A little room to be.

Kitori began in the summer of 2025, moving through the tea houses of Tokyo and Kyoto — small rooms, slow cups, the quiet choreography of a proper ceremony. Then New York, where we found cafes that took their time: a good matcha, a good hojicha, an aesthetic kept with care.

Philadelphia doesn’t quite have that yet. We mean to be the first to bring it — and to bring it right.

So we surveyed farms, tea farmers and manufacturers across Japan until we found our first benchmark matcha and hojicha. Through samples from many different farms, we uniquely scrutinised and test-tasted, colour-tested and texture-tested until we found everything we were looking for — the cultivar, the notes, the colour, and especially the taste, both as tea and in lattes.

We’re drawn to the things that ask us to pay attention. The feel of a bowl. The sound of a whisk. The first sip, taken slowly.

We’re a Philadelphia brand, coming first to Rittenhouse Square — but if you know, you know.

More teas will follow, each with its own cultivar, character and tin. Until then, we would rather say less and get the first two right.

Sourcing details, farm information and certifications will be published here once confirmed.