ORLANDO, Fla. - Across the United States, tea??s popularity is soaring, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Total sales of tea in the United States advanced to $7.3 billion last year, up from its 2007 total of $6.9 million.

Retailers have attached tea rooms to some stores and opened new tea shops to meet the demand. Since 2000, the number of U.S. tearooms and specialty establishments has jumped from 240 to around 2,400, according to the Tea Association of the USA.

For example, Central Florida??s the Olde Cup and Saucer will be moving to a bigger location to add a tearoom. Tatame sake lounge will spend its days as a teahouse to accompany its wide selection of teas.

"We wanted to open during lunch to put more emphasis on the teahouse atmosphere," said Jessica Jaclin, co-owner. "I just kind of felt like it was a part of Tatame that wasn??t really being emphasized."

"In the retail business, unfortunately, during tough times, stores open and close all the time," said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Council of the USA. But "from a historical perspective, there??s been a gigantic increase in the number of stores."

The health benefits of tea have driven its growth. For instance, a University of California, Los Angeles, discovered that drinking at least three cups of green or black tea daily can significantly lower the risk of stroke.

However, some experts wonder about tea??s mainstream potential. Upscale tea appears to be "a niche market," said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic.