AKRON, Ohio - Medina, Ohio resident Chris Charek is the "Tea Dude."

It's a name coined by Charek's friends, who were among the first recipients of his small batch, loose-leaf tea blends.

"It kind of just stuck," Charek said of the nickname.

It's been four years since Charek rolled his nickname into a business that sells loose-leaf tea. Tea Dude offers 25 varieties of tea, which is sold at stores in Akron, Ashland, Wooster, Toledo, Cleveland and Canton. In Akron, you can find his tea in the Hower House gift shop and, as of last fall, at the Northside Marketplace.

Charek credits his 15 years of food service industry experience, including previously owning the Garfield Heights Arabica, with helping him understand how flavors work together. He also credits his dad's love of fusion cooking as a source of inspiration for his tea blends, which he makes from natural ingredients sourced from all over the world.

Tea Dude tea comes in caffeinated and non-caffeinated varieties. Charek does his own take on classic varieties such as Earl Grey and Irish breakfast tea, and he creates his own blends too. Tea is packaged in 4- and 8-ounce tins with clear lids, so customers can see the quality of the tea leaves inside.

"I try to do things people haven't done before; my teas aren't like anything you will find at the store," he said.

Charek's take on earl grey tea features a different black tea that doesn't have as strong as a flavor as traditional earl grey, but still has all the caffeine. He uses less oil of bergamot than standard Earl Greys, too.

"It'll perk you up, but the flavor isn't as overbearing," Charek said.

Unconventional tea blends include Fireball, a smoked lapsang suchong black tea with cinnamon and chili flakes, and Majik, a non-caffeinated honeybush with lavender, cinnamon and vanilla.

"Fireball has a real smoky, spicy, rich flavor to it. With a little bit of sweetener it's almost a dessert tea because it tastes like an Atomic Fireball candy," he said.

Majik is an "exceptional night-time tea," due to the relaxative properties of honeybush and lavender, according to Charek.

Tea Dude has a small space in the Made in Akron section of the Northside Marketplace. He stocks a dozen types of tea in the space, and rotates new flavors in and out.

Charek regularly sells his tea at arts and crafts shows, food shows and farmers markets in the area. If someone is interested in purchasing a tea he doesn't have with him at the show, he directs them to his space at the Northside Marketplace.

Charek is surprised at the business he has done at the Northside Marketplace since the space opened last fall.

"Since there are so many makers there, someone will go in in search of someone else's product and stumble on mine. And that's generally all it takes. If someone buys it once, they'll come back and get it again," he said.

Charek has turned his tea-making hobby into a full-time job through his sales at the Northside Marketplace, area stores, shows and on Etsy.

"I want to make a living and have something to give to my daughter when she is old enough to take it over," Charek said.

The Northside Marketplace is at 21 Furnace St., Akron. Hours are Sunday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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