How to Start a Matcha Business: Formats, Suppliers, Permits, and Testing

Hello from ICHIZEN. Perhaps you love matcha and hope to make it your work one day, or you run a café and want matcha to become a new pillar of your menu. More and more people are thinking about starting a matcha business.

Knowing where to begin is the hard part. This guide walks through the steps in order: choosing a business format, choosing a supplier, checking the paperwork, and testing your recipe and numbers. We hope it serves as a map for your first step.

What kinds of matcha businesses can you start?

A “matcha business” can take several forms. Start by thinking about which one is closest to what you have in mind.

• Serving drinks: offering matcha lattes and other drinks from a matcha café or food truck.
• Adding to a menu: introducing matcha items at an existing café, restaurant, or hotel.
• Retail: selling matcha under your own brand online or in a shop.
• Product development: making matcha sweets or drinks through OEM (contract manufacturing).

The format you choose shapes the equipment you need, the volume you buy, and the procedures you must check. Starting small with one format usually makes it easier to learn what works.

First, decide who you are serving—and what kind of cup

Matcha is an ingredient whose ideal taste, aroma, and color depend on how it is used. Matcha whisked with hot water, matcha blended with milk for a latte, and matcha baked into sweets do not always call for the same tea.

Try writing your customer and the moment in one sentence, such as “a lightly sweetened matcha latte for people on their morning commute” or “matcha sweets as a gift.” Once that sentence is clear, conversations with suppliers and menu development become much more concrete.

How should you choose a matcha supplier?

Suppliers include tea merchants and wholesalers, products sold for professional use, and manufacturers that offer OEM services. Rather than comparing on price alone, it helps to check the following.

• Can they clearly explain the origin and who processed the tea?
• Can you order samples and test them in your actual recipe?
• Do the minimum order quantity and lead times fit the scale of your business?
• Do they provide guidance on storage and handling after opening?
• How do they keep quality consistent for repeat orders?

For more on preparing before you contact a supplier, see our checklist for choosing a matcha wholesale supplier.

What if you want to sell matcha under your own brand?

If you plan to sell matcha under your own name, first sort out where the tea comes from and who packs it, and where. When working with an OEM partner, confirm the minimum order quantity, who prepares the package design and labeling, and how sampling will proceed. These points help the conversation move smoothly. We cover the process in more detail in how to create private-label matcha.

What procedures should you check before opening?

No special license is required for a matcha business as such, but handling food comes with procedures to check. Below is a general overview for Japan; specific requirements vary by business format and location.

• When starting a business as a sole proprietor, you need to file a notice of business commencement with the tax office.
• To serve drinks from a café or food truck, you need a restaurant business permit from the public health center and a designated food hygiene manager.
• If you repack matcha from large bags into smaller ones for sale, whether a notification or a permit is required differs by municipality.
• When selling packaged matcha, the label must follow food labeling rules.

Repacking and packaging guidance in particular can differ between municipalities. Consulting the public health center in your area before setting up equipment can save you from having to redo work. Outside Japan, check the food business rules where you operate.

Test your recipe and sales to confirm costs and consistency

Once your menu or product takes shape, it is time to make it and check the numbers. For a matcha latte, multiply the grams of matcha per cup by your cost per gram, then add milk and cup costs to estimate the cost per serving.

ICHIZEN’s standard recipe uses 2.5 g of matcha, 20–30 ml of hot water at 70–80°C, and 150–180 ml of milk. A 30 g pouch makes about 12 cups. A baseline like this makes cost calculations and staff training easier. For the full method and a worked example, see how to calculate the cost of a matcha latte.

If you serve drinks in a shop, it also matters that the drink tastes the same no matter who makes it. We cover tools in how to serve consistent matcha lattes in a shop.

You do not have to start big

Market stalls and events, limited-time menu items, and small online sales are all ways to test. Listening to customers while you adjust taste, price, and portion size helps you find a form you can sustain. If you want to start with a food truck, see starting a matcha latte food truck.

Let’s think through your first step together

Starting a matcha business comes down to deciding on your customer and moment, talking with suppliers, checking procedures, and testing on a small scale. None of it has to be perfect all at once.

ICHIZEN’s matcha is Uji matcha selected by Wakimoto Jokoen, a tea merchant in Kyoto now in its fourth generation. If you are planning a menu centered on matcha lattes, tell us about your use and the cup you want to create through our wholesale inquiry page.

FAQ

Do you need a license to start a matcha business?

There is no license specific to matcha. However, if you serve drinks or food in Japan, you need a business permit from the public health center and a designated food hygiene manager. Check with your local public health center for your business format.

What permits do you need to open a matcha café or food truck?

Whether you use a shop or a food truck, serving drinks in Japan requires a restaurant business permit from the public health center. Facility standards differ by area, so consult the public health center where you will operate before fitting out a shop or vehicle.

How do you start selling matcha under your own brand?

First decide where the tea comes from and who packs it, and where. Because the treatment of repacking and packaging varies by municipality, consult the public health center in advance and check food labeling rules at the same time.

What should you tell a supplier when you first get in touch?

Share your intended use, such as lattes or baking, your expected monthly volume, your preferred taste and color, and when you plan to open. Also mention early on that you would like to test samples in your actual recipe.