New S. Front Coffee Shop Leans Into Asian Techniques, Flavors

Cafe Mata, a new South Front District shop in the Yoga Salt lobby, opened on July 4th. Sesa O’Connor, a yoga teacher and owner of Yoga Salt, has been working on the idea for years to bring good quality, delicious, and healthy coffee to Wilmington. The two entrepreneurs have been lifelong friends and have been raising their children within interconnected families.

Cafe Mata is a plant-based cafe that features around 20 items, with the left side being high octane and the right side being caffeine-free. The decaffeinated items include the ube latte, which has a purple hue and a sweetness naturally imbued by the inclusion of Japanese sweet potato. The sakura, made of cherry blossom powder, is also featured, making it a floral experience.

The most popular caffeine drink at Cafe Mata is the Midnight Dream, which is a blend of two shots of espresso mixed with activated charcoal from the husks of a coconut shell. This highly detoxifying drink is surprisingly smooth and dramatic to look at. The Japanese iced coffee sips like iced tea, with zero acidity and a clean, pure taste. Herbal tonics are also featured in the Nagomi or Okita lattes, which consist of adaptogens like ashwagandha and cordyceps mushrooms.

Tea lovers can enjoy jasmine or Thai varieties, sourced from Numi tea. The Thai iced tea does not contain preservatives, sugar, or faux dye, but instead adds an all-natural root to the black tea to give its classic coloring and avoids condensed milk. Sweetening everything with agave and using local honey, O’Connor sources the bees herself and takes care of them, ensuring it is not mass-produced.

The coffee shop also serves homemade baked goods, all vegan, including truffles, brownies, matcha rice krispies or quinoa crispies, and raw cheesecake. The owners, Tamal Dodge and Sesa O’Connor, also make many of the baked items personally in a commercial kitchen in nearby South Front Apartments. They source muffins and cookies from local vegan baker Golden Dawn and gluten-free donuts from Cravings.

Cafe Mata is a unique and sustainable coffee shop located in the Yoga Salt lobby, offering a variety of decaffeinated and vegan options. The cafe is open to both customers and employees, and O’Connor and Dodge are committed to providing high-quality, healthy, and delicious coffee to their customers.

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