Instead of drinking a cup of coffee every morning, some people opt for matcha, a healthier alternative with less caffeine. Matchaful Cafe in New York specializes in single-origin matcha to help people make this transition. Founder Hannah Habes created the cafe to offer a holistic approach to wellness based on Japanese wellness practices.
"We are a wellness company and our first priority is the health of our customers as well as our employees," Habes said in an episode of Bustle's new YouTube series "Small Business Tribute."
When COVID-19 hit, Habes naturally understood the importance of social distancing. Matchaful has launched its own delivery service, starting to offer its in-demand bottled beverages to customers who want healthy drinks in the safety of their homes.
To keep up with orders, Hubbes turned half of the cafe into a fulfillment area, where she and other employees make drinks, bottle them and prepare them for shipping. She also created a separate website, bematchaful.com, as a space for delivery and pickup only so that Matchaful wouldn't have to rely on third-party technology apps or websites that typically take a portion of the profits from restaurants.
Since launching its delivery site, Matchaful has added matcha lattes and adaptogen-containing latte elixirs to its online menu. They also added ritual kits that allow customers to make matcha. These are selling better than anything else right now.
While Matchaful's drinks have been popular during the pandemic, Habes has some concerns about being able to keep up with demand given the limited supply. All of the cafe's matcha comes from a farm in Japan Prefecture. With flights in and out of the country restricted, Habes fears supplies will also be limited.
But Habes remains hopeful. Despite concerns over supply shortages, Matchaful is donating every bottle of bottled beverage and packaged food sold to Founders Give, a program that helps New York City brands donate to the city’s healthcare workers.
Community members have been thanking Habes and the rest of her team for keeping Matchaful’s doors open during the pandemic, but Habes is grateful for them. “We can’t keep our doors open without the continued support of the community,” she said.
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