Small Business News

Dawn Patton, a proud resident of View Park in Los Angeles, is the visionary founder of Try MY T—a gourmet, fresh-brewed iced tea brand she established in her neighborhood. Patton's achievements are notable, and she speaks of them with well-deserved pride. "There are only a handful of African American women-owned iced tea beverage manufacturers in the U.S., and I happen to be one of them," Patton shared. When Try MY T first entered the retail scene, it was available in six Whole Foods Markets and a select number of Sprouts Farmers Markets. Today, Patton's iced tea can be found in 65 Whole Foods stores across Arizona, Hawaii, and Las Vegas, as well as in 93 Sprouts locations throughout Southern California. In fact, Try MY T has expanded into three revenue streams: warehouse clubs, retail, and foodservice. "Foodservice includes restaurants and corporations," Patton explained. "Then we have warehouse clubs like Costco. We're gearing up for roadshows because Costco invited us to showcase our products in five of their Southern California clubs."