After a long day working in the yard you get to sit down at Grandma’s back porch. She hands you a glass of freshly brewed sweet tea. Suddenly you feel your thirst slowly diminish the more you drink. Though grandma may claim that the batch is homemade, about 2,400,000 metric tonnes of tea produced per annum is from China. The four biggest tea-producing countries today are China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. Sorry grandma, but you’re not fooling anyone.
Luckily for grandma, Kyle and Bryon White came up with an amazing idea to make our favorite drink closer to home. Founded in 2012, Yaupon Brothers American Tea Company grows, processes and sells tea made from Yaupon Holly.
Yaupon is the only naturally caffeinated, antioxidant-rich plant species that grows in the US. Yaupon isn’t imported from abroad, causing a smaller carbon footprint, less stress on the environment and provides economic opportunities for American farmers and workers.
“We make tea from the Florida-native Yaupon Holly. It is the only native caffeinated plant in the entire US. My brother and I started the company when I was 18 and working for the Beach Patrol in New Smyrna,” Kyle said.
Kyle pitched their company in front of a panel of judges for the Shark Tank-Style competition in 2017. Against 16 semi-finalist student startups, Yaupon was selected to be a part of the four finalists to compete in the final round. Kyle said that it was the first time he ever made a legitimate pitch for the tea company, which encouraged him to seek mentorship from coaches at the UCF Blackstone Launchpad.
Kyle won the Joust New Venture Competition earning the company $12,000 check and $25,000 in-kind services.
“Winning the Joust was a game changer for us. It was the first time we had felt our business was validated, It was a major confidence boost. Winning the Joust also put us in a position where we could buy the equipment for our first factory,” Kyle said.
Yaupon was also a finalist in the Blackstone Global Pitch Competition, which helped further the company and its network. Kyle said that the launchpad had provided many opportunities to connect with local business leaders and receive coaching and advice that they could not afford otherwise.
Since the competition Yaupon tea has sold more than 500 stores nationwide and is also carried by Amazon. Kyle recalled some other points of success since the competition.
“We have grown in several ways since winning the Joust,” said Kyle. “ We have achieved over $1,000,000 in revenue, planted tea farms all around the southeast US, Are in all Florida Whole Foods, Took on investment from Morgan Freeman, and are the tea and matcha suppliers for all Foxtail Coffee locations. We also just opened a 6000 square-feet production facility and cafe in Edgewater.”
Kyle even returned to the Blackstone Launchpad to coach other student founders for a year.
“Don’t wait,” Kyle said. “ Seriously, just get started. At the college age you have so little to lose and the whole world to gain. I owe so much of where I am today to just getting out there. Also just get out there and meet as many people as possible.”
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