A vibey industrial interior, a hyped customer base, and a true love affair with matcha. Owners Lia Bouras and Jack Woolley have created a pop-up that could change the way even Garfield feels about Mondays: Monday Matcha.
“Long story short,” Lia said, “Jack and I are just two best friends who hang out every Monday. We’d always talked about starting a business together but were never quite sure what that would look like.”
The Monday Matcha pop-up is at 12 Logan Street, Adelaide, open seven days, until the first of February. The home for this pop-up is new creative space Pratt Shop, which has been host to several vintage sales and clothes pop-ups since its opening.
For the rest of January, you can find rich green iced matcha, maple sea salt matcha, Mont Blanc,
blackberry choc chip matcha, earl grey iced matcha, and more. There’s also a range of sweet treats, because what is a matcha without a delicious cookie, scroll or sweet bun to go with it?
When it came to the menu, the duo relied on their shared brain to decide what made the cut. They spent their days off subconsciously critiquing the drinks they bought elsewhere, only half joking about what they would do differently if they had their own cafe.
The result is a menu focused on texture as well as flavour, specifically their signature cold foams and whips. The standout favourite? The Iced Maple Sea Salt Whip Matcha, a drink so popular they’ve even added the whip to their coffee menu for the caffeine traditionalists.
“Ratios. Always ratios,” Jack notes when asked about the secret to their success. “We tested a lot of flavour combinations that sounded appealing to us and narrowed it down to the ones that really worked.”
The ‘Monday’ in the name doesn’t just refer to the brand’s conception. In fact, the first day of the working week is when the prices dip to just $5 per matcha, the store goes crazy, and lines flood out the door. And it’s all worth it for that delightful first sip that’s had Australia in a chokehold for the past year.
The brand was born out of a vintage kilo sale at Jack’s vintage business, ThreeSixty Vintage. In early December last year, the brand hosted a one-off weekend-long event where it sold vintage clothing for $45 per kilo. But they needed something for people to sip on while they perused the racks. That’s where Monday Matcha came in. And spoiler alert: it was such a hit that they’re staying on until the end of January.
The partnership between Lia and Jack is a classic case of opposites attracting professionally speaking. Lia balances her time as a hospital pharmacist and retail worker with a presence on TikTok, while Jack has spent the last five years building ThreeSixty Vintage from a retail side-hustle into a full-time gig.
“We come from two very different worlds, but that contrast has worked in our favour,” Lia explains. “Our skills complement each other perfectly.”
So what’s next after you’re no longer able to get that Logan Street matcha fix?
Well the team is open to more collaboration, with the aim of collaborating with venues that bring a certain vibe. “The space and atmosphere are really important to us,” Jack said. “We look for venues that match a certain vibe and feeling, when it feels right, we just know.”
“After early Feb,” Jack continued, “We’re looking ahead to what’s next, with the long-term goal of making Monday Matcha a permanent fixture. A permanent location is definitely on the cards for the future. This is only the beginning for Monday Matcha.”
Lia said the pair are already mourning the exit of Monday Matcha’s January pop-up, but they’re incredibly keen to come back “bigger, better and with new ideas.”
“It’s been incredibly exciting and honestly overwhelming in the best way. The support has exceeded our expectations, and we’re so grateful. Who would have thought?”
Monday Matcha
Where: 12 Logan Street, Adelaide
When: Open until 1 February.
Weekdays: 7:30am – 2:30pm, weekends and 26/01: 8:30am – 2:30pm, 26/01
For more info, click here.
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