Setting a new standard for matcha in cafes.
The Matcha Program is redefining how the industry learns, serves, and talks about matcha. Our mission is to resource high-volume cafes that manage both coffee and matcha programs—bridging cultural roots with operational reality to create a new standard of education and excellence rooted in transparency, consistency, and care.
While our work draws inspiration from matcha’s cultural origins, it is specifically designed for modern foodservice environments. The frameworks and systems we share may not be applicable to teahouses or matcha cafes built on traditional practices, where context, ritual, and pace of service differ entirely.
WHAT IS A MATCHA PROGRAM?
A matcha program is the structured approach a cafe takes to source, prepare, and serve matcha with consistency and integrity. Much like a specialty coffee program—which outlines everything from bean selection to brewing parameters—a strong matcha program defines standards around sourcing transparency, storage, batching, and barista training. This framework ensures that every cup reflects quality, care, and brand storytelling rather than being treated as an add-on item. As customer expectations rise, having a defined matcha program signals professionalism, elevates perceived value, and builds trust—positioning matcha as a beverage category worthy of the same rigor and respect as coffee.
-
Clarify what quality means for your cafe. Choose your matcha intentionally, outline preparation methods, and align your program with your brand’s values and customer expectations.
-
Create consistency through structure. Establish SOPs for storage, batching, and preparation, train your baristas, and design a workflow that supports speed while maintaining quality.
-
Grow your program through storytelling and training. Educate your team, engage customers with transparency, and share your matcha story across menus and digital platforms to build trust and loyalty.
Who we are
Hi, we’re Jules Reyes and Marc St Raymond, co-founders of Mindful, a functional wellness brand, and creators of The Matcha Program, an educational platform designed to resource cafe operators with the tools and knowledge to elevate their matcha programs. For over a decade, we’ve built our careers in the matcha industry, beginning as part of the founding team at Jade Leaf Matcha, where we helped scale the brand from a single Amazon listing into the #1 selling matcha brand in the U.S.—an omnichannel, multimillion-dollar company acquired in 2020. Through The Matcha Program, our mission is to bridge a major gap in the industry: most matcha education is written for consumers, not operators, and we’re here to change that