Downtown Knoxville shop Spice & Tea Exchange opening on Gay Street – Knoxville News Sentinel
If the grocery store’s spice selection isn’t cutting it, a new business coming to Gay Street could add some flavor to your spice rack.
The Spice and Tea Exchange is moving into 522 S. Gay St., which was last home to Fai Thai Kitchen. Annette Morejon, the store’s owner, said she hopes to open sometime in November.
Morejon is an avid traveler, and spices are always a popular souvenir to bring back from her travels. Now she wants to share that joy with others.
“Our suitcase when we come home is like a big supermarket every time we travel,” she said. “And so I’ve always been really into that. We went to Morocco a few years ago and, my god, the amount of spices, the smells, everything, It’s just remarkable.”
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Fai Thai closing:Trend among Gay Street businesses?
Gay Street store will have tea blends, too
In addition to hundreds of spices, teas, sugars and salts, Morejon told Knox News the store will feature a tea bar for customers to taste different varieties, as well as a station to create custom spice blends. Outdoor seating will be available in front of the store for people to enjoy hot or cold drinks.
Prices will vary depending on how big of a container you purchase, Morejon said, but items start in the $5 range.
The store is a franchise location of the Spice and Tea Exchange, which was founded in 2008 in St. Augustine, Florida, and has over 80 locations nationally, according to its website. There are five locations in Tennessee, including stores in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Chattanooga.
Spice and Tea Exchanged steeped in a love of traveling
The seed for a spice and tea shop was planted a few years ago when Morejon was visiting a friend in Italy who had similar business selling wine, jams, spices and olive oils.
Morejon considered opening up a similar shop with her friend in Miami, where she previously lived, but was just too busy to start a new business from the ground up. After doing her research, she decided to open the franchise store since the template to build the business was already laid out.
“It always kind of stuck in the back of my mind,” Morejon said. “Like that would be such a cool place to own because I love cooking, I love baking and I love telling stories about stuff and being a guide.”
Morejon chose the 1600-square-foot space on Gay Street over a spot in Market Square.
It will have the feel of an old country store, Morejon said, with lots of wood and older decorations that will give it a “very homey and very charming” atmosphere.
The front of the store will have shelves of spices displayed, while the tea bar will be where Fai Thai’s front counter was previously located. Some elements of the Thai restaurant will carry over, such as the silver panels on the ceiling.
In addition to spice mixing and tea tasting, Morejon said she wants to add put on events in the store, such as cooking classes, to elevate the customer experience. She’d also like to partner and collaborate with local businesses, restaurants and breweries to put on these events.
“We want to create an experience, and I think that’s really the key to spice and tea, is it’s not just a retail location,” Morejon said. “I think it’s about the experience of being surrounded by these incredible smells and colors and all the cool stuff that goes with it.”