Smashburger, Denver, announced that it will carry Bethesda, Md.-based Honest Tea’s fresh-brewed organic iced teas at all of its restaurants nationwide. Each Smashburger location will brew a selection of iced teas from the independent operating unit of The Coca-Cola Co.
“We are thrilled to have Smashburger as our first national partner for our freshly brewed organic iced teas,” said Seth Goldman, co-founder and TeaEO of Honest Tea, in a statement. “Both companies view high-quality ingredients as an integral part of the tasting experience, and we look forward to serving our freshly brewed iced teas alongside Smashburger’s great menu offerings.”
All of the Honest Tea iced tea offerings at Smashburger are certified organic, kosher and gluten-free; do not contain any GMOs; use Fair Trade certified tea leaves; and contain 50 calories or fewer in each 8-ounce serving, the company says. Based on regional consumer preferences, Smashburger locations nationwide will serve a selection of the following four varieties: Classic Green Tea, an organic, Fair Trade certified green tea that contains organic cane sugar; Just Iced Tea, an unsweetened, organic, Fair Trade certified black tea sourced from tea gardens in the Assam region of India; Lemon Herbal Tea, a caffeine-free tea blend of organic Indian tulsi, lemongrass, lemon peel and lemon myrtle; and Raspberry Tea, a Fair Trade certified black tea sourced from the Korakundah tea gardens in southern India combined with natural raspberry flavors and organic cane sugar.
“Smashburger and Honest Tea share a passion for providing guests with fresh-tasting, high-caliber products, so the partnership was a natural fit for us,” said Tom Ryan, founder and chief concept officer of Smashburger, in a statement. “We are excited for the opportunity to be the first national restaurant to serve their fresh-brewed teas to guests in all of our restaurants across the country. There are many synergies between our two brands but first and foremost is our commitment to serving food and beverages that our guests can feel good about, comprised of quality ingredients for a better dining experience.
“The trend toward non-carbonated beverages, in particular, is continuing to grow and has been the strongest area of growth in our beverage business recently,” he continued. “The addition of Honest Tea’s freshly brewed iced tea platform fits in well with this growing consumer demand.”