MANSFIELD — A Mansfield woman will soon have her loose leaf teas featured in a Pittsburgh-area Macy’s.
Twisted Fig Tea, owned and operated by Joyce Wells, will be set up in the Ross Park Mall in Ross Township, Pennsylvania for a month, beginning Feb. 3.
“I still can’t believe it,” Wells said. “I mean, honestly, I am a platinum card carrying lady there. I love Macy’s … and I know my mom would be spinning if she was here right now.”
It all started when Wells responded to a Facebook post in late 2018. She was scrolling when she noticed an ad from Macy’s asking, “Are you a small business owner?”
Wells took the bait and was immediately hooked. She was determined to take her business to the next level with Macy’s.
Working around travel plans she attended a Black Friday event with more than 1,000 small business owners. Wells listened intently but was surprised by its ending.
“He said now in the next four days, we’re cutting this group down to 100. And he made it clear, they were not interested in food,” Joyce recalled.
She was immediately concerned that Twisted Fig Tea would be cut. So she sent an email, clarifying that her loose leaf teas were not food and explaining that they are nonperishable.
She heard back quickly, and ultimately made the top 100.
“The process kept going, and then all of a sudden, it was dead stopped,” Wells said. “So I waited, waited, waited and then sent an email.”
Without an immediate response, she began to brace herself to be let down.
“Honestly, I had put it to bed in my head,” Wells said. “Just the idea that they even considered me was amazing, and then when I found out there were more than 1,000 people, I just felt honored to have that much.”
But Macy’s had only delayed its response as it was investigating another hiccup, Wells explained. The company needed permission from Starbucks to move forward because of an exclusive contract.
“I remember, I read, ‘and they signed off this morning,’ and I was like, ‘What?'” Wells said. “And I thought, no matter what, I’m going for broke.”
Wells worked with a Macy’s manager to create bar codes for her products, had a friend help her film a commercial with only a few days notice and shipped her boxes of supplies amid Richland County’s recent snow storm.
Her products will be highlighted in a 10 foot by 10 foot space, which includes a tower of tea. Wells also plans to sell accessories such as magic pots, travel mugs and newly ordered filter with bright red hearts attached.
Wells could have chosen between one and three stores to highlight her products, but locations had to be “flagship” stores and there was additional expense associated with more locations. No flagship stores are located in Ohio.
Wells hopes the product will take off, but at the least, she said, “It gives me the bragging rights.”
She intends to visit the store and might even hold a Valentine’s Day event or tasting.
Locally, Twisted Fig Tea is sold at Mind Body Align and Eatmor Bundt Cake, a Mansfield bakery once owned by Wells. She sold the business in 2018.
The teas will also be available at a soon-to-open business called Share n’ Dipity and can be bought online at twistedfigtea.com.
Wells began Twisted Fig Tea in 2007 with some inspiration from her parents. They would always request a pot of tea when she’d bring over bundt cakes.
“I thought, ding, there’s something to this,” Wells said.
She hadn’t liked tea growing up, but as she looked further into it, she learned her parents weren’t drinking “good tea.”
As Wells researched entirely natural options, she visited a tea plantation and connected with a German company to further advance her business.
The business’s name came from a twisted fig tree, gifted to Wells by a friend. The fig tree was placed in the “tea room,” and eventually triggered Wells to name the business “Twisted Fig Tea.”
