The roots of Imperial Tea Court transcend time and distance – our story starts on the streets of Hong Kong. As a child, Roy Fong always had a soft spot for tea, remarking he would hang around workers along his route to school hoping for a sip. Fast forward to 1993, where his love for tea would take on a life of its own with the founding of the first Imperial Tea Court store in San Francisco’s storied Chinatown neighborhood. The first traditional China-style teahouse (dedicated only in tea) in America, the store on Powell Street would quickly develop a reputation as one of the launch pads for the revitalization of US tea culture. Eventually, the Fongs branched off the success of the Chinatown location and opened two additional stores: one in San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building, and one in Berkeley’s “Gourmet Ghetto” downtown area. While the original store has closed, its successors continue to enrich customers with food, atmosphere, and, as always, great tea.