Aug. 27, 2009
Business partners Jeffrey Schrader, left, and Bryan Behling quit their corporate lives to open The Spice and Tea Exchange on Park Avenue.
Photo by Isaac Babcock — The Observer
By Matt Morrison
Guest Reporter
Perhaps there was a scent in the air that just wasn't quite right for Bryan Behling and Jeffrey Schrader, two men who looked in the face of a souring economy and found an unlikely solution.
Behling, 42, and Schrader, 45, left their corporate jobs behind, moving from Tampa to become Park Avenue's newest flavor. The Spice and Tea Exchange located at 309 N. Park Ave. is their first business, but apparently the spice is right for these fresh entrepreneurs.
"We left years and years of corporate work for Crocs and shorts and a very calm, casual approach to business, and that's how we like to keep it," Schrader said.
Decked out in jeans, sandals and a short-sleeved collared shirt, Schrader would be more at home in a Jimmy Buffet music video than the hustle and bustle of the retail grind.
It wasn't always so easy. Back in Tampa, Behling and Schrader could feel the building tension in their offices as the recession cut deeper and deeper into company profits. No one seemed certain about what lay ahead, but there was plenty to speculate about.
"We both knew in January one or both of us would get laid off, just the sign of the times," Behling said.
Then, later that month, Behling's company laid off several employees at once.
"It was a really sad day," Schrader said, "and I called Brian and said, 'We really have to make this thing work.'"
The two had been playing with the idea of opening a store for some time. Food lovers, they considered opening a restaurant or bed and breakfast, but felt the venture would consume too much of their time. While traveling in Tarpon Springs, they came upon the Spice and Tea Exchange — a nautical-themed store and part of a budding franchise. They were hooked.
In May, Behling lost his job, but through their extensive Internet research — not to mention considerable family support — the two were able to open their store in Winter Park in June.
The store resembles an old English alchemical shop, or as one young customer more ably put it, "It's like 'Harry Potter' in here." An array of mortars and pestles, glass vials and jars stand before the window, inviting patrons inside where spices, herbs, salts and teas are grouped and lined in jars along each wall. Customers are free to sniff and taste a sample before buying. For Behling and Schrader, the experience is just as important as the product.
For novices, Behling recommends the Almond Cookie Tea or the Coastal Blend. The store specialty is the Florida Sunshine, a mix of sea salt; lemon, orange and lime zest; green peppercorn; ginger root; and rose petals for use on chicken, fish and salads.
While new to the Park Avenue community, Behling and Schrader have big plans, expecting to expand the store to the Orlando area. But through working with local merchants and the community, the pair seems to be quite happy where they are.
"Looking back, I don't miss corporate life at all," Behling said.
Schrader's response is even more succinct.
"Nope," he said.
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Spot for tea
The Spice and Tea Exchange, which just opened on 309 N. Park Ave., combines traditional and exotic gourmet spices, cooking herbs and seasonings from around the globe in the preparation of their 60+ hand-mixed signature blends and rubs, packaged by the ounce to allow you to experiment. They are open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and are closed Mondays. For more information call 407-647-7423 or E-mail winterpark@spiceandtea.com.
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