Young men are currently switching up their aura in the latest social media trend. They’re going from YNs to YGs, by retiring Nikey Techwear and throwing on more conservative quarter-zip sweatshirts. These YGs have adopted matcha as a daily essential to the polished brand and new mindset. Matcha delivers mental clarity alongside unique taste and a perceived social status.
Matcha has become mainstream in coffee shops, but Black-owned establishments create unique matcha experiences that blend community and cultural elements with every sip. These locations between Compton, California, and Beacon, New York, serve more than beverages. They create community spaces while advancing wellness initiatives and demonstrating viability in Black business ownership. Young gentlemen can cop a cup of matcha and show cultural support at these Black-owned cafés.
Gotcha Matcha & Espresso
Eric “Braek Haven” Hicklen Jr. established Gotcha Matcha & Espresso as a café in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, which specializes in matcha and espresso beverages. The café offers more than 12 matcha latte options, including Biscoff, ube, and “dirty matcha.” Gotcha operated as a pop-up before establishing its permanent location in 2024. Hicklen focuses on quality by selecting ceremonial-grade matcha to achieve smoothness and by developing a matcha culture in Charlotte.
Kinfolx
Kinfolx is a coffee shop, wine bar, and community space located in Oakland, California. The Matcha Latte at Kinfolx is made with premium Japanese matcha. The founders, Creighton Davis and Akintunde Ahmad, established Kinfolx to build a cultural and wellness-focused community space for Black creatives and their community.
HustleBlendz Coffee
HustleBlendz Coffee Café, owned by Patrice Angwenyi in Fort Worth, Texas, serves specialty drinks, including matcha. The establishment represents a growing movement of Black-owned cafés, which are diversifying their tea culture and offerings beyond standard coffee beverages.
Matcha Thomas
Matcha Thomas is a Black- and family-owned wellness teahouse focused on matcha in Beacon, New York. Its menu features vegan and gluten-free iced matcha lattes, strawberry milk matcha boba, and other drinks. Matcha Thomas began operations on May 21, 2021, while focusing on wellness accessibility and social impact through its social impact board.
Soul Blends Coffee Roasters
Soul Blends Coffee Roasters is a Black-owned cafe started by Justice Chambers and Jenna Garrett. The specialty coffee business blends African-origin coffee beans with tea traditions at its West Oakland, California, roastery and café. The company started during the pandemic and now runs through pop-up carts and community-based projects. Soul Blends focuses its mission on community development through coffee (and tea), using coffee as a platform to establish Black entrepreneurship in a field traditionally dominated by others.
404 Coffee
Kelli Jones founded 404 Coffee, a specialty café in Atlanta’s expanding coffee scene. The café serves specialty drinks such as Coconut Matcha with Strawberry Sweet Cream. 404 Coffee operates as one of the numerous Black-owned cafés in the region, offering distinctive flavor combinations that attract young adults seeking familiar tastes with a modern twist.
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