Biz class to barista: UMKC student’s mobile matcha cart hand-whisks crowds of thirsty fans

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter.

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HerCafe, a matcha business founded by a University of Missouri-Kansas City student and her friend, has found success with its weekend popups around the metro area; Customers line up at mosques, wellness events and outside clothing stores for a taste of their specialty drinks

Co-founders Lujyn Elsayed (left) and Yasmen Hassen (right) serving their drinks at the Suhoor Fest in Dallas, Texas in March 2025; photo by Kowthar Shire, KCUR

Hassen was a junior studying Business Administration when she co-founded the matcha business. Running HerCafe and juggling classes wasn’t easy, but Hassen found that, as a business major, there was a lot of overlap between the two.

She’s currently taking an entrepreneur class that aligns with her experience running HerCafe.

UMKC Q&A: Student brews matcha empire with HerCafe

“I’ll be dealing with an issue for HerCafe, and I’m taking that class, and it literally answers the issue that I was dealing with,” said Hassen. “It’s cool to see how different things that I’m doing and my day to day overlap and cross with one another.”

Hassen and Elsayed did not expect engagement and support from the local community right away. People line up outside the door for their popups and post reviews or shoutouts on their social media pages.

Just three minutes after the HerCafe popup starts, eager customers fill the store and a line extends outside; photo by Kowthar Shire, KCUR

“It’s been super surreal just seeing people post about us,” said Elsayed. “I’ll be scrolling on my TikTok and I’ll see a video of, like, come with me to try HerCafe Matcha.”

A lot of HerCafe’s success comes from Hassen and Elsayed’s dedication to innovating on seasonal flavors. Some specialty matcha flavors include date cardamom and baklava for the month of Ramadan; lavender-infused Earl Grey tea and berry chantilly for spring; and peached cobbler, spiced pumpkin and blueberry crumble for fall.

A couple of HerCafe’s specialty drinks sit on the counter as customers wait for their orders; photo by Kowthar Shire, KCUR

Through running the mobile cart, they both learned how much goes into preparation behind the scenes. They have to figure out how much supply they need for each popup, test new recipes and make sure customers are happy with their drinks.

And it helps to hear directly from customers what HerCafe can work on and what it’s doing right.

“Community feedback has been really, really helpful to improve our strategies,” said Elsayed. “Sometimes we’ll get it right then and there. Or we’ll get it through DMs (direct messages) and stuff like that.”

Three of HerCafe’s Blueberry Crumble matchas ready to be served; photo by Kowthar Shire, KCUR

HerCafe turned one last month, and Hassen and Elsayed hope its success continues to grow, especially as Kansas City gains a global spotlight with the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer.

While they like the accessibility and flexibility the mobile format provides, they hope to find something that’s more consistent for them and build their team and network as they grow.

“I think the sky is definitely the limit with what we can do,” Hassen said. “Just trying to take it one day at a time and make those intentional goals for ourselves as well.”