The Tea on All That Matcha Girl Drama in Houston

A matcha pop-up has gone viral, but for the wrong reasons

Houston pop-up Matcha Girl went viral this month with diners lining up to score one of its bright drinks made with the finely milled green tea powder. But some of those who attended the pop-up later took to social media to share grievances, including that the price of the $11 lattes was too high, that the color of the matcha drinks seemed dull or “off,” and that pop-up staff were preparing the matcha in batches instead of portions individually sifted and stirred.

Some customers have claimed that the cafe removed negative comments from its Instagram and that owner Lauren Galindo, a former Miss Texas who won the title in 2021, quickly made her Instagram profile private after receiving backlash (Galindo also appears to own Matcha Girl’s sister pop-up and pilates brand Pilates Girl). As of Friday, March 28, only positive comments remained on Matcha Girl’s most recent posts. Promotional videos show its customers decked out in athleisure while drinking cold matcha drinks. Matcha Girl posts define the “Green Matcha Girly” prototype as having “healthy breakfasts, clear skin, good workout routine, and [going] to bed early.” Matcha Girl did not immediately respond to Eater’s request for comment.

Matcha Girl promotes itself not only as a matcha company, but as a wellness brand “that has a zero tolerance for toxins because we care.” It sells merchandise, mainly gray sweatpants and crew sweatshirts emblazoned with a pink Matcha Girl logo for $75 each. The pop-up is scheduled to host its next events at candy-themed speakeasy Sugar Room (5120 Washington Avenue) in Houston on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A recent menu listed strawberry, banana, and original Matcha Girl drinks made with “ceremonial grade matcha” flown in weekly from Kyoto, Japan; organic flavored milks made in-house; and alkaline water with the specific pH of 10.5. Matcha Girl also offers bagels with organic cream cheeses and strawberry jelly; its menu, published on its Instagram, states that all of its food and drinks are devoid of processed sugars.

Remi Morimoto Park, the Los Angeles-based TikTok influencer Matcha Mommy who has more than 50,000 followers and small matcha business Frauth, weighed in online after she saw multiple users discussing their disappointment in Matcha Girl’s quality. In a three-part TikTok video, Park says that she’s seen instances of cultural appropriation in the matcha industry in the U.S. It’s fair to say some of the best matcha comes from Japan and that tea culture and ceremonies have been resonant there since the 12th century; the practice of milling tea leaves into a fine powder and then whisking it into water originated in China around the 10th century, according to an Eater.com report.

“It’s not to say that if you’re not of the culture, you can’t have a great matcha product or be a part of the matcha conversation,” Park says in her TikTok video. “But it’s about the intention and respect. How far are you willing to go to make sure you understand, respect, and appreciate the culture, versus just appropriating it?”

Park also explains that “ceremonial grade,” a term that refers to a higher quality matcha, can be vague since it’s not closely regulated. She says that while Matcha Girl’s drinks could be off in color due to mixing the matcha with milks, it could also be because the matcha is lower quality. “From a visual standpoint, it’s not as bad as it could be,” she says, adding that she’s been to several cafes, including Starbucks, that seem to use lower grade matcha. Park also dispels the myth that mixing matcha with metal is harmful: She explains that prepping batches of matcha is helpful for busy cafes that need to fulfill lots of orders, though it’s typically not recommended when trying to ensure quality.

The shop seemed to respond to customers on its TikTok on Wednesday, March 19. “We have heard your feedback and this is a brand new business and we’ve worked really hard to get it to where we could open now but clearly there’s some kinks in the process please be patient with us,” the post read.

While the Matcha Girl pop-up has been popular, it’s not the only matcha spot that has gained a large following in Houston: Pop-up Enso has also gone viral this year for its matcha drinks. Each drink is made-to-order, with staff individually preparing and hand-sifting what the pop-up says is ceremonial grade matcha sourced from areas in Japan.