Laredo Embraces Matcha Craze with Specialty Cafes and Treats

From soft serve to sticky buns, the Gateway City has seen a surge of matcha-focused businesses in the past year.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 10:31am

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In the summer of 2025, matcha continued its rise in popularity from post-COVID social media trends, becoming a mainstay drink in Laredo rather than just a simple novelty. The city has seen the opening of several new businesses, from cafes to home-based bakeries, that specialize in matcha-inspired drinks, desserts, and other treats.

Why it matters

The matcha craze in Laredo reflects a broader shift towards health-conscious and unique food and beverage options in the city. As more health-focused studios and cafes open, matcha has emerged as a popular choice for its purported health benefits and versatile flavor profile. The new matcha-focused businesses also showcase Laredo's growing entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to cater to evolving consumer tastes.

The details

Several new matcha-focused businesses have opened in Laredo over the past year, including Mai Matcha, Mama Matcha, Matcha Mami, Monday to Sunday Matcha Cafe, and Matcha QT. These establishments offer a wide range of matcha-infused drinks, desserts, and other treats, from lattes and soft serve to sticky buns and banana pudding. The owners cite a variety of reasons for opening their matcha-centric ventures, including a passion for the traditional Japanese ingredient, a desire to bring something new and healthy to Laredo, and observing a lack of matcha-focused options in the local market.

  • The matcha trend in Laredo began gaining momentum in the summer of 2025.
  • Mai Matcha, the first matcha-focused cafe in Laredo, opened in 2025.
  • Mama Matcha opened its brick-and-mortar location in the autumn of 2025.
  • Matcha Mami started as a home-based business in the summer of 2025 and has since grown to pop-up events.
  • Monday to Sunday Matcha Cafe opened in August 2025.

The players

Mai Matcha

A cafe that specializes in matcha-based drinks and treats, including lattes, soft serve, and pastries. It was the first matcha-focused business to open in Laredo.

Mama Matcha

A cafe and shop that offers a variety of matcha lattes and other matcha-infused items, as well as featuring local art.

Matcha Mami

A home-based matcha business that serves drinks and treats at pop-up events and special occasions.

Monday to Sunday Matcha Cafe

A cafe that offers matcha lattes, hojicha, and other matcha-based beverages and baked goods.

Matcha QT

A home-based business specializing in matcha-infused pastries and desserts, including matcha banana pudding and matcha sticky buns.

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What they’re saying

“Matcha is always part of any coffee place, but we saw how people really liked matcha. There's a little hype going on with matcha, and we wanted to bring something to Laredo that didn't just focus on coffee.”

— Lily Munoz, Owner, Mama Matcha

“It all started with wanting to bring something fun, refreshing and good for you. I felt like the community could use (it).”

— Diana Gallegos, Owner, Matcha Mami

“At the time I thought of having a matcha place, there (weren't) many options here. So I thought it would be a fun thing to try to bring that to Laredo with our own twist.”

— Justine Trevino, Owner, Monday to Sunday Matcha Cafe

The takeaway

The rise of matcha-focused businesses in Laredo reflects the city's growing appetite for unique, health-conscious food and beverage options. As more entrepreneurs tap into this trend, Laredo is establishing itself as a hub for matcha innovation, showcasing the diverse range of matcha-infused drinks, desserts, and other treats that can be created.