Rumi Tea and Spice, one of the few remaining independent retailers at Westfield Montgomery Mall, is getting a mini-makeover. “We’re changing our name to Shafa Blends as we add new products like olive oils and other types of beverages,” says co-owner Darius Zolfagharian, who opened the store two years ago on the lower level next to Claire’s. The mall’s tea business has really heated up since then, with Teavana relocating to larger quarters and newcomer David’s Tea joining the lineup this past June. Zolfagharian says his business takes a different approach, focusing on natural products without artificial flavors and colors (click here to take a look). “Those other stores have really gotten far away from what tea should be,” he says. “We’re not trying to be a candy store. We want to be a real tea store.”
