Japanese matcha for the Bay Area.
Japanese matcha for cafes, boba shops, and restaurants around the bay. This page covers the East Bay and how wholesale reaches the region; San Francisco and the South Bay have their own pages. Free sample kits are available for US businesses.
Who we supply in the Bay Area
The Bay Area is three matcha markets that behave differently, so we cover them separately. San Francisco mixes Japantown bowl service with specialty cafes. Silicon Valley combines South Bay boba corridors with corporate food programs. The East Bay, covered here, runs from Berkeley's university trade through Oakland's specialty cafes, Temescal and Rockridge, out to the boba shops of Fremont and Hayward.
- Specialty cafes in Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda, where organic and oat milk are the default.
- Boba and dessert shops in Fremont, Hayward, and along the 880 corridor.
- University trade around UC Berkeley, steady through the academic year.
- Roasters with wholesale arms carrying matcha into their cafe accounts.
Samples and wholesale delivery
Free sample kits ship by USPS to Bay Area addresses.
For wholesale, the Bay Area has its own deep-water gateway: ocean freight from Japan clears at the Port of Oakland, the main container port for Northern California, and trucks from there to anywhere around the bay without a long domestic leg. Air freight clears at SFO.
Permits and licensing
Food permits are issued locally. Alameda County Environmental Health covers Oakland, Fremont, and most of the East Bay, Berkeley runs its own environmental health division, and Contra Costa Health covers Richmond and Walnut Creek. San Francisco and Santa Clara County are covered on their own pages.
- Businesses that manufacture, repack, or warehouse packaged food generally register with the California Department of Public Health.
- Proposition 65 applies statewide; we provide lot-specific heavy metal test results for each lot.
An organic, oat-milk-first market
The East Bay is the part of the region most likely to want an organic line and to pour oat milk by default. Both change which grade is right. Organic narrows the field to lines that are certified as standing products rather than one-off lots, and oat milk needs a matcha with enough body to stay green and taste of tea instead of turning sweet and flat.
- Organic Cafe and Premium Ceremonial are organic lots (JAS); we send the certificate and lot test results with the quote. See the organic wholesale guide.
- Test the samples in your own oat milk, iced and hot, and let one sit ten minutes to watch the color.
- Every sachet carries origin, harvest, cultivar, lot number, and milling date, so your baristas can answer the question your customers here will actually ask.
Your first order, step by step
Start with up to two grades of your choice. Free sample kits are available for US businesses. Test them in your own recipes before choosing your first wholesale order.
- Tell us what you serve. Share your menu, milk, cup size, and expected volume.
- Taste with your team. Compare the samples in the drinks your customers order.
- Get a delivery quote. Confirm grade, quantity, and shipping to the Bay Area. Wholesale orders ship from Japan.
Bay Area matcha wholesale FAQ
How do Oakland and Berkeley cafes get matcha samples?
Choose up to two grades; we reply within 24 hours and ship the kit by USPS. They are free for US food and beverage businesses.
Do you have pages for San Francisco and San Jose?
Yes. San Francisco is covered on its own page, including Japantown bowl service, and San Jose and the rest of the South Bay are on the Silicon Valley page, including corporate micro-kitchens.
Do you supply organic matcha for an East Bay menu?
Yes. Organic Cafe and Premium Ceremonial are organic lots (JAS). We provide the organic certificate and the lot test results with the quote.
Which port do Bay Area wholesale orders use?
Ocean freight usually clears at the Port of Oakland and trucks from there. Air freight clears at SFO.
Who issues food permits in the East Bay?
Alameda County Environmental Health covers Oakland, Fremont, and most of the East Bay. Berkeley runs its own environmental health division, and Contra Costa Health covers Richmond and Walnut Creek.
Supplying matcha to the Bay Area
Tell us what you serve and where in the Bay Area you are. We send two grades free, and we quote your wholesale order delivered through the Port of Oakland.