Holy Matcha Joins the Mix at East Village’s Park 12

After recently announcing its expansion to the East Village, Holy Matcha is sharing that it will be the first tenant to open in Park 12 — The Collection, the neighborhood’s new retail and residential complex nearing completion next to Petco Park. Overlooking San Diego Bay, it’s comprised of four residential buildings and a semi-circular public plaza that will house Holy Matcha and a number of other food and drink venues. The plaza is slated to be fully finished this spring, but the cafe could open as soon as the end of the month.

Founded by Geraldine Ridaura, Holy Matcha has been charming North Park since 2017. As San Diego’s original matcha cafe, it serves traditional Japanese tea and a host of specialty matcha drinks; the new location will offer its core menu as well as handmade beverages exclusive to the East Village. Other treats, including green tea flavored vegan doughnuts and soft-serve, will also be featured.

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Though the millennial pink banquettes and trendy tropical wallpaper at its University Avenue location have inspired countless Instagram photo shoots, Ridaura and San Francisco-based architectural firm HOMEWORK are going in a different direction for the East Village cafe. The 820-square-foot space will have a more minimalist design, influenced Ridaura’s recent travels to Japan and Paris.

Holy Matcha will lead Park 12’s roll out of 17 restaurant and retail tenants, a growing list that includes the previously-announced Creamistry, the liquid nitrogen ice cream chain, and Orange County transplant Carmelita’s, which has been serving its popular Mexican menu for more than a half-decade.