North Park’s Holy Matcha Unveils Chic East Village Cafe

With its North Park location firmly established one of San Diego’s most popular cafes (and a frequent backdrop for Instagram feeds), Holy Matcha is opening its second outpost this week in the East Village; the matcha tea house is the first hospitality tenant to open in the new Park 12 development across from Petco Park.

Inspired by recent travels to Japan and Paris, founder Geraldine Ridaura worked again with Bay Area firm HOMEWORK, imagining a pared down but progressive looking space swathed in pink — from the seamlessly poured, custom Italian terrazzo that shapes the bar and the cafe’s clever stadium seating to even the toilet paper and paper towel holder — such is the dedication to an all-pink tableau. Complementing the uncluttered and streamlined design are strategically-placed botanicals, sleek brass accents, and watercolor-like wallpaper by Eskayel.

Set to grand open on Friday, March 1 with special menu items available through the weekend, the East Village cafe will have its own exclusive beverages. On top of core drinks, including matcha lemonade and the cafe’s own ceremonial matcha, new specialty concoctions include a rose latte called La Vie en Rose, the Holy Village, a latte made with adaptogenic mushrooms, and a matcha and maca combo called The Hulk. Snacks will include soft-serve ice cream, toasts, and doughnuts. To start, the cafe’s hours will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will eventually expand to 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Ridaura says she’s also planning on refreshing the North Park location, which will be celebrating its second anniversary on March 11. And more stylish tea rooms are on the way; Gateway Financial Real Estate’s James Pieri, Jr., who brokered the North Park and East Village deals for the cafe, shared “We are excited for their continued growth and the search for a third confidential expansion location is underway now.”

Alex Drecksel of the Urban Strategies Group of Flocke & Avoyer, which represents Park 12, said, “Holy Matcha is yet another example of a high-quality tenant recognizing the potential of this project, and we look forward to seeing the impact they’ll have on the East Village community.”