Japanese matcha for Alabama.

Who we supply in Alabama

Huntsville's aerospace and technology employment has brought a well-paid, largely transplanted population that arrived with drink expectations formed elsewhere, and new cafes have opened to meet them. Birmingham has a longer-established independent scene and a serious restaurant culture, Mobile brings Gulf Coast tourism, and the university towns add term-driven demand.

• Huntsville independents opening into a fast-growing and unusually well-paid market.
• Birmingham cafes and restaurants with an established food culture behind them.
• Mobile and Gulf Shores operators, tourism-weighted and seasonal.
• University markets in Tuscaloosa and Auburn.

Shipping to Alabama

The Port of Mobile has expanded its container capacity substantially and gives Alabama a Gulf gateway of its own, though many shipments still arrive through Savannah or a West Coast port and truck in. Birmingham and Huntsville handle domestic air freight, with international cargo through Atlanta.

• Ocean: Mobile for the Gulf side, or Savannah with a road leg for the north of the state.
• Air: Atlanta, with a short domestic leg into Birmingham or Huntsville.
• Onward: Birmingham sits centrally and can serve most of the state within a few hours.

Licensing in Alabama

Federal import requirements are unchanged. At state level, the Alabama Department of Public Health permits and inspects food establishments, while the Department of Agriculture and Industries is involved in manufactured food oversight. Confirm your category with the relevant agency before ordering.

• Serving drinks is a food establishment matter under the Department of Public Health.
• Manufacturing or repacking brings the Department of Agriculture and Industries into the picture.

Opening a matcha program from scratch

A lot of what we are asked for in Alabama is not a replacement supplier but a first one — a cafe adding matcha to a menu that has never had it, in a market where the customer may not have a strong reference point either. That changes the advice.

Starting simple works better than starting impressive. One well-chosen latte-oriented lot, a recipe your team can hit consistently, and a price that works at the volume you actually expect will build the category faster than an expensive ceremonial lot poured by someone still learning the whisk. Add the premium option once there is demand asking for it. We would rather set you up with one lot that sells than three that confuse the menu, and we will say so even though it is the smaller order.

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 Birmingham. Wholesale orders ship from Japan.