Business & Tech

Matcha Time Japanese Cafe to Open June 15 Off of Main Street

The new cafe struggled to obtain food licenses, but has ironed out the issues and is set to open at a location just off Main Street.

 

It has been a yearlong process, but Matcha Time Cafe is finally ready to open its doors to the public with a grand opening on June 15.

The new cafe will offer pastries, teas, sushi and smoothies at a 10-seat location near the large parking lot off of Main Street.

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Over the past year, the Japanese cafe struggled to obtain the necessary permits and licenses to serve food and tea at its location behind La Palapa, but that process is completed and it is set to open, said its owners on Thursday.

"After some hurdles that we had to overcome with the powers that be, we are ready to open," said owner Derek Smith who operates the cafe and gift shop next door with his wife, Hatsumi Watanabe-Smith.

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The couple said Thursday they hope the new cafe will offer a slice of Japanese culture on Main Street.

They plan to offer Japanese food staples like edamame, spicy tuna rolls and California rolls as well as Matcha muffins, which are made with green tea, and an assortment of French pastries.

The name of the cafe comes from Matcha, which is a ceremonial Japanese green tea, stone ground into a powder and consumed as a tea.

Watanabe-Smith showed off some of their tea flavors on Thursday such as ginger lime rooibos, apple ginseng, tangerine ginger and earl grey rooibos.

"The whole draw is to have something unique on Main Street," said Smith. "It's a chance to experience a little of Japanese culture."

Smith said they've paid particular attention to water quality by installing a reverse osmosis water filter.

"We use that water for anything that's consumable," said Smith, who added that they'll be happy to refill water bottles for people passing by.

Watanabe-Smith said they're aiming for quality due to the limited menu they'll serve.

The space is cozy, on Thursday they were still finishing up some construction, but it features a small cafe bar, about five tables and has a modern feel.

The gift shop next door, which is also owned by the Smiths, will be offering sales to coincide with the grand opening on June 15. The expected hours are going to be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to Watanabe-Smith.

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