Most people know Ryna Brito-Garcia as the young CEO behind Sunlight Air, a boutique Philippine airline that flies travelers to some of the country’s most sought-after destinations like Siargao, Coron, Boracay, and Siquijor. But while her day job remains running an airline and a handful of other companies, her latest venture was born from a much more personal obsession: matcha.
Why Ryna Garcia Swapped Coffee for Matcha—and Started PODHAUS
That obsession eventually manifested itself into her latest venture PODHAUS, a brand for what they describe as the Philippines’ first ceremonial-grade matcha in espresso-compatible pod form. At first glance, the leap from airlines to matcha may seem unexpected. But for Reyna, both businesses stem from the same passion of wanting to improve the everyday experience through thoughtful design and convenience.
And like some poetic twist of fate, the idea for PODHAUS was actually sparked by Ryna’s own experience—one that involved a pretty serious health scare because Ryna, at one point, was drinking as many as five cups of coffee a day. On the surface, it looked like fuel for her demanding schedule but eventually it caught up to her in the form of severe migraines, forcing her to quit cold turkey.
The decision transformed her daily routine. Unlike coffee, which often left her dealing with peaks, valleys, spikes, and crashes, matcha delivered a steadier, more stable stream of energy. “No crashes. No headaches. Just more consistent energy,” she shared. Beyond the obvious physical benefits, she also found herself immersed in the ritual of preparing the drink—from the whisking, the slow, relaxed pace, and the few quiet moments that came with before the start of another busy day.
Unfortunately, life eventually got in the way.
As she continued managing multiple businesses, those carefully crafted matcha moments became harder to maintain. Mornings got busier. Meetings started earlier. Travel became more frequent. While she still loved matcha, she found herself reaching for coffee again—not because she preferred it, but because it was easier and more convenient.
“I genuinely enjoyed making matcha properly,” she said. “But some mornings, life just doesn’t give you ten extra minutes.”
Making Matcha Fit For Modern Lifestyles
That tension between loving something and not having enough time for it became the foundation of PODHAUS. The breakthrough came when her husband Robbie Garcia, who is also her co-founder, asked a simple question: Why isn’t there an espresso-compatible pod for matcha?
The idea seemed obvious once they said it aloud. The espresso machine was already part of their daily routine, sitting on their kitchen counter—so instead of asking people to adopt a new habit, why not bring matcha into one they already had? What followed was a mission to solve the new age problem of fitting a traditionally slow ritual into the hustle and bustle of a modern schedule without sacrificing quality.
But convenience isn’t enough on its own, so Ryna thought of a product that could deliver the experience she had fallen in love with in the first place. That meant using ceremonial-grade matcha, carefully refining how it would work within the pod system, and obsessing over every detail from flavor to packaging. The result is a product designed for people who are forced to choose coffee out of convenience when they’d really rather have matcha instead.
How PODHAUS Is Building a Lifestyle Brand Around Matcha and Wellness
For Ryna, the appeal of matcha extends far beyond taste. Asked to rate her obsession on a scale of one to ten, she laughed and answered, “Eleven.” The attachment, she explained, has less to do with flavor and more to do with performance. As someone running four companies and making decisions all day, she values the mental clarity matcha provides. “It’s not the jolt of coffee,” she clarified. “Everything gets sharper and quieter at the same time.”
That belief has shaped the broader vision for PODHAUS. While matcha pods were the starting point, the founders see the brand as a platform for elevated daily rituals. The company has already expanded into other products like hojicha featuring ingredients such as collagen, creatine, and vitamin B12, with plans to continue exploring the intersection of wellness, hospitality, travel, and lifestyle. With expansion on the horizon, PODHAUS, at its core, remains rooted in the simple idea that people already know what’s better for them. The challenge is fitting that into their lives.
Ryna loved matcha. She believed in what it did for her energy, focus, and overall well-being. But she just didn’t always have time to whisk it, so she built a way to make sure she—and everyone else—could keep the ritual, even on their busiest days.
Frequently Asked Questions
PODHAUS is a Filipino brand offering ceremonial-grade matcha in espresso-compatible pod form, making premium matcha faster and more convenient to prepare.
PODHAUS was founded by Sunlight Air CEO Ryna Brito-Garcia and her husband Robbie Garcia.
The brand combines ceremonial-grade matcha with the convenience of espresso-machine pods, allowing users to prepare matcha in seconds.
After switching from coffee to matcha due to health concerns and migraines, she wanted a way to enjoy matcha more conveniently without sacrificing quality.
