Matcha, once known as traditional Japanese tea and a ceremonial staple, has rapidly grown and transformed into one of the Bay Area’s trendiest drinks.
At the forefront of this trend in San José is Izumi Matcha, a growing tea shop, whose two South Bay locations capture different sides of the drink’s rise.
Now served everywhere across the Bay Area, matcha is not only made as lattes or specialty drinks but also in pastries and desserts.
Its popularity continues to grow as more customers demand and look for its flavor and aesthetic.
The store has two locations in the southern part of the Bay Area, one being in Silver Creek, that opened in 2019, and another in Cupertino which opened in 2023.
Somlark Krisatu, a barista at the Silver Creek location, has been working there for six months already.
“What makes Izumi different is because of the consistency that we have with our drinks and especially the matcha brand we use, which is one of the most popular matcha brands in Japan,” Krisatu said.
The tea shop’s specialty is Marukyu Koyamaen, a matcha tea sourced from Uji, Kyoto, Japan.
The Cupertino location brings crowds, including food influencers and almost everyone of age, lining up for their most popular drinks on the menu.
The store located near Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino has drawn attention from a lot of food influencers who highlight food spots in the Bay Area, including Izumi’s bright-green matcha drinks and desserts that helped spread the word online.
The trend of matcha has grown steadily over the past few years, starting with the rise of tea shops with specific menus across the Bay Area and the popularity of Japanese-inspired cafes on social media.
Jasmine Nguyen, a barista at this location, said that the reason for the crowd is because of social media.
“A lot of people came here during the summer, but now it’s not as busy because summer is ending,” Nguyen said. “But the store is usually busy during opening hours and before closing.”
The Cupertino location is open from 12 pm to 8 pm on Sunday-Thursdays, open until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on Tuesdays.
Nguyen said that even if summer is ending, the location continues to attract new customers who find posts about it on social media or online.
While the Cupertino continues to have lines, the Silver Creek location can be unpredictable, with there being a 15-minute wait time to a five-minute wait, it continues to bring in its own mix of regulars and casual visitors.
He added that the shop’s quality has had customers come back for more, even if other tea shops or dessert places have added matcha to their menu.
Noelle Rivera, a third-year student at San José State, said Izumi stands out because of their specialty matcha, which is why she loves to visit the Cupertino location.
“I’ve only been to Izumi in Cupertino twice, but all I know is that their Matcha Crème Brûlée is so good that if I think about that drink, I will think of Izumi right away,” Rivera said.
The tea shop offers a lot of varieties for both locations, such as its strawberry matcha latte, matcha soft-serve ice creams, and hojicha.
Jesslyn Cabangbang, a student from San Jose City College, said Izumi has enjoyable drinks, though matcha is just something they get occasionally.
“Their drinks are pretty good, I usually get the honey matcha latte with cheese foam on top,” Cabangbang said.
