Japanese matcha for North Carolina.

Who we supply in North Carolina

North Carolina's demand is spread across several cities rather than concentrated in one. The Research Triangle has the most matcha-literate customer base in the state, driven by universities and a large international population, with boba and dessert shops clustered around Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill and matcha-focused counters in Raleigh. Charlotte now supports dedicated matcha cafes as well as a fast-growing independent coffee scene, Asheville punches above its weight on specialty coffee, and Greensboro and Winston-Salem add steady regional demand.

What North Carolina does not have is a wholesale matcha supplier that lets a cafe taste the lot first. Search for one and you find national online sellers and the menus of local matcha cafes, so most shops here order wholesale from a website and find out how it drinks only after the bag is open. That is the gap the sample kit is for.

• Triangle boba and dessert shops in Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill, run by buyers who compare a new powder against the one they already use.
• Charlotte matcha cafes and independents in a rapidly growing market.
• Asheville specialty cafes with unusually high standards for a city its size.
• Triad cafes in Greensboro and Winston-Salem adding matcha alongside coffee.
• Regional roasters and multi-location operators supplying cafes across the Piedmont.

Shipping to North Carolina

For a cafe, boba shop, or tea shop, there is nothing to import. Sample kits go out by USPS after we reply, usually within 24 hours. Wholesale orders are milled to order in Japan and shipped to your address in North Carolina with customs handled on our side, so the first time you touch the product is when the box arrives at your door. Lead time is 7 to 14 days from payment.

• Samples: up to two grades, two sealed 10 g sachets each, sent by USPS to any North Carolina food or beverage business.
• Wholesale orders: from 5 kg, grades mixed as you like in 1 kg or 500 g bags, shipped from Japan to your address in Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Asheville, or anywhere else in the state.
• Several locations: orders arrive in 1 kg or 500 g bags, so one delivery divides easily between shops.
• Container scale: distributors importing on their own account use the Port of Wilmington, or Savannah and Norfolk with a road leg, and Charlotte Douglas for air cargo.

Licensing in North Carolina

Beyond the federal import requirements, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Food and Drug Protection Division regulates food manufacturing, warehousing, and wholesale operations, while local health departments permit restaurants and food service. Confirm your category before your first order.

• Warehousing or repacking wholesale matcha falls under NCDA&CS rather than your county health department.
• County health departments handle the permit for actually serving drinks.

Matching a grade to your menu, from Charlotte to the Triangle

North Carolina menus do not look alike from city to city, so the right grade depends on what you pour rather than where you are. A boba or dessert shop in Cary or Durham needs a powder that keeps its green and its umami over ice and under milk, syrup, and toppings: Ceremonial Barista for that, or Organic Cafe where you want an organic base at volume. A coffee-led cafe in Charlotte, Greensboro, or Asheville adding a signature latte should taste Ceremonial Barista against Organic Ceremonial Barista. A matcha-focused counter serving usucha straight, hot or iced, has nothing to hide behind; for that, Super Ceremonial is the grade to taste, and Premium Ceremonial if the tea itself is your product. Pick the two closest to your menu as your sample kit, make your actual drinks with each, and taste them next to the powder you use today.

Summer is the other half of the job. From the coast to the Piedmont, North Carolina summers are hot and humid, and heat and moisture are the two things that flatten matcha's color and aroma fastest. Keep unopened bags refrigerated or in the coolest, driest room you have, let a sealed bag come to room temperature before opening so condensation does not form inside, reseal it tightly after every service, and order quantities you will turn over in weeks rather than months. Because every wholesale order is milled to order and shipped from Japan, smaller and more frequent orders arrive fresher than one large order that sits through July and August.

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 Charlotte. Wholesale orders ship from Japan.