Originally founded by Pavel Kousmichoff in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1867, the brand moved to Paris, at the onset of the Russian Revolution, in 1917.

[1] Under Kousmichoff, the business prospered and grew in popularity, by 1880 becoming a favourite of the Russian nobility.

In 1907, Kousmichoff's son Vyatcheslav opened a shop at 11 Queen Victoria Street, London.

[3] With the outbreak of the revolution, the Kousmichoff family fled to France, opening an outlet at 75 Avenue Niel, Paris; this location operated as a tea house through the early 21st century, until it was closed to the public and converted to a training studio for company staff and partners.

[2] The firm currently operates 80 stores, including 60 in France itself, while the tea is distributed in 35 countries.