Madrona’s matcha darling Yoka Tea is heading for a bigger stage, with plans to open a second Seattle cafe on Ballard Avenue by early fall. The matcha-forward spot, which debuted in Madrona in May 2025, is gearing up for a roomier storefront that would add more seats and a fuller menu, right as the city’s matcha and specialty tea scene keeps heating up.
New Ballard spot details
The Ballard cafe is set to take over the former Little Tin Goods & Apothecary space and will clock in at roughly 2,200 square feet, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. The owners are in the middle of a buildout and are aiming to open by early fall. If that schedule holds, the larger footprint should translate into more seating and a broader food program than what fits in the compact Madrona counter.
From Madrona to Ballard
Yoka Tea first opened its Madrona cafe in May 2025 and quickly built a following for fruity matchas, boba, and croffles, as noted by Seattle Met. Reviewers at The Infatuation highlighted the shop’s playful matcha variations and laid-back neighborhood vibe, the kind of reputation that makes a second location feel less like a gamble and more like an inevitability.
Why Ballard
Ballard’s packed retail strip and steady stream of foot traffic make it a natural next move for a cafe that leans on walk-up business. The expansion lines up with a broader wave of matcha-focused cafes opening around Seattle, a trend tracked by Eater Seattle. Local listings from Visit Ballard show the former Little Tin Goods & Apothecary address at 5335 Ballard Ave NW, a spot that would give Yoka Tea a significantly larger home base than Madrona and the room to stretch its service hours if the buildout goes as planned.
