Tea and hospitality: more than a cuppa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how tea relates to hospitality in both the home and commercial contexts. Tea, when taken out of the home situation, represents a service product with a resultant revenue stream that has the potential to be more than a “cuppa”. Design/methodology/approach This viewpoint reviews related literature and management strategies. Findings Identifies from a practitioner viewpoint the possibilities for using tea to increase profits within the hospitality business. Practical implications Argues that tea drinking is pivotal to a wide array of hospitality events and that its potential to generate revenue is often underestimated. Originality/value An original look at a very old service.