Blank Street goes big on matcha
Blank Street is pivoting from tiny grab‑and‑go shops to a much larger NYC concept built for TikTok — and it’s expanding a dedicated matcha drink menu to position itself as a ‘Gen Z Starbucks’. The move signals a serious bet that matcha will drive foot traffic in larger, social café formats. (bloomberg.com)
The new Lower Manhattan prototype clocks in at roughly 1,300 square feet — about three times the footprint of Blank Street’s typical locations — and includes “conversation” booths, large selfie mirrors and mint‑green ceilings designed for social posts. (bloomberg.com) About one‑fifth of the chain’s nearly 100 global stores are already in the larger format, and the company says it will convert or relocate existing sites to the new design and use the format for all future openings over the next two years. (bloomberg.com) Executives and creative directors at Blank Street say matcha now represents roughly half (or slightly more) of the business’s beverage sales, a shift the brand has leaned into across menus and visual identity. (fastcompany.com) Blank Street’s paid loyalty tiers include a $22 plan that lets members redeem up to 14 drinks per week and an $11 plan that covers “the classics,” with both programs administered through the company app. (help.blankstreet.com) The company has raised roughly $130 million from venture investors and reached a valuation north of $500 million as it scales beyond its cart‑to‑kiosk origins. (bloomberg.com) The matcha push is product‑led: seasonal, Instagram‑friendly flavors such as Blueberry, Banana‑Bread and Salted‑Pistachio have gone viral, while the chain relies on centralized production and automated espresso equipment to keep speed and consistency as it grows. (coffeetalk.com)
