The Spice & Tea Exchange Opens in Coeur d’Alene

The Spice & Tea Exchange®, a specialty retail store offering an extensive selection of exotic teas, spices, custom blends, salts and naturally-flavored sugars, recently opened its doors in Coeur d’Alene. The new store is located in The Village at Riverstone and open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Local owners Judy and Bill McAfee and Annie and JT Wensman invite the community to celebrate their grand opening of The Spice & Tea Exchange on Saturday, March 2, 2019. The grand opening celebration will offer several delicious appetizers prepared by local chef Lesa LeBeau featuring ingredients found in the store. Chef LeBeau is versed in many cuisines from around the world and currently teaches cooking classes at The Culinary Stone also located in Riverstone.

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Coeur d’Alene has something for everyone, from experienced home chefs and tea connoisseurs to first-time cooks looking for ingredients and advice. A passionate and educated staff is on hand every day to answer questions and assist in exploring the store’s more than 140 spices, over 85 hand-mixed seasoning blends, naturally-flavored sugars, sea salts, and exotic teas. Guests are encouraged to open apothecary-style jars to smell and experience the fragrant aromas throughout the store. In addition, The Spice & Tea Exchange also offers recipe kits, gift boxes, and kitchen accessories to encourage guests to get creative in the kitchen.

For those looking for a beverage on-the-go, the Coeur d’Alene store includes a tea bar where any of the teas available in-store can be prepared hot and iced. Judy notes, “What we’ve seen since we opened is that people in Coeur d’Alene were ready for a place to come in and try out new teas, purchase hard-to-find spices, and experiment with custom blends. Many young people - as well as the older generations – are extremely interested in our green tea selection, choosing teas as a healthier alternative to coffee. So far local favorites have been the Earl Grey Crème black tea, Sinfully Cherry green tea, our Blood Orange Smoothie herbal tea, and many of our exclusive meat blends such as Wild Game, Tuscany, and Northwest Salmon Rub.”

Owned by Judy and Bill McAfee along with their daughter and son-in-law Annie and JT Wensman, The Spice & Tea Exchange of Coeur d’Alene is a true family affair. Judy may be the most experienced franchisee to ever open a store, as she previously worked for The Spice & Tea Exchange’s corporate office as a Regional Store Manager for company-owned stores. The family also has plenty of entrepreneurial experience; the McAfee’s owned and operated an Orvis-endorsed hunting and fishing lodge in nearby Yaak Valley for 30 years. The familial franchise group also has experience in construction (Bill), medical coding (Annie) and firefighting (JT).

“Opening The Spice & Tea Exchange was a perfect fit for the family. Once we found the location in Riverstone we knew it was the right choice,” said Judy. “Joining the franchise system has allowed us to return to entrepreneurship, work hand-in-hand with family, and provide something to the community that wasn’t previously available in Coeur d’Alene.”

For more information regarding The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Coeur d’Alene, visit spiceandtea.com/Coeur-dAlene or call 208-930-1009.

About The Spice & Tea Exchange

The Spice & Tea Exchange® was founded in 2008 with a vision to create a one-of-a-kind retail shopping experience. The company has 67 franchise stores across the United States, providing guests with more than 140 spices, 85 exclusive hand-mixed blends, over 40 exotic teas, naturally-flavored sugars, salts from around the world, gourmet gifts and accessories. For more information, visit www.spiceandtea.com. For Franchising information, visit www.franchise.spiceandtea.com.