Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarrah Passanisi.
Hi Jarrah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I fell in love with tea in 2019 through a youtube video detailing why loose tea is typically of higher quality then bagged tea. Up until that point I had never really thought about it. I had always worked in food and drink service and wanted to choose a line of work that involved face to face interaction with people. For the next few years I studied tea, travelling, tasting, learning. In 2023 after a year of planning and education, I launched the Flight Tea Bar and Lounge company and opened a pop-up in Carrboro, NC. The pop-up ran for 4 months during the holidays and was a proof of concept to see if folks in NC would like what I wanted to share to the world.
I closed down the shop after that. The shop did well but my lease was only for that time, so instead I looked at another pop-up space. A little while later I opened that pop-up and operated it for another couple months. After that closed down I travelled to live in Japan for 2.5 months working on a tea farm to learn more. I came back and opened for the following holidays in the old station building in carrboro. This was the first more established location and it brought a slew of new customers. It was also the same time I started selling online and started communicating more of a story.
Fast forward to 1.5 years ago when I discovered a contender for a permanant space in Mebane. I spent quite a while designing and planning it and finally opened in October of 2025. This is the current location that we operate. I have a lovely team of 4 staff members alongside me! We try to do everything as organic as possible, compostable to-go ware, we bake everything in house, all of our tea are either sourced directly by me or by friends of mine from the regions I have less experience in sourcing from. We are also a super comfy, relaxed, vibey 3rd space. perfect for chilling out with a pot of tea!! (at least in my opinion…)
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The majority of the struggles resolve around the space itself. All of the work that goes into creating and renovating a space are not often communicated or seen by the public. Every contractor or tradesperson you meet says a similar thing: “whatever you think it’s going to cost, and the time it’s going to take… double it.” – And indeed I found that to be true. Especially when you inhabit older spaces. Our current building in Mebane is a beautiful 1910s space. Stunning natural wood floors, irreplacable pressed-tin ceiling, etc… but it comes with old building issues of course. So while people may see the finished product, they don’t truly see the all nighters finalizing a design, the doubt in a decision you’ve made, or anything else.
The struggles aare worth it though if you are doing something you love, something you are inspired in, something that rewards you in more ways than just money. I love what I do and it (usually) makes it all worth it. I am incredibly fortunate to be able to say that!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am largely self tought. At my core I am an artist. I want to create beautiful things, and I want to influence my community in a positive way. I have dipped my toes in creating music, sound engineering, graphic design, drone photography, photography, video editing, and now tea and business.
I am really happy that my current line of work allows me to use a lot of the previous skills I’ve spent time building.
I am only 23. When covid closed down the theaer program at UNCSA I decided to take a dive into an unfamiliar world of entreprenourship and see where it took me. I attended a couple of busines programs, District C, and SCORE a free mentorship program in Carrboro, as well as read many business books. One of the most influencial and something I attribute to the clarity in my choices is “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. He encourages you to think about why you’re doing the business before you decided WHAT it does.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My family deserves the most credit out of everyone. My mother, Chrystina has had 20+ years of retail experience and before that was a potter, designer, architect, and so much more. Her skillset has proved so incredible to have as a resource. I could ask her questions as I moved forward in the business journey. My stepdad as well was a wealth of knowledge. Having a business degree, and a small card store in Carrboro called “My Muses Card Shop” he was such a huge support. Diego Alexander, a friend at met at High Climate Tea in Asheville helped me establish my own personal values before even creating a business so that I would always remain inspired, and he also helped me workshop a ton of ideas for free despite having a branding company called ABX Studios. He is a huge visionary and very down to earth. One of the most supportive people. All my friends as well supporting this crazy idea and continuing to support it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://flightteabarandlounge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightteabarandlounge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Flight-Tea-Bar-Lounge-61564892136269/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FlightTeaBarandLounge
