Visuals by Morgan Ellis
Matcha is nearly ubiquitous on San Francisco cafe menus. But Constance (opens in new tab), which opened quietly May 31 in the Outer Richmond, has still managed to check off a couple of firsts. According to owner Bill Tiet, it is the first Bay Area tea shop to mill matcha on-site, and the first to stock black matcha — a rare variation made with full-sun roasted black tea leaves.
Tiet runs the family business with his cousin Ryan Tiet, who manages the self-described “tea studio.” The two have been pleasantly surprised by the turnout. On day one, the line went down the block, with customers waiting around two hours for drinks. And in the month since, they’ve improved their systems to accommodate the crowds. Now most customers wait 10 minutes at most, Bill says…