ELENA WURST

Located on 27th and Lyndale in Uptown Minneapolis is La Sociéte Du Thé, a local tea shop owed by a man named Tony Ruggiero. He opened the shop in 1995 and is now celebrating his 30th year there.

The Beginning

Fascinated by Asian culture Tony used to attend lectures at the Arlington Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts studying everything from macrobiotics to Asian medicine, Asian philosophy, the order of the universe, and the benefits of eating an Asian diet.

Then, whilst traveling to the South of France with his oldest daughter, Tony gained an appreciation for the French way of doing tea. He enjoyed their aesthetic, their porcelain pots, and their culture. When returning he knew he needed to look for work and decided try and open a tea shop.

Boom. La Société Du Thé is born.

He built the shop as “a synthesis of East and West,” not only embracing the different ways people do tea, but also marrying elements like Western crown molding with Asian windows and cabinets. As someone from the West who started eating an Eastern diet he explains how he didn’t plan for this fusion, it just happened automatically.

The tea shop is now a destination point in the Twin Cities. Tony explains that a majority of his customers are not from foot traffic or marketing, it is from people who travel to him. “Tea people are independent minded,” he explains, and he loves to collaborate with them.

Why Drink Tea?

Tony describes tea as more than a beverage, it is also an experience. Adding to the common knowledge that tea is healthful, Tony brings up the point that the tea itself isn’t just healthy, but the action of drinking tea serves as a reminder to take care of ourselves. He explains how our world is getting increasing stimulating and addiction is on the rise– tea is his version of an antidote that forces you to slow down.

To keep consistent with the Japanese saying, “one time and one time only,” Tony explains everything needs to be in consideration. In terms of tea, this means the cup of tea, the equipment, the art, the time of day, ect. etc.

In other words, aesthetics matter to Tony. This is something you can clearly see when stepping into the shop. The art, furniture, the knick knacks reflect his attention to detail and deep passion for culture.

Why make the trip to a tea shop?

While buying tea bags at the grocery store can be more convenient, there are several reasons loose leaf tea is better.

1. A tea bag is limiting. Tea brews differently depending on if the leaf is whole or broken. This affects the flavor and experience of the tea. According to Tony, in the tea world tea bags are thought of as the dust swept up from a tea room floor.
2. Tea is “geography in a cup,” according to Tony, just like wine, there are different teas grown only in certain regions. You end up with more variety when picking from loose leaf teas.
3. Tea bags produce more waste and can contain plastic. This article takes tea packaging into consideration, exploring how much waste is created from tea. Also, there are plastics and chemicals in some tea bags that could have negative effects on consumers health.

Picking a tea can be overwhelming:

So here’s Tony’s Beginner’s guide:

So how much can one guy love tea? If the guy is Tony Ruggiero it is a whole lot– the guy is an expert. To learn more about Tony, tea, or to shop visit La Société Du Thé’s website… or simply go in person.