Meet Mandalyn King | Owner & Herbalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mandalyn King and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mandalyn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I first started my business, I was 7 months pregnant with my second child. My husband had just gotten out of the Army and was a full-time student, so finances were tight. Creating a strategy that included doing something that I loved, while also giving me the freedom of flexibility, was a necessity. I wanted to create a situation where I could stay at home with my babies, but also bring in some income to help supplement the family. Growing up, my mother always had a garden and I enjoyed helping her tend it, so having my own garden and using that as a basis for my business, was an easy choice. I had already been growing, harvesting and drying my own herbs for years, creating my own herbal teas for friends and family. Creating a business from that passion, was the natural next step.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Queen’s TEApothecary, coined after the owner’s last name “King”, is a classy and aromatic bou-TEA-que located in the heart of Historic Old Colorado City in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Our premium, small batch teas and herbal infusions are original recipes and are handcrafted in-house. While our herbal ingredients are no longer grown in our personal garden, each ingredient is sourced organically and is of the finest quality. We offer an herbal apothecary that includes a large array of unique, dried botanicals that are available by the ounce. We pride ourselves on using only eco-friendly packaging, focusing on leaving the smallest footprint possible. Even our to-go cups for our hot teas are compostable!

In 2015, at 7 months pregnant, I started this business in a closet of our basement. Gradually, I expanded out of that basement, renting space at a commissary kitchen to blend my teas. In 2020, I was blessed with an opportunity and opened my first (tiny) storefront, right as COVID was taking off. That shift was the hardest part of having this business. Having started up a brick-and-mortar, when no one was allowed to go anywhere, was certainly a tribulation, but the online support was absolutely astounding and carried us through. Last February we made the biggest decision to move from our tiny, 625 sq. ft storefront and travel 8 blocks down into the main historic district. Our new location offers 2,200 sq ft and was built in 1891, boasting 13 ft high ceilings with beautifully original, raw brick and 100 year old hardwood floors. We are in love with the history, the stories and the elegance that it adds to our tea shop. We feature a collection of talented, local artists and women-owned businesses, that truly make our little bou-TEA-que unique.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We take all of our friends and family to Garden of the Gods for a hike and a picnic. We are really big into the outdoors and prefer to be canoeing, hiking, fishing and skiing. We love Old Colorado City and everything that it has to offer : the small shops, unique dining and fun town events. There is always something to do there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so thankful for my family. My incredible husband, my sweet parents and my incredible surrounding family have been so supportive every step of the way of this business journey. Without them, I would not have been able to continue to push forward. From the depth of who I am, I owe all of this to them.

Website: https://www.TheQueensTEApothecary.com

Instagram: @thequeensteapothecary

Facebook: /thequeensteapothecary

Image Credits
Mandalyn King