Tazo
Tazo is an American tea and herbal-tea brand founded in Portland, Oregon, now operated within Lipton Teas and Infusions.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Tazo is a tea and herbal-tea blending and distribution brand founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1994 by Steven Smith. Its early manufacturing and distribution were maintained by North American Tea & Coffee, a Canadian food-manufacturing company. The brand developed a distinctive identity through tea blends, packaging, naming, and marketing that drew on New Age imagery and language rather than presenting tea solely as a conventional grocery product. A significant turning point came in 1998, when Tazo approached Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz while seeking additional investment partners. Starbucks subsequently acquired Tazo in 1999 for $8.1 million. Under Starbucks ownership, Tazo became part of the company’s broader beverage portfolio and remained associated with packaged tea products. Starbucks also tested a dedicated retail format: the first Tazo-branded tea shop opened in November 2012. The experiment was short-lived, however, and the location closed approximately one year later before being converted into a Teavana store. Starbucks sold Tazo to Unilever in November 2017 for $384 million. The transaction moved the brand from a coffee-centered retail group into one of the world’s largest consumer packaged-goods businesses, where Tazo formed part of Unilever’s tea portfolio. In November 2021, Unilever agreed to sell the majority of its tea business to CVC Capital Partners for €4.5 billion. The transaction included Tazo and was completed in July 2022. The tea business was reorganized under the name Lipton Teas and Infusions, making Tazo a brand within that company. Tazo’s historical positioning has relied heavily on evocative product names, unconventional descriptions, and visual presentation. Its marketing has been characterized as New Age-influenced; earlier packaging reportedly described the tea as having been “blessed by a certified tea shaman,” while an original tagline was “The Reincarnation of Tea.” These elements differentiated Tazo from more traditional tea brands, although they also made the brand’s presentation more dependent on cultural and spiritual symbolism than ordinary product labeling. The brand has also undergone visible identity changes. Until 2013, its logo used a modified version of the Exocet typeface. In 2006, the cross-piece of the capital T was moved upward to improve readability. Tazo’s documented history therefore includes three principal phases: its independent Portland origins, its period as a Starbucks-owned tea brand, and its later integration into the Unilever and Lipton Teas and Infusions tea businesses. Its current corporate base is in Kent, Washington, and its operating status is active.
History
Tazo was established in Portland, Oregon, in 1994 by Steven Smith. During its early independent period, manufacturing and distribution were maintained by North American Tea & Coffee, a Canadian-based food manufacturing company. Tazo built its identity around tea and herbal-tea blends and used packaging and promotional language intended to make the brand appear unconventional and highly imaginative. In 1998, Tazo contacted Howard Schultz, then chief executive of Starbucks, while looking for additional investment partners. Starbucks acquired the company in 1999 for $8.1 million. The acquisition placed Tazo within Starbucks’ beverage portfolio and gave the brand access to the resources of a much larger international company. Starbucks later explored whether Tazo could support a dedicated retail concept. Its first Tazo-branded tea shop opened in November 2012, but the experiment did not continue: the shop closed roughly one year later and the premises were converted into a Teavana store. Starbucks exited the brand in November 2017, selling Tazo to Unilever for $384 million. Under Unilever, Tazo became part of a broader tea business rather than a Starbucks-centered retail strategy. Unilever subsequently agreed in November 2021 to sell most of its tea operations to CVC Capital Partners. Tazo was included in the transaction, which was completed in July 2022. The acquired tea operations adopted the name Lipton Teas and Infusions, and Tazo became one of its brands. The brand is now based in Kent, Washington. Tazo’s historical marketing is notable for its New Age-style presentation. Earlier packages used spiritualized language, including a reference to tea being blessed by a certified tea shaman, and the brand used the tagline “The Reincarnation of Tea.” These communications formed part of a broader attempt to make tea feel exploratory and culturally distinctive. Tazo also maintained a recognizable graphic identity. Before 2013, its logo used a modified Exocet typeface; in 2006, the cross-piece of the capital T was raised to make the letter easier to read. The brand’s ownership history illustrates a progression from independent specialist blender to Starbucks portfolio brand, then to a Unilever consumer-goods brand and finally to a Lipton Teas and Infusions division. Publicly documented information identifies Tazo primarily as a tea and herbal-tea blender and distributor; detailed current market coverage, leadership, product-level sales, and present retail strategy are not established by the available reference material.
- 2022
Tazo enters Lipton Teas and Infusions
[1]The tea-business transaction closed in July, and the resulting company was named Lipton Teas and Infusions.
- 2021
Agreement to sell Tazo within Unilever’s tea business
[1]Unilever agreed to sell the majority of its tea business, including Tazo, to CVC Capital Partners.
- 2017
Unilever buys Tazo
[1]Starbucks sold Tazo to Unilever in November for $384 million.
- 2013
Tazo retail experiment ends
[1]The Tazo-branded shop closed approximately one year after opening and became a Teavana store.
- 2012
First Tazo-branded tea shop opens
[1]Starbucks opened the first Tazo-branded tea shop in November.
- 2006
Tazo modifies its logo lettering
[1]The cross-piece of the T in the logo was moved upward to improve readability.
- 1999
Starbucks purchases Tazo
[1]Starbucks acquired Tazo for $8.1 million.
- 1998
Tazo seeks investment from Starbucks leadership
[1]Tazo approached Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz while seeking additional investment partners.
- 1994
Tazo is founded in Portland
[1]Steven Smith founded Tazo in Portland, Oregon, as a tea and herbal-tea blending and distribution business.
Products and positioning
A tea and herbal-tea brand differentiated by imaginative blends, distinctive packaging, and New Age-influenced language and imagery.
Tea
Tazo tea blends
Tazo’s core offering consists of packaged tea blends developed and distributed under the Tazo name. The available reference material identifies the brand broadly as a tea blender and distributor but does not provide a complete current catalog or detailed specifications for individual blends.
Herbal tea
Tazo herbal teas
Herbal tea is a principal part of Tazo’s historical product scope. The brand’s identity and marketing have emphasized imaginative blend concepts and distinctive presentation, although the available sources do not establish a complete list of current herbal-tea products.
Marketing campaigns
- The Reincarnation of Tea
Tazo used “The Reincarnation of Tea” as an original tagline, supporting a New Age-influenced brand identity that presented tea as unusual, expressive, and transformative.
Outcome. Established a distinctive historical marketing platform for the brand.
- Tea shaman packaging language
Earlier Tazo packaging used New Age-style wording, including a claim that the tea had been blessed by a certified tea shaman.
Outcome. Reinforced the brand’s unconventional packaging and spiritualized presentation.
Brand decisions
2021
Unilever agrees to sell its majority tea businessM&ABackground
Unilever pursued a transaction covering most of its tea operations, including Tazo.
Action taken
Unilever agreed to sell the business to CVC Capital Partners for €4.5 billion.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in July 2022 and the new company was named Lipton Teas and Infusions.
Transaction value. €4.5 billion (Agreement announced in 2021)
2017
Starbucks sells Tazo to UnileverM&ABackground
Starbucks transferred ownership of the tea brand as part of its portfolio strategy.
Action taken
Unilever acquired Tazo for $384 million in November 2017.
Aftermath
Tazo moved into Unilever’s global tea business.
Acquisition price. $384 million (2017)
2012
Starbucks tests a Tazo-branded retail shopStrategyBackground
Starbucks explored a dedicated retail format for the Tazo tea brand.
Action taken
It opened the first Tazo-branded tea shop in November 2012.
Aftermath
The shop closed about a year later and was converted into a Teavana store.
1999
Starbucks acquires TazoM&ABackground
Tazo had sought additional investment partners after approaching Starbucks leadership in 1998.
Action taken
Starbucks purchased Tazo for $8.1 million.
Aftermath
Tazo became part of Starbucks’ beverage portfolio.
Acquisition price. $8.1 million (1999)
Recent events
TAZO and American Forests announce TAZO Tree Corps[2]
TAZO and American Forests announced the TAZO Tree Corps collaboration. The initiative will employ paid workers to plant trees and create jobs in communities of color.
Sources2 sources
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