With a business that prioritizes whisking matcha to her own personal form of perfection, Natalie Oun curated her matcha business to represent not only her family name but also what she values most: culture, authenticity, and accessibility.
What started out as serving matcha to her close friends, Natalie Oun began the start of her matcha business out of the kitchen of her apartment, which then gave way to what Oun has now, Noon Matcha, a play on her own name tied into her family’s name.
At the time, Natalie was juggling not only being a full-time student, but also working a job in healthcare.
“I started making it at home because at other coffee shops they would sell it for 8 or 9 dollars for like a really small cup, and then my friends really loved when I made matcha for them, so I started selling it out of my old apartment back at school,” Oun said.
Noon Matcha began to bloom in December of 2025, with the new business beginning to attract customers and attention through social media and word of mouth.
At Oun’s recent pop-up, which was at the Pike Outlets’ recent Flea Market on Saturday, she sold out by 6:30 pm even though the event was set to end at 8 pm.
Matcha continues to grow within cafe culture, and many change their menus to adapt to the growing trends, including Oun, and while she does pay attention to what is popular, Natalie is committed to keeping her personal take on the drinks sold at Noon Matcha.
“I do try my best to keep up with trends, but not to oversaturate myself with them. Obviously, the strawberry matcha is one, but I try to put my twist on it.” Natalie said.
Beyond the drinks themselves, Oun noted the process of connecting with her customers is one part of her business she loves most.
“I actually love making drinks for people, like connecting with people just when I’m making their order as well,” Oun added.
With a classic 16oz matcha starting at 6$ and inclusions like cold foam at 7$, Noon Matcha focuses on the importance of accessible and fair pricing.
Oun noted how different cafes across the Los Angeles area handle inclusions. “I love Community Goods but it’s like, they charge extra for plant-based milk and then for their foam, so I end up paying like 11 or 12 dollars for a tiny cup, it’s I think 12-ounce cups they use. Like it’s good but sometimes I can’t pay for this every single time.”
The accessibility of drinks is an important part of Noon Matcha’s brand, with Natalie trying to keep her prices as approachable as possible for her customers as she works towards something bigger, opening a cafe that also reflects on her Cambodian roots and honors her family’s heritage.
“Both of my parents were chefs and cooks growing up, I’ve always wanted like a cafe or a restaurant, I feel like that’s one of the main motivations for this, especially because I want to open a shop for my parents too.”
As Noon Matcha continues to grow through community and pop-up events, Oun notes how each step is an opportunity to bring her closer to her goal of opening her own personal cafe, with a vast majority of choices that range from not only matcha but milk tea and coffee as well.
These choices include Cambodian-inspired matcha drinks that Oun said aren’t as well-known in mainstream cafe culture, and by including these elements of her culture inside her recipes, Natalie hopes to introduce new flavors her customers may not be familiar with.
“I want more Cambodian-inspired matchas. I think the scary thing is that a lot of people tend to not know what it is.” Natalie said.
With the continuous rise in demand for Matcha, Oun’s responses highlight how small businesses can bring new cultural perspectives into the scene by adding her own cultural influences.
From serving drinks in her apartment kitchen to hosting pop-ups across her community, Oun has continued to grow Noon Matcha with intention, and as she hopes to grow closer to her goal, Natalie Oun will continue to be grounded in the values that started it all.
“In the end, I want this store for me and my family and I want my family to have like a legacy, I guess, or something to have,” Oun said.
