Sweeping Uji tea plantation hillside with rows of tea bushes under blue sky

Building the Premium Beverage Platform for the Bay Area

Starting with tea. Expanding through trust.

Timing

Why Now

01

Surging Demand

Premium matcha demand is growing 7–11% CAGR globally. The US market is the fastest-growing region. Operators need supply to match.

02

2025 Supply Shock

Kyoto tencha production collapsed 18–40% depending on grade. Auction prices more than doubled. This already happened.

03

Freight & Input Pressure

Oil, shipping insurance, and freight costs have been volatile. That adds another layer of cost pressure to already-tight Japan-to-US supply chains.

04

First-Mover Advantage

Operators who lock in premium supply relationships now will have structural advantages in quality, cost, and story for years to come.

Wall of traditional wooden tea storage crates with Japanese calligraphy labels
Uji, Kyoto — sourcing heritage
Data

The 2025 Supply Shock

Validated — Public Records
Tea master in indigo happi coat smelling loose tea leaves
Hand-Picked Uji Tencha
10,216 kg → 6,140 kg
−40% production collapse
Highest-grade matcha raw material, Kyoto prefecture
Machine-Picked First Harvest
529,960 kg → 434,521 kg
−18% production decline
Standard commercial-grade tencha, Kyoto prefecture
Kyoto Auction Prices — Before & After
Year-over-year comparison of key grades (¥/kg)

Sources: Kyoto Tea Industry Association auction records, JA Zen-Noh Kyoto

Downstream Impact on US Buyers

Validated — News Reports
US importers paying 30–75% more depending on grade
Japanese retail matcha prices doubled at specialty shops
Wholesale prices up 40–60% broadly
Stores implementing purchase limits

Sources: Reuters, AP News

Full tea tasting lineup with bowls of brewed tea and plates of dry leaf on steel counter
Cupping session — grading by color, aroma, and taste
Tea master tasting steeped tea from white cups with steam rising
Craft

Every Grade, Evaluated by Hand

Our sourcing partner — a 165-year Kyoto tea house — evaluates every lot through traditional cupping. Color, aroma, umami depth, finish. No grade ships without passing this standard.

The Gap

The Operator Problem

Premium operators face a fragmented, opaque supply chain that undermines quality and margin. These problems compound.

—

Inconsistent Quality

Current suppliers vary batch to batch. No origin transparency, no cultivar information, no grade consistency.

—

No Supply Visibility

No advance notice of shortages, no pricing protection, no ability to plan around seasonal availability.

—

Generic Ingredients

Commodity vendors sell ingredients, not stories. No provenance, no differentiation, no consumer pull.

—

Weak Differentiation

When every competitor sources from the same generic pipeline, the menu becomes interchangeable.

—

No Network Value

Operators buy in isolation. No community, no shared intelligence, no group leverage on procurement.

—

Rising Costs, No Hedge

Costs are rising structurally. Without forward buying or pooled purchasing, operators absorb every increase.

The Solution

What We Offer

Close-up of granite stone mills grinding matcha with bright green powder visible
Status Quo With Us
Generic powder, unknown origin Premium Uji-sourced tea from a 165-year Kyoto house
No supply visibility or advance pricing Direct sourcing relationships and pricing transparency
Commodity pricing, no margin story Premium positioning at $210–250/kg with provenance
No narrative, no consumer pull Provenance, cultivar, ritual — real differentiation
Isolated purchasing, no leverage Operator community and group supply planning
Just an ingredient line item Selective retail halo and adjacent category opportunities over time
Close-up of white ceramic bowls with brewed green tea and dark plates of dry leaf
Grade evaluation — color, clarity, depth
Market

Market Context

Validated — Industry Reports
Global Matcha Market $4.17B (2025) → $7.15B by 2030
US Retail Growth Matcha sales up 86% in 3 years
Fastest Region North America, CAGR ~7.6%
Primary Channel Foodservice is the primary commercialization engine
Consumer Benchmark $1/gram at retail — premium commands a story
Top Positive Signal "Sweet" — consumers reward quality, punish bitterness
Quality Markers Color, origin, cultivar, shading duration, stone milling
Progress

Traction

Anonymized
~200 kg
Historical volume moved
~80 kg
Anchor operator combined monthly (matcha + hojicha)
Multiple
Bay Area operators in discussion or pilot stage
Beautiful mound of dark green loose tea leaf in a metal bowl with tasting cups behind

Current pipeline includes an active anchor relationship, several premium operators in discussion, and chain-scale conversations in early stages.

Economics

Inventory & Hedge Logic

Modeled Scenario
Standard Pricing
$210–250/kg
Future operator pricing
Matcha In Port
Expires 9/30/2026
~6 months remaining
Hojicha In Port
Expires 1/30/2027
~10 months remaining

Pooled Buying Math

  • Breakeven draw: ~84 kg/month per SKU at modeled margins
  • Best when 60–70%+ of lot is prepaid or committed by operators
  • 5-operator scenario: each takes ~20 kg/month per SKU → lot clears in ~5 months
  • Surplus provides buffer for new operator onboarding and seasonal demand
Long-Term

The Vision

Layer 4 — Endgame
House of Brands
Adjacent premium beverage and pantry categories — tea is the wedge, not the ceiling
Layer 3 — Consumer Halo
Reserve Tins, Limited Drops, Gifting
Consumer-facing products that create brand pull back to operator partners
Layer 2 — Operator Channel
Relationships, Community, Supply Planning
A network of premium operators who share intelligence and buy better together
Layer 1 — Foundation
Premium Tea Wedge
Matcha, hojicha, reserve lots, seasonal releases — the starting point and proof of concept
Tea leaves in a traditional woven wooden basket with dramatic lighting

B2B first. Build recurring operator demand before expanding the consumer layer.

For You

What Early Partners Get

Close-up of tea field rows with frost protection wires

Interested in exploring
a pilot?

We're working with a small group of Bay Area operators who understand quality. If that's you, let's talk.

Get in Touch