The founder of Kusmi Tea, Pavel Kousmichoff (from whom the brand gains its name) left home at the age of 14 to work for a tea merchant in St. Petersburg, Russia.[1] Kousmichoff worked with the tea merchant until his marriage in 1867, when Kousmichoff was given a small tea house by the tea merchant.[1]
Under Kousmichoff, the business prospered and grew in popularity, by 1880 becoming a favourite of the Russian nobility.[1] By 1901, the firm had expanded the business to a chain of about 10 tea houses. In 1907, Kousmichoff's son Vyatcheslav opened a shop at 11 Queen Victoria Street, London.[1] In 1908, on the death of his father, Vyatcheslav took over the reins of the family business.[3]
The business continued to prosper under Vyatcheslav, and by 1917, at the onset of the Russian Revolution the business had grown to encompass a chain of 51 tea houses across most major cities in Russia.[3] With the outbreak of the revolution, the Kousmichoff family fled to France, opening an outlet at 75 Avenue Niel, Paris; this location operated as a tea house through the early 21st century, until it was closed to the public and converted to a training studio for company staff and partners.[4] In the move to Paris, the Kousmichoffs re-branded to the shorter "Kusmi Tea."[3]
In 2003, the business was bought by Groupe Orientis.[2]
The firm currently operates 80 stores, including 60 in France itself, while the tea is distributed in 35 countries.[2]
