Citibank’s Capobianco Grows His New Business: Zen Tea Traders

Anthony Capobianco loves crunching numbers as a mortgage loan officer at Citibank on Sunset, but in his off-hours, he’s nurturing a start-up business, Zen Tea Traders. Ultimately, he says, “My goal is to travel the world and buy and sell tea.”
Recently, Capobianco provided tea for an event at the Woman’s Club. He supplied Earl Grey Tahitian Blend (an infusion of Tahitian vanilla and oil of bergamont in a black tea), Peachy Peony (a pairing of white tea and peach) and Koei Matcha Powder (a Japanese green tea). All were delightfully aromatic and flavorful.
“I create my own blends,” said Capobianco, 36, a Michigan transplant who lives in Westwood. “The teas are fresh and don’t sit on store shelves like many of the brands you buy.”
His love of tea started as a seven-year-old, when he spent time with his grandmother in Royal Oak, Michigan. “We sat at her table and talked and drank tea,” he said. “I looked forward to it.”
At age 10, like many Midwesterners, he learned how to brew sun tea. He also started Koei Kan (karate) and his instructor instilled a love of Japan and its culture—including teas. After high school, Capobianco attended Walsh Business College, graduating in 2001, and then worked in the mortgage department for Quicken Loans. Even though he found himself able to buy all sorts of material possessions, such as cars and a boat, he didn’t feel happy.
After watching a PBS documentary on Buddha, which emphasized “In order to gain anything you must first lose everything,” Capobianco started meditating on the power of intention. “I sold my car, my boat and other possessions, as I worked towards what made me feel whole.”
During that time, he also took numerous courses through the Specialty Tea Institute of New York and attended the annual tea show in Las Vegas, where he met various vendors. “I could tell them what I was looking for and they would create it.”
In 2007, while taking a month’s vacation in California visiting teahouses, Capobianco decided to start a company. “I went home with a passion and founded Zen Tea Traders in 2008,” he said.
In Detroit, his karate teacher introduced him to the Japanese consulate, who appreciated the tea that Capobianco brewed for him and told him he should go to Japan to further his study. He applied to teach English there, but after a six-month process, the entire deal fell through because of the 2011 tsunami. Back home in Michigan, he applied for a job with Citibank in California and ended up in the Pacific Palisades branch.
Slowly, Capobianco is making progress towards what he hopes will eventually be his livelihood. He has wholesale accounts in Michigan and has just landed his first account in Los Angeles at the Shape House, a spa in Larchmont.
After buying teas from his vendors, Capobianco blends them to his specifications and sells 10 variations, including black, green, white and herbal. Visit: zenteatraders.com, call (800) 942-4832 or e-mail Anthony@zenteatraders.com.