Tokyo’s Nana's Green Tea is betting big on Old Pasadena, rolling out its first company-operated U.S. flagship this Saturday, May 9, at 45 N. Raymond Ave. The pastel-heavy café is skipping the tiny takeout window trend and arriving with a full sit-down operation, built around matcha lattes, layered parfaits, soft-serve, and Japanese-style rice bowls and curries. For local matcha fans, this is the first time the brand has run a U.S. shop directly rather than leaving things to franchise partners.
According to Eater LA, the Pasadena menu will cover the brand’s greatest hits, including matcha and tea lattes, parfaits, and soft-serve ice cream, plus savory options like chicken katsu curry. The outlet notes that both classic teas such as sencha and hojicha and more dressed-up drinks like matcha frappes finished with chocolate crunch are slated to appear, putting Nana's firmly in the middle of Los Angeles’s current dessert and brunch boom.
In a company press release via PRWeb, Nana's said the Pasadena café is being positioned as its flagship for North American expansion and marks the brand’s first directly operated location in the United States. The company traces its story back to Jiyugaoka, Tokyo, where it opened in 2001 before slowly spreading across Japan and later overseas. In the release, Pasadena is framed as the launchpad for a broader U.S. rollout rather than a one-off overseas experiment.
Following Pasadena, Nana's plans additional U.S. openings this summer in San Mateo, California, Meridian, Ohio, and Boston, Massachusetts, according to Eater LA. Those shops will join existing franchise-run Nana's locations in cities such as Seattle and New York, but the Pasadena flagship is expected to showcase the most complete dine-in experience. For locals, that could mean more consistent access to the full lineup of sweets and savory plates than some franchise outposts provide.
Menu highlights and what to order
On the dessert side, Nana's is leaning into what built its reputation: matcha-heavy parfaits layered with shiratama mochi and sweet red bean, matcha soft-serve, and an array of hot and iced matcha lattes. The brand also serves comfort-leaning bowls like chicken soboro don and pork katsu curry, which should make the café a contender for a quick lunch as much as an afternoon sugar fix. For the complete rundown, check the menu on Nana's Green Tea.
Why Pasadena
Old Pasadena’s steady foot traffic and increasingly busy Asian dining scene made it an easy target for the company’s U.S. debut, local tourism boosters say. Visit Pasadena has already slotted Nana's into its list of new tea and matcha stops landing in the neighborhood this month. In its PRWeb statement, the company said the flagship aims “to bring authentic, premium matcha culture into everyday life globally,” a strategy that leans on Pasadena’s mix of visitors and loyal suburban regulars.
Opening details
Nana's Green Tea opens on Saturday, May 9, and the company is asking customers to check its U.S. Instagram and locations page for the latest hours and opening procedures. For store hours and additional details, visit the U.S. locations section on Nana's Green Tea.
For Pasadena’s matcha crowd, the arrival delivers a high-profile, company-run option for parfaits, soft-serve, and Japanese comfort bowls, and it will quickly reveal whether Nana's can win over weekday regulars as well as tourists. At minimum, the opening gives Old Pasadena another headline-worthy dessert and casual dining draw that café watchers across Los Angeles will be keeping an eye on.
