Following the success of her first outlet in Old Bellevue, the founder of Matcha Magic, Rachel Barnecut, explains the benefits of the signature ingredient. “What I love about matcha is how it makes you feel. As with coffee, you get a caffeine hit. But with coffee, that caffeine hit comes with a quick energy rise that is followed by a quick fall. Matcha has a high concentration of L-theanine, an amino acid that relaxes you and helps decrease stress levels," she says. "In combination with the caffeine from matcha, this promotes a steady energy curve and improves focus. Your fall is less intense and calmer and doesn’t cause the jitters or a stomachache that can follow after drinking coffee.”

Growing up in West Seattle, Rachel graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Human Centered Design and Engineering and was hired by Boeing. “I loved taking a user experience approach to developing technology, which is about making systems and software easy for users and integrated into their workflows,” she enthuses. Then, in 2018 on a trip to China with her college boyfriend, now husband, she was able to visit tea fields and see how green tea is grown and how it is so integrated into the culture. “I tasted high-quality matcha,” she continues, “and saw the fields in which the leaves are cultivated and how they are finely ground and processed into powder.”

With her husband’s experience as the co-founder of Conscious Hospitality Group, Rachel began to entertain what she first called her “pipe dream” of opening a matcha café. At the time, her career at Boeing was progressing well, yet everything was tense as the company was undergoing a lot of public scrutiny. “I was good at my job, but it was time to do something more challenging,” she explains. Working remotely during COVID gave her time to reflect on what had become a passion. “Knowing the benefits of drinking matcha, I wanted to create a space to give people the experience I’d had,” she says, “and show how they could integrate matcha into their lives and daily rituals.”

A space on Main Street in Old Bellevue, close to where the couple lives, became available and Rachel took the plunge, opening the new store in Spring 2022. Rachel named her business Matcha Magic and set out to create an experience that was welcoming, playful, and that lives up to its name. “Matcha is a bright green powder made from grinding the whole green tea leaf. Think of it as eating a salad. You're getting the oxidants and caffeine in the whole leaf. We usually throw away all that goodness when steeping tea bags or loose-leaf tea,” Rachel says. “Matcha is one of the most antioxidant-dense foods in the world and helps lower inflammation and cholesterol, reduce stress, and slow the aging process.”

Matcha Magic offers a plant-forward menu featuring organic, ceremonial-grade matcha combined with the magic of boosters and adaptogens. To her initial signature matcha beverages Rachel has added a menu of nutritious smoothies, confirming “there are no flavorings and sweeteners. Matcha Magic uses wholesome components like 100% organic maple syrup and unsweetened peanut butter.”

After more than two years in business, Rachel finds her customers increasingly knowledgeable about matcha, its benefits, and how best to experience it. “At first we had to do a lot of education, but ever since we have opened, fewer and fewer people come in that aren’t familiar with it, and those who have given up coffee are excited to find us,” she says. “People are loving matcha and how it makes them feel.”

Going from a corporate role to running her own business has been a fascinating challenge for Rachel. “I do not feel like I have an entrepreneurial bone in my body, but this has been super interesting,” she continues. “I must work through every possibility, good and bad. I sometimes ruminate too long on decisions and can fall victim to analysis. But overall, I enjoy the responsibility and am gaining confidence in myself. I love our team!” Her Bellevue location is a further joy to Rachel. “As Bellevue continues to grow and expand, I appreciate the pocket of Old Bellevue even more," she says. "It feels like a real community. Amongst the offices and tech workers, there are lots of local establishments on Main Street, and it comes alive in the summer. We are part of the community of the Old Bellevue Merchants Association.”

Rachel is planning two new outlets, both in Seattle. “We are targeting vibrant neighborhoods and young professionals,” she explains. “We have regular customers of all ages and it has been exciting to see people changing up their coffee routines to incorporate matcha and experience its health benefits. We plan to open in South Lake Union on the Amazon campus in late 2024, and in Capitol Hill in early 2025."

Attributing the brand’s success to the focus on education around its many benefits, in addition to the approachable and fun atmosphere of her café, Rachel concludes, “Matcha on its own is a great product for people to incorporate into their daily lives, and Matcha Magic has created a welcoming space for it to shine.”