‘Learned fast’: Sheffield sisters to open second Matcha Spot in ‘prime location’ months after launching first
The Matcha Spot has gone from being a pop-up spot on The Moor to having two much-loved cafes in less than 12 months
Two sisters from Sheffield have announced they’ll be opening a second Matcha cafe in the space of six months after building what they describe as an ‘amazing community’ in the city centre.
Dee and younger sister Neima Jama, who hail from Pitsmoor, grew up in the Steel City but both went their separate ways after leaving school, living in London and Birmingham, when it occurred to them that there was a gap in the market back home.
They told The Star: “We both discovered Matcha living away from Sheffield and started to really enjoy trying different types and making our own.
“We quickly realised in Sheffield that there wasn’t really much on offer. So as a bit of fun alongside our jobs, we started a pop-up store. The feedback was really good at a friend's wedding and we did a few markets as well, but it wasn’t until last summer that things really started to take off.”
Dee explains that the catalyst for their success came last summer when they opened up a pop-up store on The Moor, right in the heart of Sheffield’s city centre.
“We were only supposed to do a few weeks on The Moor but ended up being able to stay for around eight weeks as things went really well. People really started to enjoy the brand and once we closed over the winter we looked into the idea of opening our own place.”
Fast forward to January, they opened up their first permanent Matcha Spot in the city centre on Campo Lane which has proved a huge success with huge crowds descending each day to get their hands on the wonderful green creations.
Dee added: “We have loved having our own store and have been able to build a really amazing community. We’ve been learning everything on the job. Even basic terms like VAT and business rates. We’ve learned fast.”
The sisters explain that they pride themselves on offering good customer service and creating a welcoming and positive atmosphere.
“We pride ourselves on good customer service, being friendly and giving people time so that they know about all our options,” Dee added.
“Even when there’s big queues outside the doors, we always make sure that we’re providing a positive experience, as people will remember that just as much as they’ll remember the good standard drinks that we make.”
This is very much reflected in the Matcha Spot’s hugely impressive 4.8 star reviews on Google, with many customers praising the staff and the range of tasty drink options.
This success has prompted the sisters to begin work on opening a second store.
“We’re opening a second place just to expand the business,” said Dee.
“It’s going to be Ecclesall Road. I think it’s a prime location, it’s really busy, there’s lots of footfall. There’s students, a park, bars, restaurants and loads of great Pilates Studios, so I think we’ll fit in really well there.
“We asked our customers where they’d like to see a second store and this was their number one choice.”
If all goes to plan, the sisters are hoping to have the store up and running by August.
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, The Matcha Spot said: "Our second home is here! Thank you SO much for all your support!! We’re so excited to be opening our second location for you to get your matcha fix…..
"281 Ecclesall Road. Coming soon."