Matcha Meets the Moment in Coffee Shops

How Coffee Business Owners Can Seize the Matcha Trend

Walk into almost any specialty coffee shop today, and you’ll likely spot a vibrant green drink on the menu. Matcha has moved beyond traditional Japanese tea ceremonies into cafés, social media feeds, and daily routines across the U.S. For coffee business owners, it represents more than a trend; it’s an opportunity to meet customer demand with a beverage that’s both versatile and profitable.

To understand why matcha resonates today and how it can fit into a modern café menu, we spoke with Joel Borton from Rishi Tea and our education team at Texas Coffee School.

Why Matcha Is Having a Moment

Joel explained that the rise of matcha in the U.S. has been fueled by three converging forces:

• Health + function: Matcha is packed with antioxidants and naturally contains L-theanine, which promotes calm focus alongside its caffeine boost.
• Flavor + craft: Its savory, buttery, and earthy notes offer a sophisticated flavor profile that pairs beautifully with café creativity.
• Culture + visibility: From TikTok drinks to wellness blogs, the photogenic green drink has become a cultural staple. Customers now expect to see it as part of a café’s menu.

“Matcha carries a sense of ritual and meaning,” Joel shared. “But it’s also incredibly adaptable. That’s why it resonates in a café setting — it has both depth and versatility.”

Source: Rishi Tea

Traditional vs. Café-Efficient Matcha Preparation in Coffee Shops

Traditional Matcha Preparation

Traditionally, matcha is prepared using a ceremonial method: whisking 160–170°F water with powder in a bowl until fully incorporated. While this method honors the tea’s heritage and can produce a delicate, nuanced flavor, it is time-consuming and at times impractical for high-volume café service.

Some of our program’s graduates take pride in hand-whisking each matcha drink. For others, we offer a batch method specifically for iced lattes that doesn’t compromise quality. 

Batch Matcha for Iced Lattes

Because of the extreme demand of matcha in coffee shops, our team has been exploring how to speed the efficiency of preparation.

“We understand batching can be considered controversial to the tea/matcha aficionados. We agree not all batching methods are created equal,” shares Texas Coffee School educator Dayna. 

Keeping this in mind, our team developed the below method of batching matcha concentrate for use specifically in iced lattes.

• Use Rishi’s Barista Series Matcha (designed for café applications, more cost-effective than ceremonial grade).
• Whisk the correct ratio of matcha with water at 170° using an immersion blender for smooth, fully incorporated results.
• Batch in concentrate form, store refrigerated, and use within the same day.
• Add a few ounces of concentrate directly to milk of choice for quick iced matcha lattes.

This approach speeds up service, prevents waste, ensures consistent flavor, and avoids the risk of clumps or over-portioning — all common pitfalls when preparing matcha per order.

Matcha Menu Ideas for Coffee Shops

To truly seize the trend, coffee businesses can pair practical preparation methods with creative menu offerings. We asked Joel from Rishi about some of the most memorable matcha drinks he’s tried. Among them? An iced, sparkling peach matcha latte topped with a peach gummy. 

Joel describes Rishi’s barista series as a “versatile workhorse ingredient that you can use for a lot of things.” While the possibilities for recipes are endless, here are more matcha menu ideas. 

Classic & Signature Recipes

• Orange Blossom Iced Matcha Latte: View our recipe in this post. 
• Strawberry Banana Matcha Latte: View our recipe in this post.
• Matcha in Paradise: View Rishi’s Recipe in this post.
• Matcha Mojito: View Rishi’s recipe here.
• Seasonal Pairings: Think lavender, pumpkin spice, or chai-inspired flavors for limited-time offerings.
• Functional Focus: Blending matcha into wellness-inspired drinks with ginger, turmeric, or adaptogens.

The key is balance. Let matcha’s earthy depth shine while layering complementary flavors that fit your shop’s brand.

The Evolution of Matcha Alongside Specialty Coffee

A decade ago, it might have been unheard of to put a gummy candy atop a ceremonial tea in a specialty coffee shop. In the height of the third wave, specialty coffee culture was centered on precision, origin, and method. Coffee lovers scrutinized pour-over techniques, single-origin beans, and the perfect extraction. Drinks were serious, focused on craft and quality.

Today, we’re watching the specialty coffee landscape evolve. Matcha’s boost in popularity over the last several years, and the many creative ways consumers love to drink it, is testament to a new moment in specialty coffee. 

Consumers still value quality, but they’re also looking for fun, colorful, and personalized experiences. Iced beverages, vibrant hues, and playful additions, from seasonal flavors to unexpected garnishes, are becoming the new norm. Matcha fits perfectly into this shift. Its bright green hue, versatile flavor, and ability to pair with creative milk or sweet additions make it a canvas for both barista artistry and customer customization.

Coffee business owners who embrace this evolution can meet customer expectations for novelty while maintaining the integrity of their craft. Matcha isn’t just a beverage — it’s a way to combine visual appeal, flavor experimentation, and cultural relevance in one cup.

Meeting the Moment with Matcha

Customers aren’t just looking for coffee anymore — they’re looking for variety, wellness, and experiences that feel special. Matcha checks all of those boxes. For Coffeepreneurs®, it’s an opportunity to:

• Add menu diversity beyond espresso-based drinks.
• Capture health-conscious customers.
• Boost margins with creative, high-demand drinks.

As Joel put it, “Matcha isn’t just another menu item. It’s a way for cafés to connect with customers who want both comfort and innovation.”

At Texas Coffee School, we teach business owners how to adapt opportunities like this into practical, profitable café strategies. If you’re ready to bring matcha (and more) to your menu with confidence, we’d love to teach you how.

Ready to level up your matcha game? Explore Texas Coffee School’s classes for hands-on training that will make your café a matcha destination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can coffee shops add matcha to their menu?
A: Offer iced lattes, cold brew, and seasonal flavors using Rishi’s Barista Series Matcha. Batch concentrate for efficiency while keeping drinks consistent. Explore hands-on training at Texas Coffee School.

Q: What are the benefits of matcha in coffee shops?
A: Matcha is functional, antioxidant-rich, and visually striking. It appeals to health-conscious customers and supports creative, high-margin drinks that enhance menu variety and café profitability.

Q: Can batching matcha maintain drink quality?
A: Yes. Correct batching with an immersion blender and same-day refrigeration preserves flavor and prevents clumps, making high-volume service efficient without sacrificing taste.

Q: What are creative matcha drink ideas?
A: Sparkling iced peach matcha lattes, matcha cream cold brew, honey cinnamon lattes, and sparkling matcha drinks. Seasonal or wellness-inspired add-ins elevate menu appeal.

Q: How has specialty coffee evolved with matcha trends?
A: Consumers now expect fun, colorful, and personalized drinks. Matcha’s bright color and versatile flavor fit the trend toward iced beverages, playful garnishes, and novel menu experiences.