The Early Days of Ocha Tea Bar
In 2001 I first opened Ocha Tea Bar in Yaletown, I stocked it with about 60 different types of loose leaf tea from a wholesale supplier back East. I remember the thrill of seeing all those different teas, but as time went on, I realized that most of what I had was just repackaged versions of the same tea. The same blends would pop up on store shelves in slightly different boxes, and often, whoever had the nicest packaging sold for the highest price. It was a revelation that shook me a bit—it made me question how I wanted to approach tea and what I wanted my own brand to represent.
The Decision to Create Something Unique
That’s when I knew I had to make my own recipes. I wanted Domo to be different, to offer something people couldn’t find anywhere else, and that meant getting creative. So in 2006, I started experimenting while my daughter napped (thankfully, she was a long napper!). I’d research tea, hunt down new ingredients, suppliers, and test recipes in my kitchen, tweaking flavors and adjusting ratios. Back then, the process was slow. Not everyone was online yet, and finding the right ingredients was like a treasure hunt. Sometimes I’d order something that sounded perfect, only to discover it wouldn’t dissolve properly or the taste wasn’t quite right. And then, it was back to square one. The Elixo Cold Buster blend was by far the hardest—it took so many tries to get just the right balance of ingredients to make it effective and delicious.
The Art of Recipe Creation
But there was something so beautiful and creative about the process. Crafting each recipe, working through each little problem, bringing my vision to life step by step—it felt like I was creating something real and meaningful. Building a brand, creating recipes, finding those perfect flavors—it became part of my identity. Domo was like a piece of me, a little piece of my soul poured into each blend.
The Pain of Losing Domo
I lost Domo for a few years, and I won’t lie—it felt like a death. So much of who I am is wrapped up in this business, and losing it left a hole that nothing else could fill. I know it sounds corny, but Domo really is like one of my babies. I remember during that period, going grocery shopping and seeing Domo on the shelves and just feeling absolutely gutted. I knew I would NEVER stop fighting to get it back.....loosing it forever was not an option. I had no idea the strength I had inside and how much of a warrior my mom is!
Each blend, each bag, represents a bit of my journey, and getting to share that with others is something I hold close to my heart. Opening a business is not just a huge learning curve, it's also an opportunity for personal growth. Life lessons......and boy oh boy did I get a few of those.