Argo Tea

Infobox_Company
company_name = Argo Tea
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan =
foundation = In June 2003 at 958 W Armitage Ave in Chicago, Illinois
location = Chicago, Illinois
key_people = Arsen Avakian, CEO
num_employees = 200
industry = Restaurants
Retail Tea and Coffee
Wholesale Tea
products = Signature tea drinks
Loose tea leaves
Coffee
Teaware
revenue =
homepage = [http://www.argotea.com/ argotea.com]

Argo Tea is a chain of tea cafés that was founded in Chicago, Illinois in June 2003 by Arsen Avakian, Daniel Lindwasser, and Simon Simonian. [cite news
title =Liquid Gold
publisher = Chicago Magazine
date= May 2007
url =http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2007/Liquid-Gold/
accessdate =2007-11-23 ] Well known in the Chicago area, Argo Tea primarily sells a variety of hot and cold tea-based signature drinks. In addition, Argo Tea offers about three dozen international varieties of loose-leaf tea (tea brewed from loose tea leaves, as opposed to bagged tea), coffee, baked goods, small entrées, and teaware. [cite news
last =Ortiz
first =Ruby
title =Chicago Beat: Tea time
publisher = Chicago Flame
date = February 10 2004
url =http://www.chicagoflame.com/media/storage/paper519/news/2004/02/10/Features/Tea-Time-601423.shtml
accessdate =2006-12-13 ] The tea menu includes a variety of black, green, white, and natural herbal teas, served hot or iced. Argo has formed a special relationship with Whole Foods Market to distribute Argo products.cite news
last =Simone
first =Pattie
title =You Can Do It!
publisher =Entrepreneur.com
date= July 2006
url =http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2006/july/160234-3.html
accessdate =2006-12-13 ]

Locations

Argo Tea has currently ten locations, all of them in the Chicago metropolitan area.

The original café for Argo Tea, located at the corner of Armitage Avenue and Sheffield Avenue in Chicago, opened in June 2003. Its second and third full service stores opened at State Street and Randolph Street, and in Lewis Towers on Rush Street (respectively), in May 2005. [cite news
last =Dolinsky
first =Steve
title =More tea steeping in Chicago
publisher =ABC 7 Chicago
date =January 6, 2006
url =http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=restaurants&id=3788250
accessdate =2006-12-13 ] Next, Argo added a kiosk in the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine (DCAM) lobby of the University of Chicago Hospital in April 2006. On August 6 2006, the fifth store opened at Broadway Street and Briar Place, and on September 16 2006 the first suburban store opened in Evanston at 1596 Sherman Avenue. [cite news
last =Alexander
first =Christina
title =New Cafe Is Committee's Cup Of Tea
publisher =The Daily Northwestern
date =July 6 2006
url =http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2006/07/06/City/New-Cafe.Is.Committees.Cup.Of.Tea-2121073.shtml
accessdate =2006-12-13 ] A Marquette Building location opened April 9, 2007. The eighth location opened at the corner of Clark and St James Street in September 2007. On October 20, 2007, the ninth location opened in the lobby of the new Northwestern Memorial Hospital Prentice Women's Hospital. Store number 10 opened in December 2007 and is located at the corner of Madison and Dearborn Streets.

Currently the Argo Brewing Room (a glass-enclosed room visible from the main floor customer seating area where the signature drinks for the entire company are brewed) is located at the State and Randolph location. The warehouse, packing room and all corporate offices are also located there.

Corporate information

Argo Tea is a privately held corporation with about 200 employees. Its cafés are growing in popularity among students and young urban professionals, and its locations have been chosen to serve this clientèle. All of its full service cafés are equipped with wireless internet hot spots, a common practice among coffee shops, tea houses, and cafés hoping to entice students and young people. [cite news
title =Hungry Hound: Tea
publisher =ABC 7 Chicago
date = November 25 2004
url =http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=2432428
accessdate =2006-12-13 ]

In 2006 Argo Tea purchased a large amount of equipment from a modern machinery exposition, improving productivity by 500%. [ [http://www.fillers.com/Editorials/ArgoCaseHistory.htm Argo Tea Improves Productivity 500% with Equipment Found at Pack Expo] , Pack Expo press release.]

Donations to cancer research

Argo Tea has donated a large amount of white teas to the University of Chicago Hospitals, contributing to cancer research efforts there. (White teas contain a large amount of antioxidants, a vector currently being studied in the fight against certain kinds of cancer). This contribution prompted U of C to allow Argo to open the kiosk inside the hospital lobby. [cite news
last =Vinogradsky
first =Dasha
title =Argo Tea arrives at UCH
publisher = Chicago Maroon
date =April 28 2006
url =http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2006/04/28/argo_tea_arrives_at_.php
accessdate =2006-12-13 ]

Sponsorship

Argo Tea has sponsored at least one women's event associated with InStyle Magazine.

References

Throughout

# [http://uchiblogo.uchicago.edu/archives/2006/03/tea_time.html University of Chicago Magazine article about Argo Tea]
# [http://www.190north.com/190/ExtraInfo/091805_tea.htm 190 North (TV news show) about Argo Tea]
# [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0104/battle_brews.asp Article about procurement manager Daniel Lindwasser and Argo Tea]
# [http://www.luc.edu/insideloyola/041205/index.shtml Loyola University Chicago newspaper article about Argo Tea]

External links

* [http://www.argotea.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.yelp.com/biz/2AH6AcX1L6sNX60GUsEwVA Yelp.com reviews of Argo Tea]
* [http://www.judysbook.com/cities/chicago/Specialty-Food-Stores/14352484/p1/Argo_Tea.htm Judysbook reviews of Argo Tea]
* [http://www.consciouschoice.com/2006/05/teatime0605.html Review of Argo Tea]
* [http://www.law.northwestern.edu/small-business/Conference/Growth.html Profile of Arsen Avakian from Northwestern University Conference website]