Avakian Arsen

Born in Armenia, Avakian Arsen came to the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship to study business. Noting that Americans hardly seemed to know tea beyond Lipton tea bags, he opened a small tea shop called Argo Tea Cafe across the street from a Starbucks in Chicago, serving unique teas and teapuccinos. Gaining immediate popularity, the business has since opened numerous locations worldwide and continues to grow. It has also expanded to produce bottled iced teas that are sold in major retail chains such as Whole Foods. Updated 2014