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Despite the persistence of the recession – or possibly because of it – new consumer tea businesses continue to open across the United States. From New York to California, entrepreneurs are showing their confidence in the future of tea, as well as their creativity, by opening a variety of types of tea shop.

For example, just north of Dallas in Carrollton, Texas, Charles Dean Bowen is opening Tea Thyme & Tisane. The combination café-gift shop will serve breakfast and lunch, as well as carry 75 different loose leaf teas, five coffees, and tea and coffee accessories. Although Tea Thyme & Tisane opened to the public officially Aug. 3, Bowen invited friends, family, potential customers and other VIPs to attend a grand opening party Saturday, Aug. 1, from noon to 3 p.m.

“This has been my dream for about five years now, and I am so looking forward to serving you and others,” Bowen said.

He’s not the only one fulfilling a dream.

Syd Hoffman, of Williamsville, N.Y. (north of Buffalo), said TeaLeafs, the 1,500 square foot retail shop she opened in May, is the culmination of both dreaming and hard work.

“The health benefits are really what turned me on to tea, and needing and wanting to do something for myself. … I worked different places just to get out of the house, but I never had a career,” said the mother of three daughters, adding that her husband’s steady income relieved her of the pressure of needing to make a lot of money at the business right away.

Tea Leafs carries 124 varieties of tea – mostly loose, but some bagged – with a focus on what Hoffman described as “quality tea at a reasonable price.”

She said traffic has been a little slow so far, but she expects it to pick up after her advertising and events begin. Word-of-mouth and partnering with adjacent businesses is already driving some regulars to the shop, she added.

To the south and west of Hoffman, in Granville, Ohio, Joy Wujek is preparing this month’s opening of her second tea business, Petali Teas. Wujek will be using the success of her Mootz Run tea cafe and the line of teas she developed for wholesale as a springboard into the retail tea business. The new store is named for her wholesale brand, Petali.

Whereas Mootz Run is a casual locals hangout with an emphasis on natural and eco-friendly products, Petali will be a high-end, European-style shop for tourists. Mootz Run offers 300 different varieties of tea; Petali will sell 50, and the latter emphasize botanical ingredients, flowers, flower petals, exotic fruits and nuts.

“It was going really well at Mootz Run, but we knew there was a different market out there that we wanted to tap into,” she said. “Granville is a tourist town. There is a University there, and several large country inns. Most people who visit don’t venture out; they stay in town.”

Wujek said that her decision to expand during a recession raised some eyebrows, but did not dampen her determination. “I’m not just going to sit there and do nothing because everybody is having negative feelings,” she said, adding that she hasn’t seen any slow-down in business at Mootz Run.

“I think the tea industry is doing fine. Tea is an affordable luxury, and people need that right now,” Wujek said.

Another entrepreneur emphasizing the luxurious aspect of tea is Dane Bethea, in Las Vegas.

The master baker opened Simple Elegance in 2001 to focus on his specialty, cakes. About three months ago, Bethea said, he moved into his own facility, which has restaurant space, so he decided to add a tea room. It opened in early July.

Bethea has been in the food industry for 30 years. Raised by an English mother, he grew up drinking tea. Simple Elegance’s tea room will be Victorian and serve afternoon tea by reservation only Monday through Friday from 2 to 4 p.m.

“My grandmother passed away two years ago, and my mother got cancer around the same time,” Bethea said. “This is all a tribute, a dedication to them.”

Simple Elegance’s house scone will be the white raisin, his mother’s favorite. He’s hoping she will be at the tea room’s grand opening in September.

According to various press reports, several other new tea businesses are opening and expanding across the country. Tea an’ Tiques in Murphys, Calif. added a self-service tea bar with a choice of 30 teas. Tynan Coffee & Tea is expected to open a new location in the Columbia Heights shopping center in Washington, D.C., next month. And two college friends are working on Sacred Tart tea house in Ukiah, Calif. – that’s just to name a few.

Stephen Miller, chair of the economics department at the University of Nevada Las Vegas said he found it interesting that so many new businesses were opening during the recession, but wouldn’t speculate why it might be, because he doesn’t know the industry.

He did say that the entrepreneurial activity might catch the attention of some bigger players.

“It strikes me that if a lot of small stores are opening, the next major event would be a franchise developing within the business, or some (large existing) company diversifying their products to compete with all these small mom and pops,” he said.