The company that created a new way to drink tea is truly a product of love

Through a process called col crystallization, Pique Tea takes whole tea leaves, cold brews them for several hours, filters the tea leaves out and dehydrates the tea into crystals that dissolve instantly in cold water. Founded by a husband-and-wife duo, Pique has shaken up the tea category in retailers like Wegmans, Whole Foods and Sprouts. “One of the biggest lessons I've learned very early on as an entrepreneur is the importance of saying no and scaling in the wrong way,” says co-founder Amanda Wee. Read more at Entrepreneur…

From kombucha to coffee: 5 strategic tips for food and beverage businesses

An understanding of the long-term impact an entrepreneur wants his or her company to have (aside from generating a profit) should be the ultimate guide for that entrepreneur’s decision-making process—at least according to this consultant and strategist with two decades of experience in growing businesses. Do you understand where your customers are, and are you meeting them where they are? And are you measuring the metrics that really matter? Read more at Forbes…

Bailey to leave G.M.A.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association has lost many members over the last year, and now it’s losing its president and CEO, Pamela G. Bailey, who will retire after nearly a decade. Read more at Food Business News…

Move over, chicken: Tyson’s newest venture is steamed dinners

The meat company’s investment arm has been expanding its portfolio to include in-demand products like meat alternatives. Now it’s invested in Chicago-based Tovala, which makes countertop steam ovens that can be controlled via an app and can get information from the cloud. The ovens heat Tovala’s accompanying par-cooked meals. Read more at Bloomberg…

Getting your product on shelves at Whole Foods just got harder

The new Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market cut prices on some products for shoppers last year but is now making it more expensive for suppliers to sell their products in visible, high-traffic areas in the store. It’s also asking companies to offer bigger discounts to occupy that space. Officials at the retailer say it was simply time to update the rates for prime space, which had last been adjusted nine years ago. And they’re adopting new technologies to improve profitability and efficiency—like centralized purchasing, more tightly controlled inventory and working with an agency to run in-store demoes. Read more at The Wall Street Journal…