The Paradise Island Tea Premium Products brand was created in the spring of 2008 by the culinary artist, Tamra Means. She was extremely excited to create her signature recipes for her deli that was due to open in 2009. In June of 2008, Tamra went to pay Paradise Island in Nassau Bahamas a visit. During her time there, she gathered ideas for unique mixtures. She also visited the island of Contoy in Mexico, which some of the locals there refer to as their Paradise Island. As she continued to review and edit the menu, she noticed a big problem…..THE DRINK SELECTION WAS BORING! The choices were none other than that of her last dining experience, or for that matter, her future one. Being a tea lover, Tamra not only wanted her food selection to stand far apart from the everyday choices but she desired to create very unique and distinct tea beverages. Through much brainstorming and experimenting, the “Passion” blend was born. Due to it’s paradisiacal aroma and taste, she decided to name the brand Paradise Island Tea. While working 2 full times jobs, she would take samples of her tea to work as well as let family, friends and church members try the concoction. She would often here feedback such as “You need to bottle this”, “This is different”, “I’m waiting for this to come out on the market”. The idea of marketing Paradise Island Tea Premium Products had then been planted in the back of Tamra’s mind. Her goal was then to begin marketing the tea through her deli. She opened the deli in the spring of 2009, unfortunately it was short lived due to it’s unmarketable location. From that point on, the goal was to reopen the deli in a more marketable area, at the appointed time and market Paradise Island Tea Premium Products. At the end of 2012, she was working on a business plan to reopen her deli. Half way through writing it, she realized the fact that it would make more sense to go full force with a tea company vs restarting a deli to promote her brand of tea that she later planned to build as a company. Tamra switched up the business plan to make it suitable for the Paradise Island Tea Premium Products company. She started Paradise Island Tea LLC in the spring of 2013. Some time later, the “Passion Ginger” blend was inspired by Louisville’s successful entrepreneur, Elizabeth Kizito. Paradise Island Tea Premium Products currently has 5 retail clients here in Louisville that carries our products.
