The high-end restaurant teamed with a Japanese green tea expert to build a zero-proof drink list and an additional revenue stream.
The growth of the sober-curious movement is pushing restaurants to look beyond high-margin alcoholic beverages toward other revenue streams on the beverage side. For New York City’s upscale Nobu, Japanese green tea may be an answer.
“About 30% of guests in fine dining are foregoing alcohol. Green tea is similar to wine in artistry and expression,” said Matt Hoyle, corporate chef for Nobu Restaurants. “You can use green teas to build a non-alcoholic list and charge up to $20 when you present it elegantly in a wine glass.”
Zach Mangan, founder and CEO of Kettl, a company that works directly with growers in Japan to select and import tea, agreed. “Both tea and wine can be described in terms or terroir, cultivar, producer and flavor characteristics,” he said.
Mangan, a renowned tea expert, worked with Hoyle to develop pairings…
