About Bittersweet Tea Co.

For many years, Founder Shanna Hare, had an entrepreneurial spark that started from a very young age and carried through into her adult life. Growing up, Shanna was surrounded by business as both her parents worked full-time jobs and owned and operated multiple businesses concurrently; long days, multi-tasking, customer service, and hard work ethic were some of the important traits and skills that were engrained in Shanna and her brother, Jeff.

After her post-secondary education completion, Shanna began working full-time for various non-profit and for-profit organizations; as her career propelled forward, Shanna gained valuable experience in various sectors including computer science, tourism, banking, post-secondary administration, middle management, and eventually senior management. Although the idea of being an entrepreneur remained in her heart,  the financial responsibilities and stressors of "regular life" became a priority and the dream of entrepreneurship was put aside for many years. 

But in 2021, as Shanna's entrepreneurial ideas kept resurfacing, her husband encouraged her to move forward with her ideas and to focus on her strengths, goals, and creative passions.  And with that, the beginnings of Bittersweet Tea Co. started to brew ....

Construction began in the Spring of 2022; Shanna, along with her husband, one carpenter, and the help of Shanna's dad, tackled each piece of construction a little at a time and while working full-time jobs. The construction "plan" did not include formal blueprints, but instead consisted of a hand drawn sketch, approximate-ish measurements, a lot of trial and error, and a "vision" of what the finished store would look like.

After construction completion in the early Spring of 2024, it became clear to Shanna that it was a "now or never" decision time; Shanna took a short-term leave of absence from her full-time senior management role so that she could focus on getting the business started and staff recruited prior to returning to work at the end of her leave. 

Bittersweet Tea Co. opened for its first day of operations on June 29th, 2024. With no advertising, a little bit of hope, and a staff of one (Shanna), Bittersweet Tea Co. focused on providing quality loose leaf teas, teawares, and sweet treats to its local customers and tourists alike. As the busy summer and fall months progressed, it became clear to Shanna that Bittersweet Tea Co. needed her sole focus;  so, in the fall of 2024, with the support of her husband and her family, Shanna made the "bittersweet" decision to leave her full-time senior management role and continue to focus on her entrepreneurial journey in its entirety.  With additional staff onboarded and continued business improvements, Shanna continues to invest her time and energy into her creative passions with the everyday operations of Bittersweet Tea Co.