How Maya Tea Quietly Built a National Brand From Tucson | Manish Shah

Most people in Tucson have probably had Maya Tea without realizing it.What started as homemade chai and a four-foot table at a farmer’s market grew into a company serving more than 2,500 restaurants and coffee shops across the country — all built from Tucson.In this episode, Elaine sits down with Manish Shah to talk about:– starting Maya Tea in the 1990s while working at Dillard’s– surviving years of uncertainty and expansion– why he brought production in-house instead of outsourcing– the trade show failure that changed the business– what people misunderstand about manufacturing and food production– why Tucson entrepreneurs are tougher than they thinkThis conversation is about persistence, independence, and building something real over decades — not overnight.