RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After a year-long battle with the Virginia Department of Health, a non-alcoholic bar in Richmond is finally open.
8News previously reported on the obstacles faced by KavaClub, a Richmond business aimed at selling kava tea. I applied for a business license last year.. KavaClub is now officially open and business is booming. But the key ingredient, kava, is not on the menu.
According to the National Institutes of Health, kava is a plant that, when brewed, has mild psychoactive effects on the user.
Kava Club owner Fred Bryant said he was finally able to open his doors after a long battle with the state, but for now he can only sell non-alcoholic drinks and kombucha.
“I think we've done everything we need to do to be able to serve hippos in Virginia,” Bryant said. “So we hope that the Ministry of Health will allow us to start providing kava soon.”
Bryant said his dream last year was to brew and sell kava, but he wasn't able to open his doors until last week.
“It was horrible on a personal level and financially devastating,” Bryant said. “Experiences in some tough places are the worst experiences ever.”
Bryant said the tea has a calming effect and can reduce anxiety, and can be purchased at gas stations and vape shops right down the street. Because kava itself is legal in Virginia.
Bryant explained that he was initially denied a permit to open his business because the Virginia Department of Health classified kava as a food additive.
“We can't get scientists to agree that the water somehow impurities the kava and makes it a food additive,” Bryant said.
Some progress was made in January, when the ministry announced that the business could receive a license to open but could not yet use the raw material that gives it its name.
“The Department of Health denied our license to operate, saying they relied on FDA guidance. But as we have been objecting all along, it was not actually FDA guidance. , we were able to clarify that in January,” Bryant said.
Bryant said he is still waiting for permission from the state to sell kava. He said he hopes to be able to do that soon.
“It would be great to be able to run a business and do things without any constraints. You know, that's where we really want to get to,” Bryant said.
8News has reached out to the Virginia Department of Health for a statement but has not yet received a response.
KavaClub is currently open Wednesday through Sunday from 4pm to 10pm.
