PARU Tea: How the viral matcha spot is transforming tea culture with love and purpose

What happens when a viral tea brand moves beyond the café model? For Amy Truong and Lani Gobaleza, it meant embracing a deeper purpose — blending sustainability, mindfulness and tradition. PARU Tea has evolved from a trendy matcha destination into a space dedicated to single origin, custom loose-leaf tea and tea experiences.

But their journey is more than just a business pivot, it's a love story rooted in shared passion and bold choices. In this episode, we dive into how this couple is redefining tea culture in San Diego, proving that slowing down can be just as revolutionary as going viral.

" It really goes into the principle of Japanese tea ceremony. 'Ichigo ichie' is one chance, one meeting. You always want to be your present self because you never know what tomorrow might bring. Everything at this moment counts," Amy said.

Guests:

• Amy Troung, PARU Tea founder
• Lani Gobaleza, PARU Tea co-founder/marketing & partnerships

Teas sampled during our conversation:

• PARU's matcha is freshly milled in their La Jolla shop from shade-grown tencha leaves.
• Hanadoki ("flowering season" in Japanese) is PARU's original blend of cherry blossoms, sencha (sun-grown green tea) and rose petals.
• Blue Chamomile, PARU's first signature blend, combines organic chamomile flowers and butterfly pea flower grown in Thailand.

Photos: A look behind the scenes at PARU’s journey, space and tea culture.

Mentioned in this episode:

• PARU Tea | La Jolla tea shop specializing in loose-leaf tea and matcha sourced from small farms around the world
• An's Dry Cleaning | North Park gelato shop featuring Sandals, a gelato made with PARU's Blue Chamomile tea
• Bica | Normal Heights coffee shop serving drinks made with PARU tea
• Hatsuzakura | University Heights Japanese café offering PARU loose-leaf teas and milk teas steeped with PARU blends