PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Stash Tea is packing its bags – yes, all of them – and moving downtown.
It’s somewhat of a homecoming for the 50-year-old company that started in an old Victorian home on Water Avenue in South Portland.
As the business grew, it moved downtown where it used a cement mixer to blend its teas.
“You could smell our locally sourced mint leaves being mixed for blocks. This area of town became known as The Mint District,” said Karen Marten, from Stash Tea’s communications team.
Eventually, the need for more space drove the company to Tigard, where it’s been for more than 10 years.
In Portland, Stash Tea is moving to the corner of Southwest Yamhill Street and Southwest 9th Avenue, in front of Director Park. It plans to open its headquarters downtown later in 2022 and will open a new Stash Tea cafe that will offer food and beverages.
“Now that Stash is turning 50 years old this year, we’d like to get back to our roots by moving back into the city where Stash grew from a small two-man show to the nationwide tea brand it is today,” Marten said.
She said the company is excited to be moving just steps away from its original warehouse and to become part of the downtown Portland community.
The company is coordinating the move in partnership with Prosper Portland, the economic and urban development agency for the city of Portland.
Prosper Portland said it first started working with Stash Tea in August 2021. Together, they’ve toured the 9th and Yamhill space several times and Prosper Portland provided technical assistance to support the relocation, including design and permitting requirements.
The agency said it plans to help with marketing and grand opening events.
Stash Tea’s current location is on Southwest 72nd Avenue in Tigard.