BUCKTOWN — The owner of a Chinese tea bar near The 606 in Bucktown is trying to crowdsource $30,000 to help pay for opening expenses — and fans who pitch in as little as $10 can see their name inscribed on a wall at Xuan Tea.
Xuan Tea at 1816 N. Milwaukee Ave. is on track to open in mid-July regardless of the outcome of the Kickstarter. Initially a limited number of teawares will be available as owner Keqi Meng works on raising money to pay for more dishes and other expenses.
As of Thursday, the Xuan Tea Kickstarter campaign has raised almost $9,600 from 21 backers. The all or nothing stipulation requires Xuan Tea to reach the full $30,000 goal in order to collect the pledged donations.
The Kickstarter had been part of Xuan Tea's business plan since its inception but it was launched after Meng designed tea wares and made a Xuan Tea prototype through a manufacturer, Meng said on Thursday.
In a Kickstarter video, Meng talks about needing more funding to pay for quality wares and equipment. He also shares his views about people who pour honey or sugar into tea, akin to the Chicago-style aversion to dousing hot dog with ketchup.
Some perks for donating include complimentary cups of tea, getting one's name inscribed in a wall at the shop and a shout out on the Xuan website, private taste testings and more.
The 30-seat Xuan Tea will be the first permanent shop for Meng, a 27-year-old entrepreneur and Albany Park resident who grew up in Hangzhou, the capital city of eastern China province Zhejing.
As Xuan Tea's main "tea-tender," Meng will serve 12 selections of loose leaf tea, mostly from China, and some from Taiwan and Japan.
Xuan usually means "mysterious" in Chinese but can have multiple meanings, he said.
