The Spice & Tea Exchange Signs Five Southeast Franchise Deals

The Spice & Tea Exchange has signed five new franchise agreements covering communities in North Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. Reported by Tea & Coffee Trade Journal on 11 November 2026, the expansion gives North Carolina the largest share of the latest development plans and comes alongside a leadership change bringing franchise sales and operations together.

Three agreements target North Carolina

The speciality retailer’s latest agreements cover Southern Pines, New Bern and Hillsborough in North Carolina, Vero Beach in Florida, and St. Francisville in Louisiana. The brand offers fine spices, hand-mixed seasoning blends and loose-leaf teas sourced from around the world.

North Carolina accounts for three of the five agreements, making it the main focus of this announcement. The Florida and Louisiana agreements extend the planned development across three south-eastern states rather than concentrating all five commitments in a single market.

These are franchise agreements for planned locations, not an announcement that five shops have opened. That distinction matters when assessing the brand’s growth: the agreements identify its latest intended destinations, while actual openings will be a separate milestone.

The announcement centres on expanding the retailer’s presence in additional communities. It also provides a clear geographical picture of this stage of development, with several North Carolina markets featuring alongside locations in neighbouring parts of the Southeast.

Expansion follows a strong regional franchise footprint

The agreements sit within a region that already represents a substantial share of the US franchise community. According to the International Franchise Association’s 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook, as cited in the trade journal report, the Southeast accounts for nearly 30% of US franchised businesses.

The outlook projects that franchise establishments in the region will grow by 1.7% in 2026 and generate $274.9 billion in economic output. Those figures describe the broader regional franchise community; they are not forecasts for The Spice & Tea Exchange or for its five planned locations.

Two states involved in the new agreements also feature prominently in the IFA’s state rankings. Florida ranks second among its Top 10 States for Franchise Growth in 2026, while North Carolina ranks fifth.

That places four of the five agreements in states identified by the association as leading franchise growth markets. Louisiana supplies the fifth planned location, in St. Francisville.

The regional figures give context to the retailer’s expansion, but they should not be read as evidence of likely shop-level performance. State rankings and regional output projections describe a wider market, rather than the trading prospects of an individual franchise location.

Sales and operations come under one leader

Alongside the development agreements, The Spice & Tea Exchange has promoted Tatum Crews to vice president of sales and franchise operations.

The promotion brings the brand’s franchise sales and operational functions under unified leadership. It is an organisational change accompanying the expansion, connecting responsibility for franchise recruitment with the operational side of the business.

For prospective franchisees, the two parts of the announcement address different questions. The agreements show where the brand plans to grow, while the promotion identifies who will lead the combined sales and franchise operations functions.

The stated change is one of leadership structure. It does not, by itself, establish changes to franchise terms, shop formats or the support services available to owners.

What prospective owners can take from the announcement

The latest news offers a specific development snapshot: five agreements across three states, with North Carolina accounting for the majority. It also shows the brand pairing those commitments with consolidated leadership of sales and operations.

For anyone evaluating a franchise opportunity, the practical next step is to separate regional growth indicators from the details of the individual business. Planned openings, local demand, property requirements and the support provided to franchisees all warrant direct discussion with the franchisor.

Practical takeaway: Treat the five agreements as evidence of planned expansion, not completed openings. Use the regional data as background, then assess the costs, obligations and local market for any proposed location on their own merits.