Matcha shortage affecting San Francisco cafes amid recent boom in Japanese tea drink’s popularity

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — It has become a phenomenon that skyrocketed in popularity in the past year. The Japanese green tea drink matcha has been seen on more and more hands of San Francisco Bay Area cafegoers. Matcha’s recent boom has been likened to trends like having Labubu dolls dangling from one’s purse.

Like many things that go viral on social media, people tend to follow and hop on these trends themselves.

However, the amount of people on the trend is outpacing the supply of the Japanese export. According to The Japan Times, the matcha shortage had been dated back as far as last fall.

Now, San Francisco cafes are being affected by the recent matcha shortage.

Popular Japantown shop Maruwu Seicha confirms it is experiencing the effects of the matcha shortage. The cafe tells KRON4 its matcha supplier in Uji, Japan is “feeling the pressure” to meet increasing demand.

“Despite this, we remain committed to providing our customers with the highest grade of matcha and will not compromise on quality,” Maruwu Seicha said.

The good news for customers is Maruwu Seicha has not announced a price increase due to this shortage.

Andytown Coffee Roasters, a San Francisco-founded chain with eight cafes in the city, is also being hit by the matcha shortage — saying “yes, the matcha shortage is very real!” According to Andytown CEO Lauren Crabbe, the company’s matcha cost recently went up 60%.

Crabbe attributes the increased cost mostly due to the shortage but says the President Trump tariffs on Japan “certainly will not be helping.” Crabbe added that Andytown’s matcha cost could increase as high as 73% by the end of the year.

“Inevitably, these increases will be passed to the consumer, though we try our best to not raise our prices until absolutely necessary,” Crabbe said.

However, there is good news for Bay Area matcha lovers. Not all cafes have the same matcha supplier in Japan, which means not all cafes serving the vibrant green drink are affected by the ongoing shortage.

Uji Time Dessert in Japantown said it has not been significant affected by the reported matcha shortage or tariffs. The business said it is tracking the latest updates with its “reliable supplier” of matcha and is prepared to make the neccessary changes.

“At this time, our business hasn’t been significantly affected by the reported matcha shortage or tariffs,” Uji Time Dessert CEO Sharon Ku tells KRON4. “We’ve been fortunate to have reliable supplier relationships that have allowed us to keep our pricing and supply stable for our customers. Of course, we’re monitoring the situation and are prepared to make adjustments if necessary, but for now, our operations remain steady.”

The new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration won’t help keep prices down — costing Japanese businesses more money to export matcha to the U.S. Businesses like Andytown may be forced into a position to raise prices in the already expensive San Francisco.

As of Aug. 1, a 15% tax has been imposed on imported goods from Japan — lower than the previously proposed tariff of 25%.

Maruwu Seicha said it prefered not to comment on the tariff situation but tells KRON4 it is “closely monitoring the supply situation.”

Production of “tencha,” the kind of tea used for matcha, nearly tripled from 1,452 tons in 2008, to 4,176 tons in 2023, according to Japanese government data. Japan’s tea exports have more than doubled in the last 10 years — about a third of those going to the U.S.

A large amount of that growth is because of matcha.

What is matcha and is it really healthier caffeine alternative?

Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea but is processed differently than the typical tea bag you simmer in a cup of hot water. It stands out from regular tea drinks as its vibrant green color pops out on your screen when scrolling through one of many social media posts showing off the drink.

Social media trends and matcha’s reputation as a healthier caffeine alternative to coffee have played a part in the growing demand of the drink, experts say.

However, is matcha actually healthier than coffee? Let’s start with the reason why most consume either of these drinks: caffeine.

According to a Harvard study, the typical 8-ounce cup of coffee has between 100 mg and 120 mg of caffeine. That number for matcha is between 38 milligrams and 89 milligrams. For reference, the study found that green tea typically has between 23 milligrams and 49 milligrams of caffeine.

Matcha also has nutrients that may have “positive effects” on our health, according to the Harvard study. Matcha contains an “abundance of antioxidants (including polyphenols such as catechins) and phytochemicals (such as chlorophyll and quercetin).”

The Harvard study also found that polyphenols help reduce inflammation, and the amino acid L-theanine in matcha is linked to improved concentration and alertness.

That’s not to say coffee does not have its share of health benefits. According to a separate Harvard study, coffee is also rich in antioxidants like polyphenols.

“Coffee drinking is associated with a host of health benefits, including less heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, depression, and cognitive decline,” the Harvard study states. “Regular coffee consumption is also linked to longer life.”

“We don’t want this to end up just a fad, but instead make matcha a standard as a flavor and Japanese global brand,” said Tomoyuki Kawai, who works at the tea section of the agricultural ministry.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

KRON4 reached out to seven other establishments that sell matcha drinks in San Francisco’s Japantown. We did not hear back from those cafes in time for this report.