Matcha is the star of the handcrafted menu at newest Tri-Cities cafe
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Align Cafe opened June 3 at 616 The Pkwy in Richland offering matcha drinks.
- Owner Vanessa Mendoza tried over 40 matcha grades and says they work direct farm to table.
- The Alignment Co. began as an online shop; its first location is in Yakima.
Matcha lovers across the Tri-Cities, this one is for you.
Fuel your cravings or feed an adventurous spirit at Align Cafe, located at 616 The Parkway, Richland, which opened June 3. This matcha shop sits at the crossroads of flirty and fun, moody and electric with a menu to match.
Choose from classic espresso-based drinks, energy blends and matcha creations at the counter. Owner Vanessa Mendoza implores you to give their matcha a chance — even if you’ve never liked the drink in the past.
“I can confidently say that we can change people’s minds.” Mendoza says.
The matcha menu has some showstoppers, like their mango dream drink, that has mango purée, pieces of fruit and flavored cold foam, and their ube cinnamon roll option, made with an ube base, known to be sweet and nutty, and topped with a flavored foam.
“I love the OG strawberry matcha,” Mendoza says. “That’s like the bestseller. If somebody has never had matcha before, I always go for the OG strawberry matcha.”
If you still can’t be won over, the cafe offers options like the banana blondie coffee and berry Baja refresher to cater to every palate.
While they’re closed on Mondays, the cafe is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday and 11:11 a.m.-5 p.m. on the weekends.
Matcha Mayhem
If you’ve never had matcha before, don’t be alarmed by the green hue of it.
This green tea is finely ground into a powder. It is whisked with hot water, forming a froth of sorts, according to matcha.com. From there, you can add flavorings, syrups, cold foams and more to your drink.
It also makes for an aesthetic photo.
“Matcha is trendy,” Vanessa says. “There are not a lot of matcha spots, so I feel like us bringing this have made people really excited.”
To get the perfect matcha required research. Deciding between culinary or traditional styles, how to store it and what region of Japan they wanted to focus on. There were lots of decisions to make. Vanessa tried over 40 different grades of matcha before selecting the one they carry.
“We work direct farm to table,” Vanessa says.
Behind the brand
If you look behind the curated Instagram posts and neon lights, you’ll find Vanessa in her element.
Starting her business as an online retail shop, the meaning and intention behind The Alignment Co. has grown with the company she and her family have created. The first location is in Yakima at 12 S. 2nd St., and was opened almost five years ago. As the company added a cafe in 2023, customers would travel to them and ask them to open a Tri-Cities location.
After searching for a spot for over a year, they fell in love with the storefront in Richland.
From there, they shaped every inch of the space by hand, from the booths to the walls. Vanessa built a business in 10 months and a baby in nine, welcoming her child before opening the cafe.
“The community showed up,” Vanessa says. “I feel like we’ve already built a family in the Tri-Cities. It was nice to see all of our people, not only from the Tri-Cities, but also Yakima, show up to our grand opening to support us.”
Know of a restaurant or bar opening or closing in the Tri-Cities area? Share your tips to emma.zawacki@tricityherald.com
