Cha Cha Matcha to Open in Los Angeles With Help From Virgil Abloh

New York’s hippest matcha shop is coming to Los Angeles, with a boost from star designer Virgil Abloh.

Cha Cha Matcha will open in West Hollywood on Saturday, and a second L.A. shop will come to Abbot Kinney in January. It’s the first time the drinkery — which offers a lavender CBD matcha ($6) and a collagen blue algae latte ($8) — has expanded past the streets of New York.

A fan favorite of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, the photogenic green tea company has partnered with Abloh, the men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton whose fashion brand Off-White was recently named the hottest in the world.

Abloh created apparel and packaging for Cha Cha Matcha, including sweatshirts ($68) and tees ($28) that will be given to the first 100 customers on Friday starting at noon. The VA TM x Cha Cha Matcha merch (short for Virgil Abloh, trademarked) will be released online next week. 

“The design work for the Cha Cha Matcha rebrand underscores what makes the brand unique. The guys infused a feeling that we highlighted with art direction. It was a good challenge with a great result,” Abloh told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement.

The designer of choice for Timothee Chalamet (who scored a Golden Globe nom on Thursday), Abloh designed “Cali-inspired” compostable packaging (cups, sleeves, to-go boxes and napkins) made of corn for the West Coast locations of the restaurant. His City of Angels-themed design features palm trees, his name “Virgil” written on the cups and the brand’s “I Love You So Matcha” slogan. 

Abloh, dubbed “king of the collab,” has previously worked with, among others, Converse, Levi’s, Moncler, Jimmy Choo, Timberland and Ikea, for which he produced giant rugs reading “KEEP OFF” or “STILL LOADING.”

Cha Cha Matcha, hailed for its colorful matcha drinks and fruity matcha soft-serve ice cream, will introduce menu items to its WeHo location: a vegan chocolate chip cookie ($3.50), non-matcha vegan banana bread, almond butter and jelly toast with bee pollen and coconut probiotic yogurt ($10), mushroom toast with ricotta, a vegan waffle ($4.50) and — yes — avocado toast ($9).

The trendy spot joins Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar, which opened on Melrose Avenue in September, in the westward migration. Meanwhile local go-to Alfred Tea & Coffee, which has CBD-infused drinks, including the peach ginger iced matcha, is taking up residency at Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship in New York for the holidays.  

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