First initiated in 2023, GOOD CHA has grown from an early OATLY pop-up just two months after launch into a Thai premium matcha lifestyle brand with six Bangkok branches and a fast-growing e-commerce business. Founders Grace Tungpanitansook and Kate Socatiyanurak share how finance, product, and brand shaped that growth.

GOOD CHA started before Thailand’s current matcha boom, and your first pop-up was already in collaboration with OATLY just two months after launch. What did you see in the market?

Grace: Kate and I were both matcha lovers long before it became a major trend in Thailand. For me, matcha was already part of daily life — I have not drunk coffee in years. At the time, many matcha shops felt minimal, serious, or intimidating. We felt there was room for a brand that respected the craft of matcha, while making it joyful, approachable, and memorable.

Kate: GOOD CHA came from passion, not from chasing a trend. We felt Thailand was missing a quietly playful, health-conscious matcha brand, so we built one. Our early OATLY pop-up helped show that the brand could sit naturally within a plant-based and wellness lifestyle from the start. Because we began early, GOOD CHA was already well-positioned by the time matcha demand grew rapidly.

Their selection spans matcha drinks and Japanese desserts, delivering across Bangkok.

Before GOOD CHA, both of you had already built MERANDI in fashion and accessories. How did that background shape a food and beverage brand?

Grace: MERANDI taught us to think beyond one product. It is a design-led accessories brand, so we learned how to build a whole product world — from design and packaging to ecommerce, customer experience, and community. With GOOD CHA, we brought that same mindset into food and beverage.

Kate: We never saw GOOD CHA as just a drinks shop. Food, fashion, and lifestyle are more connected than people think. They are all about taste, ritual, identity, and how people choose to express themselves. From the beginning, we thought about drinks, tumblers, tools, merchandise, storefronts, and how customers would interact with the brand in daily life.

MERANDI “MIKI” Bag

Grace is CPO and Kate is CFO. How does that founder dynamic work?

Grace: Clear roles help a lot. As CPO, I lead product development, from drinks menu creation to merchandise, operations, and the customer-facing product experience. I studied communication arts, but I have always been drawn to culinary experiences, design, and how products make people feel.

Kate: We started as Co-CEOs, but as GOOD CHA grew into a 40-person company, our roles had to become more defined. I now lead finance, commercial strategy, revenue planning, and scaling as CFO. My economics background and Master’s in Management from LSE help me make sure the business grows sustainably.

Seven months after we initiated the brand, Anna Naklada joined as our third partner and Chief Brand Officer, bringing audience, culture, community, storytelling, and visibility.

How did you make a matcha brand feel cute without compromising quality?

Grace: We were inspired by Japan not only through tea culture, but also through kawaii culture. We wanted GOOD CHA to feel premium, but also cute, soft, and instantly recognisable.

Kate: The eye logo was designed by us in-house on Adobe Illustrator and is now trademarked. Paired with our soft pink shade, it became one of our strongest brand motifs. We wanted to show that a matcha brand could be playful without compromising authenticity, quality, or taste.

Wellness seems central to GOOD CHA. How intentional was that?

Grace: Very intentional. We wanted customers to feel guided, not overwhelmed. Our milk options are labelled by their qualities, and customers can adjust sweetness or choose between syrup and stevia at no extra cost. Instead of traditional boba, we use konjac pearls as a zero-calorie alternative, keeping each drink customizable and wellness-focused.

Kate: We also built a wellness community called GOOD CHA Club. We hosted Thailand’s first Matcha Run Club, followed by aerobics, ice bath and sauna, pilates, and tennis events. People come together through matcha, but also through a shared interest in health. Wellness is a journey — what you choose to put into your body, and what you do with your body too. 

How did GOOD CHA grow beyond drinks into ecommerce and merchandise?

Grace: Ecommerce grew naturally because customers wanted to bring GOOD CHA into their daily routines. Our Baby Tritan Tumbler remains our bestselling SKU and often sells out within minutes of each drop. The design is simple, with our signature soft pink and one eye logo motif, which shows how recognisable our branding has become.

Kate: In 2025, online sales became our largest channel, contributing approximately 60 percent of annual revenue. That showed us GOOD CHA had grown beyond a café concept into a retail and product-led brand. Our sales channels include Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, the GOOD CHA website, GrabFood, GOOD CHA branches, After You Marketplace, and other major online marketplaces.

GOOD CHA’s Matcha-Making Utensils & Baby Tritan Tumbler

What have been the biggest milestones, and where does GOOD CHA go next?

Grace: GOOD CHA now has six branches across Bangkok, plus delivery, ecommerce, catering, workshops, and events. The brand has also been seen among leading Thai actresses, celebrities, and influencers, including Aum Patchrapa and Chompoo Araya A. Hargate, and has been featured in Vogue Thailand.

Kate: From a business perspective, revenue grew nearly 16 times within our first two years. In the first half of 2026, we reached approximately 18 million baht in revenue, with a full-year target of 50 million baht.

Grace: Beyond the numbers, our bigger goal is to keep building GOOD CHA as a premium lifestyle brand with a Japanese heart — rooted in matcha culture, wellness, design, and community. We also see growing potential beyond Thailand, as we already welcome overseas visitors and buyers, consistently receive franchise inquiries, and our products are available on Shopee in the Philippines and Malaysia.

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The post GOOD CHA Founders Grace Tungpanitansook and Kate Socatiyanurak on Building Thailand’s Premium Matcha Lifestyle Brand appeared first on LUXUO.

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