.

What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

For now, the biggest challenge has been growing the business and letting the community know we are open. Our shop is located in a new spot (The Village Artisan Galleries, which is a historic building that has been abandoned for many years by the Farmington River but is now being renovated for businesses) that not everyone knows about, so getting the word out about our business and location has been the main focus so far.

What’s been your proudest achievement since opening?

It makes us so happy every time someone comes into the shop and tells us that they love the vibe and place. Our goal in opening the shop was to provide a place for the community to love and chat with friends or meet new people, so whenever anyone comes and makes a new friend, it makes us very proud.

How does your business give back to the community?

All of our packaging (to-go cups, tea tins, etc.) is environmental friendly, whether it is recyclable, 100% compostable, made from plants, or reusable. With appreciation of tea comes respect of the environment that produces it, and for this reason one of our most important values is to be eco-friendly. We also feature a selection of premium, fair trade teas handpicked by Nepali and Kenyan farmers whose proceeds go directly back to them, which means more food on tables, better access to medicine, and being able to afford school fees for their children. In the future, we will be doing fundraisers with local organizations with proceeds donated for good causes.

Would you like to see your small business showcased in this series? Email wendy.mitchell@patch.com.