About Us- ACE Letter

SPICY, BOLD, AND JUST SWEET ENOUGH. WELCOME TO YOUR NEW FAVORITE CHAI.

Open Eye Beverage Co. is rooted in Eastern tradition and crafted without compromise. We brew our concentrates using sustainable practices and fewer, better ingredients that are always intentionally and ethically sourced.

Founder Anna Claire Eddington with chai

Hey there you lovely human and thanks for visiting.

For most of my career, I've been traveling the globe and working alongside farmers, adventurers, policy makers, environmentalists, and foodies. I wanted to fully understand the complex relationship between our food system and our shared well-being, but I also wanted to surround myself with people who enjoy good food, great stories, and learning about the wider world.

I built Open Eye as a farmers market business in the midst of the pandemic. It wasn't just a passion project- it was the heart of my community at a time when we were all so spread apart. After working for farmers markets and on farms as well as being the consumer of many cups of chai of varying qualities, I was able to harness my knowledge of agricultural goods and farmers market clients to build our original product, the best chai I've ever tasted- Basic B Chai. 

But as we began to grow, I realized that our product is anything but basic. With our commitment to top-tier ingredients, sustainable production, and our community, I believe we can truly build a better food system. So in the summer of 2022 we proudly rebranded to Open Eye. Our name is meant to encourage you to expand your horizons and open your eyes, and arms, to the wider world and to your community. So drink up! Your taste buds and the planet will thank you. 

With love,

Anna Claire Eddington, Founder & Brewer

 

Here's what we at Open Eye believe: 

  • Chai is for everyone. Whether you like the real-deal authentic masala chai or a syrupy-sweet chai tea latte, you do you! We think everyone should have easy access to a daily cup of tea; our concentrate makes it simple. 
  • Sustainability is cool. Our concentrates are made from whole, organic ingredients that we compost after brewing. We source our ingredients from small farms that use permaculture and organic growing methods. Our bottles are recyclable. We want to leave the planet a little better than we found it.
  • Great chai doesn't exist without whole ingredients. That's why we scoured the globe (aka the internet) to find the best building blocks for our blend. To us, best means best tasting, most sustainably grown. 
  • Sweeter isn't always better. We rely mainly on clover honey to sweeten our blend. Its subtle flavor helps round out the spice blend without overpowering it and let's the drinker enjoy the complex flavors of each cup.
  • We are only as strong as the community we build. We will never prioritize profit over our relationships with our customers and farmers. We love our Austin farmers market community, the Sustainable Food Center family, our chai-loving staff and our kind colleagues at local coffee shops, cafes, and grocery stores. We are better because of them. 
  • Woman will change the world.