Gotcha Matcha has a second location on the way to Charlotte. After opening its first location Uptown last November, the brand is planning to bring a new location to Three Wells Fargo Center.
Owner Eric Hicklen told What Now Charlotte that he was attracted to the location because he liked its proximity to theaters, office buildings, hotels and other hubs of activity.
“We really wanted to be more accessible for the people on that side of South Tryon,” Hicklen said.
Gotcha Matcha serves a variety of matcha-based drinks, ranging from the caramel matchiato to Dubai chocolate matcha. Other drink options include refreshers, espresso beverages and loose-leaf teas.
The new space will be a little more than 1,000 square feet. Hicklen said the new location will have a similar atmosphere to the current location.
“It will be the same DNA, bringing that same feel a couple blocks down,” Hicklen said. “We’re going to try to keep it as consistent as possible.”
Construction is still to come. Hicklen is aiming for an opening in Q4 of 2025 or Q1 of 2026. He has big plans for the matcha-centric brand moving forward, and this second location will be a stepping stone toward larger expansion.
“My goal is to be the Starbucks of matcha,” Hicklen said. “My goal is to have hundreds of locations throughout the U.S. We want to be the primary name to be associated with matcha.”
For Hicklen, the key to the brand is his energy and passion for matcha and bringing it to customers. He views his emphasis on customer experience as central to the brand.
“What it comes down to is customer service. I’m really big on customer service. I think it’s one of the lost arts of a lot of these businesses,” Hicklen said. “We get a lot of good reviews and make people feel welcome.”
