Jill portman and gary Shinner used to associate tea with romance and relaxation. They recall shopping for wedding rings in Chicago in 1990 when a jeweler served them an aromatic pot of oolong. Later, when they were married and Portman was pregnant, she enjoyed drinking rooibos tea, an African blend that is supposed to help with digestion. Today tea brings other associations: profit and loss.rnPortman and Shinner are cofounders and 85% owners of Mighty Leaf Tea Co., a San Rafael, Calif, company that peddles overstuffed, overpriced organic tea bags. These megasacks, made out of corn starch, hold 2.5 grams of tea, flowers, herbs, dried fruit and sometimes cacao nibs. A box of 15 retails for $8. Mighty Leaf's sales last year rose 27% to $16.5 million. Its pretax profit margin: 10%.rnThis is the company's second act in the tea business. The first-a sort of Starbucksrnfor tea-flopped.
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