Baristas prepare iced matcha drinks topped with strawberry slices Feb. 3 at SUBCO Coffee & Matcha in Arlington. SUBCO co-owner Anandhitha Krishnan said they plan to open more shops.
It was only 11 a.m. on a Tuesday in February, yet every table at SUBCO Coffee & Matcha was filled. Pairs leaned into conversation while solo customers scrolled on their phones. At one table, a group of four cheerfully played UNO over brightly colored drinks.
Behind the counter at the garnish station, baristas poured bright green matcha into iced lattes. The faint aroma of cold brew lingered, and the drink was soon finished with a layer of cold foam and crushed pistachios. A warm, lightly smoky sweetness drifted from the kitchen blowtorch as banana slices were torched for the tops of matcha drinks.
As Arlington sees a growing number of aesthetic coffee shops, SUBCO Coffee & Matcha on South Bowen Road offers a diverse range of signature drinks that blend Eastern and Western influences, from a salted Oreo hojicha latte to an ube coconut Vietnamese latte.
“Before you get the drink, it should look the best,” said Anandhitha Krishnan, who co-owns the shop with her husband Rakesh Padigela.
Customers gather inside SUBCO Coffee & Matcha on Feb. 3 in Arlington. The Hindi word subco means “for everyone.”
Since its soft opening in January, SUBCO has already drawn attention on social media for its colorful drinks and blue-accented interior. Decorations were hand-selected by Padigela, and the couple’s favorite color — blue — anchors the space, from window frames to stools and shelves. Natural light fills the seating area, reflecting off cement-colored walls to create a muted, cozy feel.
SUBCO is derived from a Hindi phrase meaning “for everyone,” Krishnan said, and the menu reflects that idea. Alongside coffee and matcha, the shop offers boba drinks, smoothies and teas for customers of all ages.
The signature items, however, remain its coffees and matchas. Banana matcha is one of the shop’s most popular drinks, with the fruit adding a subtle sweetness and creaminess that balances the earthy notes of matcha and milk, finished with two caramelized banana slices that add a faint smokiness.
The pistachio cold brew layers smooth coffee with rich foam and pistachio bits. Then there’s the decadent Dubai chocolate latte, which blends velvety chocolate with creamy pistachio. It’s an extravaganza of a drink that feels like a pleasurable dessert in a cup.
Three SUBCO Coffee & Matcha specialty drinks, the Dubai chocolate latte, pistachio cold brew and banana matcha, sit on a counter Feb. 3 in Arlington. The shop serves various drinks for a multitude of people.
That richness appeals to Fort Worth resident Dolores Mendoza, who said she doesn’t typically drink coffee but orders the Dubai chocolate latte.
“You can really taste the chocolate with pistachio flavor,” Mendoza said.
Krishnan and Padigela love coffee but often found themselves driving farther east to satisfy the craving, she said. They developed and tested every recipe themselves, making coffee daily and refining matcha drinks for friends and acquaintances.
They now work with local vendors to source matcha and hojicha from Japan and shop retail for nutty, chocolate-forward beans that complement their other flavors.
“We just want to make drinks that people are happy drinking, and when they’re leaving, they should feel whatever money that they spent wasn’t wasted,” Krishnan said.
Arlington resident Srustika Padigela, 29, makes an espresso drink Feb. 3 at SUBCO Coffee & Matcha in Arlington. Srustika assists co-owner Anandhitha Krishnan with daily operations and beverage service to support the business.
Fort Worth resident Laura Soto, a self-described matcha critic, said she first visited SUBCO for the banana matcha and returned to try the pink cloud matcha. She judges matcha by color and balance, and looks for drinks that aren’t bitter, watery or oxidized.
“A lot of people are wanting to do coffee shops or matcha pop-ups and stuff, but they still don’t really take the time to review baristas or know how to make matcha correctly,” she said. “So it’s really nice to see that people are actually learning and then putting out what they want.”
While she feels confident in the recipes, Krishnan said she is learning to adjust sweetness levels, as some customers find the drinks on the sweeter side. Customers can customize their orders for reduced sweetness, and select drinks are available with zero-sugar options.
One thing SUBCO won’t skimp on is the flavor. Krishnan said she doesn’t want customers to experience what she often has — a flavored latte that loses its character after the first few sips. The drinks may be playful and picture-friendly, but the goal is consistency from first sip to last.
That attention to detail, beyond novelty, was probably what kept a steady stream of customers moving through the door in the next hour.
@DangHLe