Chalait
Chalait is a New York-based specialty food company that sources 100% stone-ground ceremonial-grade matcha directly from Uji, Japan farmers and sells it via a Shopify DTC storefront, New York cafés, and a regional B2B wholesale and stockist program serving U.S. consumers and specialty coffee shops.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chalait does
Chalait is a New York-based specialty food company founded in 2015 that sources and sells Japanese ceremonial-grade matcha powder and preparation accessories to U.S. consumers and businesses. The company sources 100% stone-ground matcha directly from tea farms in Uji, Japan, using traditional shading methods to increase chlorophyll and L-theanine content. Its product line centers on five matcha powder tiers — Everyday ($26), Organic ($30), Top ($45), Limited Release Reserve ($60), and All-Purpose — sold in 30g tins, alongside a MATCHAWARE line of accessories (starter kit, bamboo whisk, ceramic bowl, travel flask) and a merchandise/gifting assortment. Pricing is unit-based and ranges from $26 to $60 per tin, with promotional free shipping thresholds at $75-$100.
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model. Its primary channel is a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront at chalait.com, supported by a content-marketing engine (Matcha Guide blog, recipes, Matcha vs. Coffee comparison page, Find Your Matcha quiz) and active organic social on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Chalait also runs a B2B wholesale program supplying ceremonial- and culinary-grade matcha to cafés, restaurants, and boutique retailers, operates company-owned cafés in New York City, and is stocked by at least nine named partners across the Northeast US, including Kuppi Coffee (NJ), Marcy and Myrtle (Brooklyn), Elixr Coffee (Philadelphia), Clean Market (NYC), Gotan (NYC), Double Dutch (NYC), Guevara's (Brooklyn), NOUS Espresso Bar (NYC), and Citizens with locations in SoHo and Gramercy.
Chalait is privately held, founder-led, and bootstrapped, with 1-10 employees, no disclosed venture or institutional funding, no acquisitions, and no parent company. The company emphasizes direct farm relationships, 100% ceremonial-grade quality (no blends), and matcha as a wellness and mindfulness ritual. It does not currently accept international orders, concentrating distribution within the United States.
Chalait firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chalait
- Legal name
- Chalait
- Website
- https://chalait.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Chalait is a New York-based specialty food company that sources 100% stone-ground ceremonial-grade matcha directly from Uji, Japan farmers and sells it via a Shopify DTC storefront, New York cafés, and a regional B2B wholesale and stockist program serving U.S. consumers and specialty coffee shops.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chalait industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Tea Retail
- NAICS
- Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Matcha Bars (THAFAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Powdered & Instant Beverage Mix Manufacturing (Drink Mixes) (AFAFABAL), International Specialty Ingredients & Import Markets (CRAHAFAL)
Keywords
Where Chalait is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chalait business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time product purchases through the company's Shopify e-commerce platform. Customers purchase matcha tins, accessories, and merch directly. Current promotion offers 25% off all matcha with free shipping on orders $75+.
- Wholesale B2B: Chalait supplies matcha to cafés, restaurants, and boutique tea shops through a wholesale program. Offers ceremonial-grade and culinary-grade matcha varieties for business partners.
- Retail Cafés: Chalait operates physical café locations in New York where customers can purchase matcha beverages and products on-site.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Everyday Ceremonial Grade Matcha 30g |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha 30g |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Top Ceremonial Grade Matcha 30g |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited Release Ceremonial Reserve Grade 30g |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Wholesale Matcha |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Chalait product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chalait sells premium ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha powder sourced directly from tea farms in Uji, Japan, offered across multiple quality tiers (Everyday, Organic, Top, Limited Release, and All-Purpose). The company also sells matcha preparation accessories (whisks, bowls, starter kits, travel flasks) under the MATCHAWARE line, merchandise, and operates a wholesale B2B program supplying cafés, restaurants, and retail stores. Chalait additionally operates its own physical café locations in New York City.
Product overview
Chalait is a premium Japanese matcha company founded in 2015, offering ceremonial-grade matcha powders sourced directly from Uji, Japan. The product portfolio centers on five matcha powder tiers (Everyday Ceremonial, Organic Ceremonial, Top Ceremonial, Limited Release Ceremonial, and All-Purpose Organic) ranging from entry-level to premium reserve grades. The MATCHAWARE line provides essential preparation tools including a Starter Kit, bamboo whisk, ceramic bowl, and travel flask. Additional offerings include merchandise and a wholesale program for B2B partners including cafes, restaurants, and retailers. The company operates both direct-to-consumer e-commerce and wholesale channels, with physical café locations in New York.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Everyday Ceremonial Grade Matcha Entry-level ceremonial-grade matcha powder sourced from Uji, Japan. 30g tin priced at $26.00 USD. Designed for daily consumption with a balanced flavor profile.
- Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha USDA certified organic ceremonial-grade matcha powder stone-ground from shade-grown tea leaves in Japan. 30g tin priced at $30.00 USD.
- Top Ceremonial Grade Matcha Premium ceremonial-grade matcha offering superior quality and flavor compared to the everyday line. 30g tin priced at $45.00 USD. Suitable for traditional matcha preparation.
- Limited Release Ceremonial Reserve Grade Matcha Reserve-grade ceremonial matcha with limited availability. 30g tin priced at $60.00 USD. Premium quality for discerning matcha enthusiasts.
- All-Purpose Organic Matcha Versatile organic matcha suitable for both drinking and culinary applications including baking and cooking.
- Matcha Starter Kit Comprehensive kit containing essential tools for making matcha at home, including whisk, bowl, and matcha powder.
- Matcha Whisk (Chasen) Traditional bamboo whisk used for whisking matcha powder with hot water to create a frothy consistency.
- Matcha Bowl (Chawan) Traditional ceramic bowl used for preparing and serving matcha tea.
- Travel Flask Wide-mouth 12oz travel flask for taking matcha on-the-go.
- Wholesale Matcha Program B2B wholesale program supplying premium matcha to cafés, restaurants, and retailers. Offers ceremonial-grade and culinary-grade options with customized solutions, partner preparation guidance, and menu development support.
- Chalait Café Locations Physical café locations in New York City where customers can purchase matcha beverages and products on-site.
Quantifiable outcome
- 137x more EGCg antioxidants than conventional green tea (per University of Colorado 2003 study)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Chalait
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chalait technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Chalait partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Kuppi CoffeeminorIndependent café in Edgewater, NJ that stocks and sells Chalait matcha products to their customer base.
- Marcy and Myrtle CafeminorBrooklyn-based café serving as a stockist for Chalait matcha products.
- Elixr CoffeeminorPhiladelphia-based specialty coffee shop stockist for Chalait matcha.
- Clean Market Midtown EastminorNew York wellness-focused market and café stockist for Chalait matcha.
- GotanminorNew York-based café stockist for Chalait matcha products.
- Double Dutch EspressominorNew York-based espresso bar serving as a stockist for Chalait matcha.
- Guevara'sminorBrooklyn café location stockist for Chalait matcha products.
- NOUS Espresso BarminorNew York espresso bar stockist for Chalait matcha.
- Citizens (SoHo & Gramercy)minorNew York coffee shop with two locations (SoHo and Gramercy) stocking Chalait matcha products.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform provider hosting Chalait's online store. Shopify provides the technical infrastructure for product listings, checkout, payments (via secure payment gateways), customer accounts, and order management.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chalait competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Cuzen Matcha: Premium matcha brand with a tabletop mill concept for fresh-grinding matcha at home. Overlaps with Chalait on premium matcha positioning but differentiates through hardware/format innovation.
Direct peers
- Encha: Organic ceremonial matcha brand sourced from Uji, Japan, sold DTC. Directly comparable premium positioning, Japanese sourcing narrative, and consumer wellness target.
- Tenzo Tea: Premium matcha brand focused on ceremonial grade and functional ingredients, sold DTC and through wholesale to cafés. Comparable product mix, target consumer, and omnichannel go-to-market.
- Ippodo Tea: Long-established Japanese tea purveyor selling ceremonial-grade matcha direct to US consumers and wholesale. Directly comparable to Chalait on authentic Japanese matcha sourcing, tiered product pricing, and DTC-plus-wholesale distribution.
- DoMatcha: Direct-from-Japan matcha brand offering both ceremonial and culinary grades with a strong wholesale presence in cafés. Comparable Japanese-sourcing narrative and café-channel distribution.
- Jade Leaf Matcha: US-based premium matcha brand selling ceremonial and culinary grades online and through wholesale. Competes head-to-head with Chalait on product range, pricing, and target health-conscious consumer.
- Mizuba Tea: Single-estate Japanese matcha brand emphasizing farmer relationships and Uji-sourced product. Closely comparable direct-sourcing story, premium pricing, and DTC-plus-café distribution approach.
Broad incumbents
- ITO EN: Large Japanese tea and beverage company with matcha products in US retail. Represents incumbent scale that competes on shelf presence and pricing in the same consumer segments as Chalait.
- Teavana (Starbucks): Mass-market specialty tea brand owned by Starbucks, offering matcha lattes and bottled matcha beverages. Competes for the same wellness-driven tea consumer at far greater distribution scale.
- MatchaBar (now MatchaBar Kōdō): US matcha café concept with multiple retail locations serving matcha beverages and selling packaged product. Comparable on matcha-bar retail model but at a much larger multi-location scale than Chalait.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Chalait social profiles
Digital presenceChalait financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chalait leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Chalait funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chalait M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chalait
What does Chalait do?
Chalait sells premium ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha powder sourced directly from tea farms in Uji, Japan, offered across multiple quality tiers (Everyday, Organic, Top, Limited Release, and All-Purpose). The company also sells matcha preparation accessories (whisks, bowls, starter kits, travel flasks) under the MATCHAWARE line, merchandise, and operates a wholesale B2B program supplying cafés, restaurants, and retail stores. Chalait additionally operates its own physical café locations in New York City.
Is Chalait a public or private company?
Chalait is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Chalait founded?
Chalait was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Chalait based?
Chalait is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chalait make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale B2B and retail Cafés.
Who are Chalait's main competitors?
Cuzen Matcha is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Encha, Tenzo Tea, Ippodo Tea, DoMatcha, Jade Leaf Matcha and Mizuba Tea. Broad incumbents are ITO EN, Teavana (Starbucks) and MatchaBar (now MatchaBar Kōdō).
Does Chalait have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chalait.
What industry is Chalait in?
Chalait's product category is Specialty Tea Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAKAE, Matcha Bars, with a secondary code of AFAFABAL, Powdered & Instant Beverage Mix Manufacturing (Drink Mixes). Its NAICS code is 44529 and its SIC code is 5190.