The Chicago BACP Empower Hour with Agnieszka Rapacz, owner of Chicago Teahouse
Discover her inspiring journey and learn how her woman-owned business is fostering connections among tea enthusiasts and creating a meaningful impact.
Some tea journeys commence in childhood, when a person discovers the beauty and vast wonder of the treasured leaf, typically through an introduction to the beverage by someone close to them. Others discover the world of tea later in life, through an experience, traveling, or simply “falling into the industry” as a career. For Agnieszka “Agnes” Rapacz, the voyage was a melding of the two paths to tea enlightenment, so to speak, where her familiarity and enjoyment of the elixir as a child was rekindled when she found herself working as the chief financial officer for TeaGschwendner U.S. in 2010.
Agnes grew up in Poland, where drinking tea is very prevalent. “I remember that my mom introduced me to chamomile ‘tea’ when I was a baby,” Agnes recalls. “I never heard about loose-leaf when I was growing up—just regular black tea. When I came to the U.S., there was more tea than just black tea, and that’s how it started.”
Positioned in the heart of the historic Gold Coast of Chicago, the dynamic store on North State Street affords the tea-loving community—local and across the nation (thanks to an easily searchable e-commerce site)—a plethora of top-notch selections for every palate. “We have white, green, black, oolong, rooibos, and herbals,” Agnes explains. “We also have a collection of in-house blends. We have a very sophisticated clientele here.” Most of the teas are still sourced from Germany, staying true to the original store’s roots, from tea growers that Agnes highly trusts and has formed relationships with over the years. Other varieties, such as their matcha and various exclusive Japanese teas, are produced by a lovely tea garden in Japan. Every batch is lab-tested for pesticides, critically examined, and meticulously handled with the utmost care.
These bundles incorporate enticing blends such as Earl Grey Lavender, Aroma Green Tea, Fruit Paradise, Starry Night, and Honey Bee. And for a true taste of the heart and soul of “Chi-town,” consider trying Windy City (a signature blend of black tea, green tea, oolong, caramel, and jasmine) with rich notes and a tantalizing aroma. Ever since she was a little girl in Poland, Agnes has gravitated toward the comforts that tea provides, but it wasn’t until moving across the world and entering the work force that she discovered just how tremendous one Camellia sinensis leaf can be. It goes to show that we should never forget where we came from because it often forms the direction for where we are going. Because of Agnes’s willingness to depart from the expected while staying true to herself, we can now collectively benefit from her knowledge, persistence, passion, and excellent tea, which have all come to fruition in Chicago Teahouse.