Washington, June 22 (ANI): International coffee company Starbucks Corporation is set topen its first tea outlet, called Tazo, in Seattle.

Tazo will sell more than 80 varieties of loose-leaf tea and related products, such as teapots, The Telegraph reports.

Starbucks, which has 17,000 outlets worldwide, bought Tazo for 8.1 million dollars in 1999, and currently sells its tea products through third-party retailers.

The decision to set up the tea outlet is part of Starbucks' push into new markets.

The company said that the 'hallmark' of the new teashop will be its 'blending station', which will allow customers to create their personalized tea.

It's very much about personalization and interaction and immersing yourself in all-things tea, a spokesman for Starbucks said. It's not going to be the typical grab-and-go experience.

Starbucks shares fell slightly as it announced the new venture. (ANI)