Chai is a popular alternative for those who don’t like coffee. This spiced, black tea originated in India and is now on the menu at most American coffee shops. In Chattanooga you can find a locally made chai by Cheiman Tea. Cheiman Tea specializes in both regular and decaffeinated chai, which can be hard to find. Continue reading to learn more about what makes this Chattanooga chai so special.
Cheiman Tea
Cheiman Tea was started by Stephanie Steiman when she was looking for a creative way to boost her income. What started as a gift-giving hobby quickly turned into a profitable business. After tweaking a chai recipe that she found online, Stephanie found the perfect blend to call her own. As friends and family tried it, they fell in love with her concoction and suggested that she start selling it. Once that idea started rolling there was no stopping it. The business took off and it wasn’t long before she needed the help of her children. Today, the family still makes chai by hand and sells their product in over 30 stores around Tennessee as well as online. To buy some for yourself, click HERE.
A Family Business
Cheiman Tea is a family business. Stephanie’s daughter took on more responsibility in the business from a young age. Despite her timidness, she did what she had to do to keep the business running while her mom overcame a health problem. Today, she is still heavily involved and ready to take on new challenges thanks to the experience she worked through years ago.
Stephanie’s son is also no stranger to stepping up and helping in the business. He was the carpenter behind renovating their 1984 horse trailer that is now ready to sell coffee and tea at special events. Tracking the numbers for the business is also his specialty. He’s always there to help do whatever the business needs.
What Makes Cheiman Tea Special
What’s better than local, hand-made chai from a family business? That alone should be enough to make this chai stand out in a crowd. But there’s more. It started with decaf chai. Stephanie was looking for a good decaf chai which is hard to find. That’s when she decided to make her own and the rest is history.
Today you can buy decaf as well as regular chai. There’s a no sugar added version as well. Plus, there’s seasonal flavors. From lavender in the summer to hot apple (my personal favorite) in the fall, there’s always a new flavor to try. As the business evolves, Cheiman Tea is open to new ideas. So, if you have a chai dream you’d like to see made into a reality, just ask and see what they can do.
Where to Find Cheiman Tea
Here are some of the local businesses that carry Cheiman Tea. First and foremost, you can visit the source directly at the Cheiman Tea Trailer which is parked weekly at the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga HERE. Or buy it online HERE. Some additional locations include:
Downtown Chattanooga
- Adelle’s Crêperie: Downtown
- Bleu Fox Cheese Shop: Downtown
- Southern Belle Riverboat: Downtown
- Culture Coffee: Downtown
- Plum Nelly Shop & Gallery: Northshore
- Be Caffeinated: Northshore
- Houston Glass Museum: Bluff View Art District
Chattanooga
Red Bank
Signal Mountain
Lookout Mountain
Ooltewah
Dayton
South Pittsburgh
Dandridge
Harriman
Seymour
Final Thoughts
I want to thank Stephanie again for kindly giving me her time to sit down and record a “Behind the Business Chatt” about her business. This podcast episode can be found HERE. And for a short YouTube video explaining my thoughts about the chai itself, click HERE.
Cheiman Tea is a local favorite and continually growing. So be sure to check them out and grab some hand-made chai for yourself. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried Cheiman Tea and what your thoughts are. Or if you haven’t, where are you going to go buy some?
