Even though she was making about $250,000 a year as a software engineer, Michelle Yang felt increasingly disconnected from her job.
“I wanted to transition into making someone’s day better or making someone happy in some way,” she told CNBC Make It. Rather than quit immediately, she spent several months exploring what would happen next.
In the summer of 2024, Yeung noticed the lack of high-quality options in Manhattan and asked herself, “Why is my matcha better?” and began seriously considering opening a matcha cafe in Manhattan.
But Yong had no intention of quitting her well-paying job without any plans.
Michelle Yang inside Matcha House.
Mickey Todiwala
Before leaving software engineering, she worked 5 a.m. shifts at Starbucks to learn how to run a cafe, traveled to Japan to research matcha, and amassed savings that she later used to start a business.
She currently runs a matcha house on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The business has been on track to be profitable since its first year and is gradually recouping its start-up costs.
“I’m much happier now,” she says.
Worked ‘undercover’ at Starbucks: ‘I was on my own little mission’
When Yeung decided that Matcha Café might be the perfect next step, he began learning everything he could before quitting software engineering.
She traveled to Japan to learn how matcha, a drink made from finely ground green tea powder, is sourced, prepared and served. She took notes on harvesting techniques and whisking methods, and tested different powder-to-water ratios to achieve consistent results.
Returning to New York, she recruited friends to try different matcha varieties and continued researching whether the shop would be a financial success.
She said she had no experience working in the restaurant industry, so she spent “several months” working “undercover” at Starbucks from about 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. before attending a software engineering conference in the morning.
Michelle Yang makes matcha tea.
Mickey Todiwala
“I was on my own little mission,” Yang says.
Preparations also included finding a storefront. Yeung spent months traveling around and meeting with landlords, many of whom were reluctant to rent to first-time business owners.
Eventually, she found a small space on a side street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. She later described it as “pretty perfect”. It’s small, well located, and relatively affordable for this neighborhood.
By March 2025, Yeung had accumulated more than $200,000 in savings and felt ready to leave software engineering.
There were some surprises on the opening day
Despite all the preparations, starting the business came with unexpected challenges.
Yeung said contractors often failed to complete the work they promised, leading to delays and a series of last-minute setbacks. The cafe was packed with people the night before its soft opening for friends and family.
“There was a flood going on behind the curtain, and all we had to do was mop it up,” Yong said.
She says she couldn’t have opened her business without the help of friends who assembled furniture, hung curtains and prepared the space in the final days before launching.
When Matcha House first opened in July 2025, Yong was working 12-hour days and whipping all the drinks herself.
“For the first two months, I just believed in whipping myself up every time I had a drink,” she says.
Michelle Yang at the cafe.
Mickey Todiwala
Over time, she learned to take on more responsibilities. Matcha House now employs about 10 part-time workers, and Yeung no longer has to be behind the counter every day. Looking back on his time at Starbucks, Yeung said it provided him with a crash course in the industry “in a short amount of time” before opening Matcha House.
Yeung says the cafe has been on track to turn a profit since its first year, and is slowly recouping the money invested to get the business off the ground.
She plans to pay herself about $33,000 in 2026 while reinvesting much of her business profits back into the company. She keeps her personal expenses low, typically spending less than $2,500 a month.
“My life is more about what I do every day than how much money I make now,” Yong says. “It’s been a year since I started the business, and I’m just grateful that I was able to get through the year and survive another year.”
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