Our Story
Grand Tea & Imports（好茶水 佛運玄）was established in 2006 after our founder, Mr. Liu, returned to China for the first time in 15 years. After many years away from home, he was able to reconnect with old friends like it was yesterday over many cups of tea.
The trip inspired him to open a tea store that would allow Chinatown residents and visitors to relish in the flavor of his hometown and connect in appreciation of Chinese traditions, culture, and fine teas.
Mr. Liu’s passion for importing small-batch teas and organizing tea culture events quickly earned him the reputation of “Teafucius” or “茶夫子”. Since our shop’s opening, his teas have been featured in dozens of local businesses and shared at neighborhood street fairs and cultural gatherings at the United Nations and the Asia Society.
In 2011, Mr. Liu merged operations with Manpolo Trading (美佛轩), a Buddhism, Fengshui, and Folk Religion specialty store operating in Chinatown since 1990. Mr. Liu was able to revitalize the struggling business and expand its focus to providing distinctive, high-quality spiritual goods that would allow Chinese families to celebrate life’s important moments, such as: Lunar New Year festivities, wedding ceremonies, new business openings, and ancestral worship.
Today, Grand Tea & Imports is a retail and cultural anchor in the Chinatown community. We supply authentic Chinese teas and goods to a broad range of customers including immigrant households across the East Coast, Chinatown visitors, and recognized businesses.