How the cohort works
Opening a Chinese tea room is a deeply personal and practical undertaking. This six-month founder cohort is designed for members who are ready to move from intention to action — guided by senior tea expert Mei Yang and a network of working room owners. Over 26 weeks, you will move through every phase of tea room creation: clarifying your vision, securing a location, designing the space, curating the tea selection, building community, and finally welcoming your first guests.
The cohort blends structured weekly sessions with self-paced projects and peer feedback. Each week, you’ll gather for a live online session with Mei Yang, who brings decades of experience in oolong and black tea varieties from Guangdong. These sessions are complemented by one-on-one mentorship calls, where you can discuss your specific challenges. The group size is intentionally limited to eight seats to ensure deep, meaningful exchange.
You won’t be learning in isolation. Participants are granted full access to tea.community, where you can connect with over 200 room owners, tea masters, and enthusiasts — ask questions, share progress, and build relationships that last well beyond the cohort. Foundational tea knowledge is supported by tea.school, where you can deepen your understanding of tea types, brewing techniques, and traditions. For those who wish to study successful tea rooms in context, tea.travel offers recorded walks and interviews from tea spaces across China and Europe.
The curriculum unfolds in phases. Early weeks focus on the inner work of a founder: articulating your why, naming your room, and understanding the emotional landscape of hosting. By week six, you’ll move into the tangible — location criteria, lease negotiation, and interior design principles that honour the quiet, contemplative nature of Chinese tea. Weeks ten to sixteen dive into operations: sourcing tea directly from gardens and trusted suppliers, selecting teaware from tea.equipment, and designing a service flow that feels effortless. Later weeks address financial sustainability, marketing without urgency, and building a loyal community — including how to list your room on tea.place once it’s open.
The program is not a certificate course; it is a hands-on, real-world pathway. Between sessions, you will apply each lesson — drafting floorplans, sourcing tea lots, testing pour-over routines — and bring your work back for collective critique. This iterative process mirrors the slow, deliberate craft of tea itself, where mastery emerges through repeated practice and reflection.
Throughout the cohort, you’ll receive curated tea tasting kits featuring key Chinese teas such as Mí Lán Xiāng (蜜兰香), Zhèng Shān Xiǎo Zhǒng (正山小种), and Yīng Dé Hóng Chá (英德红茶). Tasting together deepens your sensory vocabulary and becomes a shared ritual that anchors each week’s discussion.
By the end of the six months, you will have a detailed launch plan, a curated tea menu, a branded identity, and — for those ready — the first bookings. More importantly, you will have a community of fellow founders and mentors who understand the quiet joy of pouring tea for another person.
Week by week
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Week 1 — Mí Lán Xiāng (蜜兰香). Articulating your tea room’s core vision and philosophy.
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Week 2 — Yā Shī Xiāng (鸭屎香). Exploring the power of naming and brand identity.
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Week 3 — Huáng Zhī Xiāng (黄枝香). Finding the right location — criteria and site visits.
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Week 4 — Guì Huā Xiāng (桂花香). Financial modelling and budgeting for your first year.
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Week 5 — Zhì Lán Xiāng (芝兰香). Legal structures, permits, and insurance for tea rooms.
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Week 6 — Táo Huā Xiāng (桃花香). Interior design that honours Chinese tea traditions.
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Week 7 — Xìng Rén Xiāng (杏仁香). Curating your tea menu: balancing oolongs, blacks, and beyond.
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Week 8 — Bā Xiān (八仙). Sourcing directly — fieldwork with tea gardens and brokers.
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Week 9 — Yè Lán Xiāng (夜兰香). Selecting teaware: gongfu tools, tables, and zhisha craftsmanship.
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Week 10 — Yù Lán Xiāng (玉兰香). Service flow design and hosting rituals.
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Week 11 — Bái Yè (白叶). Building your team: hiring and training for a contemplative space.
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Week 12 — Chì Yè (赤叶). Creating a sensory journey: scent, light, and sound.
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Week 13 — Zhèng Shān Xiǎo Zhǒng (正山小种) — smoked. Marketing your room without urgency — slow storytelling.
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Week 14 — Zhèng Shān Xiǎo Zhǒng (正山小种) — unsmoked. Community building before opening day.
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Week 15 — Yīng Dé Hóng Chá (英德红茶). Pricing and packaging your tea offerings.
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Week 16 — Jīn Jùn Méi (金骏眉). Managing daily operations and inventory.
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Week 17 — Qí Mén Hóng Chá (祁门红茶). Financial sustainability and revenue diversification.
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Week 18 — Diàn Hóng Jīn Yá (滇红金芽). Hosting private sessions and events.
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Week 19 — Lǎo Cóng Shuǐ Xiān (老丛水仙). Deepening your own tea practice — meditation and tea.
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Week 20 — Tōng Tiān Xiāng (通天香). Launch countdown: pre-opening logistics.
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Week 21 — Sòng Zhǒng (宋种). Soft opening: inviting your first guests with care.
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Week 22 — Tiě Guān Yīn (铁观音). Gathering feedback and refining the experience.
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Week 23 — Dà Hóng Páo (大红袍). Storytelling and building regulars.
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Week 24 — Shuǐ Xiān (水仙) — Wuyi. Creating a loyal community and membership models.
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Week 25 — Ròu Guì (肉桂). The art of daily operations — morning rituals.
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Week 26 — Fèng Huáng Dān Cōng (凤凰单丛). Graduation: launch day and beyond — sustaining your room.
What’s included
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Weekly live cohort sessions with Mei Yang (90 min)
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One-on-one mentorship call each month
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Full-year access to tea.community and its founder network
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Curated tasting kits delivered each month (3–5 teas)
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Guest workshops from active tea room owners and tea.school instructors
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Design templates: floorplan guides, menu templates, financial spreadsheets
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Priority invitation to tea.events gatherings and field trips
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Your room featured on tea.place upon launch
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Lifetime access to cohort recordings and resources