How It Started
Hello! I’m John O'Connor, the founder of Johnny Matcha. This is the story of our beginning—a journey filled with health discoveries, passion, and the quest for the finest matcha.
Rewind to 2014, my health was going through a challenging phase. I was grappling with chronic sinusitis and my diet was contributing more to inflammation than wellness. I knew I had to make a change. An acquaintance recommended that I explore the world of green tea.
Without much knowledge about it, I bought the most affordable green tea from a supermarket. But, it didn’t sit well with me. So, I decided to dig deeper. My journey led me to a standalone tea shop where I was introduced to the world of matcha. And so began my matcha odyssey.
The shop’s matcha was strong—almost too strong for my liking—but I stuck with it. I devoured every piece of information about matcha I could find, eager to understand this fascinating green tea. Unfortunately, the shop closed down, forcing me to go on a hunt for real, authentic matcha.
As I delved deeper, I found a gap between what was being sold as "the best matcha" or "ceremonial grade" and what real, authentic matcha was described as. The search was frustrating until I decided to order matcha directly from Japan. The moment I tasted it, I knew I had found the true magic of matcha. It was everything I had read about, and more!
Around this time, I was working in Major League Baseball as a Bat Boy and worked in the clubhouse for the Toronto Blue Jays in Spring Training and the Tampa Bay Rays during the regular season. My matcha drink caught the attention of my colleagues and even some players. This led to the nickname that would later become my brand—"Johnny Matcha".
The players loved the energy and focus they would get from the matcha. I found myself ordering matcha for them, too, sparking the question: “Is this your business?”
That question became a turning point. It got me thinking, why not? Why couldn’t I build the company I had been searching for this whole time? A company that sourced authentic, high-quality matcha and shared its magic with the world.
So, I left my job in baseball and embarked on my entrepreneurial journey. I started by establishing direct relationships with tencha (matcha) farmers and producers. Two years later, Johnny Matcha was born.
So, here we are. Every cup of Johnny Matcha is a testament to that journey—a journey that started with a health concern, took me across continents, and introduced me to the remarkable world of matcha and the incredible people who cultivate it.
At Johnny Matcha, we strive to deliver the same authentic, life-changing matcha experience that I discovered on my journey. Here's to the magic of real matcha and to the people who make it possible. Welcome to the Johnny Matcha family!