by Heidi Kyser

In this economy, many businesses are having trouble simply staying open, so it's rare to hear of a new cafe that's been so busy, its owners blinked and their first year was gone. That's the case for husband and wife team Chris and Jaimie Nguyen, who opened Teapod Organic Tea Bar in San Anselmo, Calif., just outside San Francisco, on May 7, 2008. 

"We totally forgot about our one-year anniversary," Chris Nguyen told WTN on May 21 of this year. "We've been so busy running the shop. That night Jaimie looked at me and said, 'Wow, do you know what today is?'"

Not to worry: The couple plans to revisit the anniversary theme during the holidays later this year.

They have plenty to celebrate. Chris Nguyen said the cafe – which offers 45 different varieties of organic loose-leaf tea as well as iced tea, bubble tea, tea smoothies and elixirs – is surpassing his financial goals.

Despite having opened at the onset of a global financial collapse, Nguyen said, "we are actually profitable. We're making money, doing well, getting grounded in the community. People love the concept, love the store."

One such fan is Kristen Pollack, who lives in nearby Greenbrae, but works in San Francisco running a customer service group for a market research company. Pollack said her commute is in the opposite direction, so she is only able to go to the cafe on weekends and buys Teapod's tea in bulk to drink during the week.

She described the cafe as "clean, zen and very healthy," adding that it's different from most other tea and coffee shops. "Most of them tend to be dark space, kind of cluttered with lots of merchandise. I like that the Teapod space is open and relaxing, modern, but in a friendly way."

Her favorite aspect is the glass garage door that allows sunlight and capacious views of the Marin County countryside regardless of the weather.

Asked why he vied for a sit-down cafe model rather than takeaway or retail, Nguyen said retail seemed "too slow-moving for me. ... I like the action of working in food-service. I've been a waiter and bartender before, and that flow and energy appeal to me."

He also had been a journalist for the Discovery Channel, Washington Post and Associated Press before going into PR and marketing in San Francisco. It was there, three and a half years ago that his then-girlfriend, Jaimie, introduced him to loose-leaf tea.

Like so many other people, Chris Nguyen had never had good tea before. "I just started drinking tea from that point on," he said. "My cholesterol has dropped about 200 points since I switched. That's the only thing I changed about my diet."

About two years ago, he began jotting down ideas for a tea business. He settled on a concept revolving around fresh-steeped teas and blends using only organic ingredients. It took the pair about one year to build the business. Jaimie Nguyen continues to work part-time in her previous career in electrolysis.

Pollack said the healthy aspect of tea is part of what draws her to Teapod. "I used to drink coffee until I got an ulcer and switched to tea," she added.

The only thing she said she'd change about Teapod is to add more of them in the city: "I'd love to see one on every corner in San Francisco."

That may be in the cards – eventually. Chris Nguyen said he's been approached by potential investors and developers, and does plan to expand in the future.

"We're definitely ready, and it's very flattering to have so much interest," he said. "We pretty much maxed ourselves out when we opened, so we thought we'd grow the flagship store for a while, then look at another location. It has to be right for us."

After a pause, he added, "Our next move is selling online. We're launching that in a couple months."