WICKER PARK — A pop-up tea stand offering six varieties of Chinese tea asks patrons to pay what they think the drink is worth after sitting with a "tea-tender" and getting a crash course in the ancient beverage.
Located in the "Boombox" shipping container turned micro retail kiosk at 1262 N. Milwaukee Ave., Xuan Tea, which is owned by owner Keqi Meng and features a long table and a few seats, will stay open through Sept. 28.
The stand opened in August and so far the highest amount anyone has paid for a cup of tea is $20. The lowest amount is nothing, Meng said.
"One person said she did not like it and said it 'tastes like nothing' and she paid nothing. Most people pay something and a few that didn't, I think they forgot," he said.
Meng brews the tea and serves as Xuan Tea's sole tea-tender. The 26-year-old entrepreneur grew up in Hangzhou, the capital city of eastern China province Zhejing, and spent seven years in Austin at the University of Texas, where he earned a master's degree in accounting.
Meng moved to Chicago last summer, and about a month ago quit his full-time job as a financial consultant to start Xuan Tea. He moved from the Gold Coast to less expensive digs in Albany Park in order to pursue his dream.
Xuan usually means "mysterious" in Chinese but can have multiple meanings, he said.
The mysterious nature of tea prompted him to put up a suggestive sign declaring "tea is sexy."
"I have always been telling people that I think tea is sexy. There are thousands of kinds of tea and each tastes different. Even the same tea tastes different to different people. You can never understand it and can't fully understand what tea is, that's the sexy part," Meng said.
If the temporary kiosk in the Boombox goes well, Meng said that he would open a permanent shop in Wicker Park, Bucktown or Logan Square next spring.
Part of the reason he signed on to rent the Boombox is to get feedback from passers-by on what they do or don't like about the tea and to gauge what appropriate prices should be.
He also is on the hunt for a co-founder to help expand the enterprise.
"I'm a business person but do not understand the creative side and the sales. I'm hoping to find a co-founder to complement my skill sets," he said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Kristin Belletete, an East Coast resident who said she was just passing through Chicago for a few days, was lured to the kiosk after seeing the Xuan Tea sign.
"I was in the mood for some tea and the booth looked interesting," Belletete said after trying a cup of green tea.
She described her tea experience as "really great and relaxing."
"I learned a lot about different types of tea and offered $7 for the tea and a $3 tip," Belletete said.
Xuan Tea, 1262 N. Milwaukee Ave. Hours are from 2-8 p.m. daily.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
