Manhattan, NY — Cha Cha Matcha, the coffee and tea café located inside Moynihan Train Hall at 421 8th Avenue, received a score of 30 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on March 26, 2026, placing the establishment in Grade C territory. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 30, 2026.
The score reflects one critical violation documented by inspectors, with no non-critical violations recorded during the same visit.
What Inspectors Found
The single violation cited at Cha Cha Matcha was classified as critical under DOHMH Code 04H, which addresses food that is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with the establishment's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan.
A HACCP plan is a food safety management system that identifies potential hazards in food preparation and handling, and outlines specific controls to prevent those hazards from reaching consumers. When an establishment's food is found to be out of compliance with its own HACCP plan, or when food is identified as adulterated or contaminated, inspectors are required to cite the violation as critical, given the direct public health implications.
No additional violations were noted during the inspection.
Food Safety Context
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to handle, store, and prepare food in ways that prevent contamination and adulteration at every stage of service. Critical violations under this code are those determined to pose a direct risk to public health, as distinct from general violations, which typically involve conditions that could become hazardous over time.
The FDA Food Code, which provides the federal framework underlying many local food safety regulations, similarly classifies food adulteration and cross-contamination as priority violations, requiring immediate corrective action. Inspectors may direct staff to discard affected food on the spot when contamination is identified during an active inspection.
A score of 30 places Cha Cha Matcha in the Grade C range. The establishment was not ordered closed as a result of this inspection.
Inspection History
Cha Cha Matcha has undergone several DOHMH inspections in recent years. The prior record shows a generally favorable history, with Grade A scores on multiple visits:
- August 8, 2025: Score 10 (Grade A)
- May 6, 2025: Score 21
- November 13, 2023: Score 12 (Grade A)
- March 29, 2023: Score 20
- February 27, 2023: Score 5 (Grade A)
The March 2026 result represents a notable change from the restaurant's most recent inspection in August 2025, when it scored a 10. The May 2025 and March 2023 visits produced scores in the low-to-mid 20s — falling in the Grade B range — while inspections in late 2023 and early 2023 returned Grade A scores.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City requires restaurants to post their most recent letter grade in a visible location near the entrance. Grades are assigned based on the total point score accumulated during an inspection, with higher scores indicating more or more serious violations:
- Grade A: 0 to 13 points
- Grade B: 14 to 27 points
- Grade C: 28 points or more
When a restaurant scores in the B or C range on an initial inspection, it has the option to request a re-inspection before a grade is officially posted. The grade ultimately displayed reflects either the initial score or the re-inspection score, depending on the outcome.
Inspection records for all New York City food service establishments are publicly available through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov, which is updated regularly as new inspections are completed and reviewed.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Cha Cha Matcha (Located Inside Moynihan Train Hall) including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.