Tempo tea delivers a kick of energy without the sugar crash

Tempo launched in September 2017 after a trio of friends realized they were looking for a type of beverage that didn’t exist--a drink with no added calories, sugars or sweeteners that could give them a kick of energy to get through the day.

'Consumers are looking for new, healthy, craft options'​

CEO Ryan Crane worked the corporate world for nearly a decade and found himself stuck in a routine, drinking coffee and other caffeinated beverages to stay awake at the office. Sick of the unhealthy calories and synthetic ingredients found in energy drinks, he teamed up with fellow co-founders Grant Taylor Williams and Austin Gallagher to develop Tempo teas.

“We’re trying to provide a better solution for people who hit that midday slump,”​ CEO Ryan Crane told BeverageDaily.

“The doers of the world that want to kick ass in everything they do, and they don’t want to be hindered by unhealthy ingredients,”​ he continued.

Tempo currently offers two flavors of its zero calorie, zero added-sugar drinks - Green Tea and Black Tea - with more flavors in the works for late 2018.

They are sold in Chicago-based supermarkets like Pete’s Fresh Market, local convenience stores and specialty retailers like Eataly for about $2.49 per 12-ounce bottle. A case of 12 teas can also be purchased on the Tempo website for $23.99.

Despite being less than a year from their launch, Tempo is seeing fast growth and positive responses from consumers.

“We look at our consumers as aspirational professionals who want cleaner ways to stay focused and engaged throughout the day. Our brand resonates with those who are health-conscious, usually social millennial types,”​ Williams said. 

And in the increasingly crowded health-conscious, sugar-free beverage market, Tempo has worked to differentiate itself from competitors. The sparkling, carbonated aspect of the drink gives a trendy, fizzy mouthfeel that is becoming increasingly popular with consumers. 

The brand also sees a lot of comparison to kombucha, a fermented tea beverage that can contain added sugar, small amounts of alcohol and additives: and Crane says Tempo can attract drinkers looking for a similar taste but an alternative clean label product.

“While there are standards in the​ [soft drink] category, consumers are changing and they’re forcing very powerful changes through the way that everyone thinks about food,”​ Crane said.

“They’re looking for exciting, new, healthy, craft options and they’re becoming much more savvy. So as industry outsiders, perhaps we’re in an ideal position to approach the category from a new angle,”​ he added.