A tea seller in Bartın, northern Türkiye, has turned to an unconventional solution to keep up with daily orders, using a hoverboard to deliver tea more efficiently along a busy street.
Basri Akbıyık, who operates a small tea shop on Kasaplar Street in the Orta neighborhood, serves more than 20 local businesses along a 300-meter stretch. Selling hundreds of cups each day, he previously walked over 25,000 steps daily to complete deliveries.
As demand grew, customers farther from the shop began complaining about delays and tea arriving cold. Facing both physical strain and service challenges, Akbıyık decided to try a different approach.
About a week ago, he purchased an electric hoverboard, locally known as a “ginger” and began using it to deliver tea orders.
“I’ve been running this tea shop here for about a year. We deliver tea within a 300-meter (984 feet) distance. Our daily step count exceeds 25,000–26,000, which started to wear us out,” Akbıyık said. “So we came up with this method.”
He said the change has significantly improved both efficiency and customer satisfaction.
“While delivering tea with it, both customers and shopkeepers have been very satisfied. Now we’re happy, and so are our customers,” he said. “After getting the hoverboard, my daily steps dropped from over 25,000 to around 5,000.”
The unusual delivery method has also attracted attention from passersby.
“People who see me delivering tea this way are first surprised and then congratulate me,” he added. “You have to keep your balance while carrying a tea tray, but it has been a big convenience for us.”
Akbıyık said he plans to continue using the hoverboard as part of his daily routine, as it helps him manage workload while maintaining service quality.
In Turkish work culture, tea is consumed in large quantities throughout the day, often becoming a constant part of the working rhythm. In offices, shops and workplaces, it is common for employees and customers alike to drink multiple cups of tea from morning until evening, with tea breaks serving as short moments of rest and social interaction.
