At just 21 years old, David Chae has built one of Boston’s most buzzworthy beverage brands. Now, the entrepreneur behind viral matcha sensation byChae is preparing to open his first brick-and-mortar café.
Chae recently signed a lease for a storefront at 222 Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay, taking over the former home of ZERO& beneath Dirty Water Pizza. According to The Boston Globe, the initial lease term is eight months, after which Chae will evaluate the café’s long-term future.
The move marks a major milestone for a business that began less than a year ago. A student at Babson College, Chae launched byChae as a mobile pop-up concept in June 2025, serving high-quality Japanese matcha at events throughout Greater Boston. What started as a passion project quickly exploded on social media, drawing lines that stretched for hours. As demand grew, Chae took a leave of absence from school to focus on expanding the business.
While the menu is still being finalized, Chae told What Now Boston that guests can expect byChae’s signature lineup of matcha drinks, including the Classic, Cream Top, and Strawberry Cream matchas. Fans may also see the brand’s best-selling Mango Sticky Rice Matcha, a seasonal summer favorite.
In addition to matcha, the café is expected to serve cold brew coffee and a small sourdough-focused food menu. Potential offerings include avocado toast, whipped ricotta toast, and other café staples designed to complement the drink lineup.
In a recent LinkedIn post, Chae explained that his vision for the brand extends beyond selling beverages. “I’m not building the next Starbucks or Dunkin’,” he wrote. “I’m building the first byChae.”
The young founder attributes the company’s rapid rise to three core principles: creating a brand that customers want to identify with, prioritizing memorable experiences over pure efficiency, and refusing to compromise on ingredients. From sourcing first-harvest ceremonial matcha directly from a farm in Yame, Japan, to making strawberry purée in-house, Chae says every detail is intentional.
Rather than focusing solely on quick transactions, he hopes to create a gathering place that recaptures the role cafés once played as community-centered third spaces where people can linger, connect, and build community.
If all goes according to plan, byChae will open this summer, likely in mid- to late-July 2026. For updates on the opening, menu announcements, and upcoming pop-ups, follow @bychaeofficial on Instagram.
