How Key to Teas Built a Specialty Tea Brand
Discover how Key to Teas founder Naoko Tsunoda built a specialty tea brand with thoughtful packaging and labeling.
A lifelong passion for tea
Naoko Tsunoda, founder of Key to Teas, grew up surrounded by tea culture in Japan. One of her earliest memories is watching her family welcome guests with carefully prepared tea—a simple gesture that carried deep meaning and hospitality.
But tea wasn’t her only passion. She also fell in love with pastries.
Her interest in pastry began in Tokyo’s boutique cafés, where she discovered Parisian-inspired desserts. That curiosity eventually led her to study pastry professionally at Le Cordon Bleu and the French Culinary Institute.
She quickly realized that tea could create surprisingly complex flavors in desserts and savory dishes alike. In 2001, she even won an award for the most creative project by incorporating tea into a classic French meal.
During her training, Naoko began experimenting with loose-leaf tea as a culinary ingredient.
After years of working in the specialty tea industry—including leading quality, development, and education for a global tea retailer—Naoko decided it was time to bring her own vision to life. With more than two decades of experience behind her, she launched Key to Teas.
Reaching the tea community
Key to Teas launched its online store in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. While starting a business in such uncertain times came with challenges, Naoko’s industry knowledge and connections helped the brand gain early traction.
Like many small businesses, Key to Teas relied heavily on e-commerce and social media to connect with customers.
These digital channels allowed the company to reach tea enthusiasts far beyond its home base in Seattle, Washington. Orders quickly began arriving from across the country.
Now that the business is established online, the next phase of growth focuses on expanding both marketing efforts and business partnerships.
In addition to direct-to-consumer sales, Key to Teas plans to build more business-to-business relationships and create opportunities for customers to experience their teas through tastings. For many tea lovers, the sensory experience of tasting and aroma is the best way to discover new blends.
The company also prioritizes social impact. Key to Teas strives to create an equitable workplace while supporting community initiatives that empower women and advocate for refugees and children in underserved communities.
“In addition to a social purpose for advocating for women and children in underserviced communities, we would like to continue to network locally and nationally with organizations that have an aligned mission,” said Naoko.
Packaging and labels
Key to Teas uses a mix of DIY and professionally printed labels to package its products. Many product and ingredient labels are printed in-house, while others are produced using professional printing services from Avery.
The ability to design, edit, and save label projects online allows the company to manage packaging efficiently as the business grows.
“I tried many labeling functions and ultimately Avery comes out on top because of the flexibility to print on our own or use custom printing,”
Naoko Tsunoda
Packaging is still a hands-on process for the small business. Naoko even involves her family when it’s time to label products.
Her daughter discovered a simple trick that helps speed up the process. Instead of applying wraparound labels with their fingers, she uses a plastic card to smooth the label around the pouch in one motion. This technique helps seal the label neatly in a single swipe.
For their DIY labels, Key to Teas uses a variety of materials, including glossy white paper, matte clear film, and glossy clear film. For professionally printed tea labels, the brand uses matte white paper through Avery custom printing.
Even with growing demand, the brand keeps a personal touch in every package.
“With each seal, love is poured into our tea packaging and hoping the recipient will receive the crafted warmth that differentiates us from commercially produced tea products.”
Learn more about Key to Teas
To explore their teas and learn more about the brand, visit keytoteas.com or follow their journey on social media at @keytoteas.
What small businesses can learn from Key to Teas
Key to Teas shows how thoughtful packaging and a personal approach can help a small business stand out—even in a crowded category like specialty tea.
A few takeaways for other small business owners:
Start with your story.
Naoko’s background in tea culture and pastry helped shape the identity of Key to Teas. Sharing that story helps customers connect with the brand.
Use packaging to reinforce your brand.
Clear ingredient labels, consistent design, and carefully applied packaging all contribute to a professional presentation that builds trust with customers.
Choose flexible labeling solutions.
Key to Teas prints some labels in-house while also using professionally printed labels when needed. This mix gives small businesses the flexibility to scale packaging as orders grow.
Labels used by Key to Teas
For businesses packaging products like loose-leaf tea, herbs, or specialty foods, Key to Teas uses a few common label types:
- Printable blank labels for tea pouches and packaging
- Custom clear stickers for packaging seals and branding details
- Custom-printed matte white labels for finished retail packaging
