Sip, Sip Hooray!

SerendipiTea Brings Loaded Teas to Downtown Wartburg

Kellie Kidd was vacationing at the lake the first time she tried a loaded tea. Her daughter, Sydney, was visiting from college when she suggested the pair pick up a couple of the colorful, flavor-rich, and energy-boosting drinks.

“I loved it,” says Kellie, who owns SerendipiTea in downtown Wartburg. “Every day after that, I was, like, ‘Run over there, and get us a tea,’ or ‘Let’s run get a tea.’”

The drinks, which are generally marketed as sugar-free alternatives to sodas, aren’t like traditional teas. They can include various supplements and artificial flavorings, and they’re popular with people of all ages.

Soon, Sydney suggested that Kellie open a loaded tea shop of her own. “She reminded me that we needed a place like this in Wartburg and Morgan County,” Kellie says. “Besides, I was working from home at the time, and it was getting to me. I’ve always been a people person. I missed that interaction, and Sydney knew it.”

Taking a Chance

The idea of launching her own business frightened Kellie. “I didn’t see how I could quit my job,” she says. “I was making pretty good pay, and I had good benefits. But my daughter had planted that seed, and I just couldn’t get it out of my head.”

In July 2021, Kellie leased a retail space on Main Street—a former boutique and tanning salon. She bought out the business equipment and stock and moved into the unit. Then, on Sept. 23, she and her husband, Dean, opened with more community support than she could have ever imagined. “It was amazing,” Kellie says. “It was just amazing. Everybody was posting pictures of their drinks on social media including #serendipiTea. It was just a ton of support.”

Maintaining a strong connection with the community is a big driver for Kellie, who makes sure to support schools, sports teams, and local organizations as she can. She also attends fall festivals at schools in the county and makes near-daily deliveries to different schools during break times.

“It feels great that we can bring something new that the community wants,” Kellie says. “Sometimes people are new to loaded teas, and it’s fun to show them something new, something besides soda. They always love it.”

Other Offerings

Kellie also offers her customers products and services beyond tasty and refreshing beverages. Tanning options include 2 beds and a stand-up unit—all with new bulbs. More are on the way, she says.

In addition to the loaded teas, shakes, and tanning beds, the shop sells Freshies. Freshies are fun-shaped car air fresheners made by a woman in Rockwood. “They’re so cute, and they last a really long time,” Kellie says. “They always sell out not long after we get a new batch.”

SerendipiTea offers specialized menus for each season and holiday. In the fall, the shop offered a menu that played off the different SEC teams. The Roll Tide, for example, blends the flavors of cherry, lemon-lime, and pina colada. The #VFL, or Vol for Life, was made with orange, pineapple, and ginger ale for a lighter color and a little kick.

Kellie says she loves being part of the excitement brewing in a newly revitalized downtown. Today, downtown Wartburg is home to everything from live music to a brewery, new restaurants, and several festivals. “We’re definitely getting more people downtown for sure,” she says.

Helping Hands

The community isn’t the only thing Kellie relies on for support. In addition to her employees, she gets help from her mother, Kay Basler, and her cousin, Lori Brewster. While Sydney is in dental school in Memphis, she designs and creates tea names for the seasonal menus, as well as the shop’s popular and ever-changing stickers that go on the cups. Kellie also gets help from her husband, Dean, and her 10-year-old son, Ty.

The shop depends on Highland’s high-speed internet service and phone service. In addition to its popular Facebook page, SerendipiTea often receives orders through Facebook Messenger. The shop offers free Wi-Fi to customers and an electric fireplace for that extra cozy atmosphere.

“I have the password for the Wi-Fi hanging up, and anybody who comes into the shop can use it to study or hold meetings or just visit with friends,” Kellie says. “I had a real estate agent call me recently and ask if she could do a closing in there, and I told her she was welcome to. Wi-Fi is just a good way to encourage people to come here.”

Published with permission from HTC.