We were lucky to catch up with Stevie Leszyk recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stevie, thanks for joining us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

That’s a tough question to answer for a guy like me, there’s been crazy events here and a lot of my menu even is what most would probably deem crazy! One of the craziest things about launching Cave Valley Kava is it being the first ever kava specific business concept in Kentuckiana and most of the surrounding region too. I constantly find myself having to explain to people what kava is, which can get redundant but being able to educate folks about something that can lead to healthier life choices for them is important to me because I enjoy helping others. A lot of people think the location is crazy too, being on the outskirts of town, but there have been lots of repeat customers from the neighborhood who have either been using kava before the doors here opened or started embracing it because of my business moving in here so it’s really been ideal.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I first started selling kava in 2016 at a natural apothecary in the northeast, and the next year I moved onto a bigger international market in the midwest where I could help spread its popularity moreso. It wasn’t until 2020 when my own kava use really ramped up after quitting alcohol, like the path many kava drinkers have taken. It’s very useful for cutting booze out of your life, among a long list of other benefits. Around then, I started dreaming of becoming a kavatender because my professional background as a whole really lends itself to the operations of a kava lounge. I had been a barista, worked at multiple smoothie bars, toured internationally as a musician, and been a successful audio engineer; so I was confident that I could combine all my interests into a really positive community space centered around kava. This is something that has been years in the making and I can’t thank all my past mentors enough for setting me up for success in this niche corner of the business world. I’ve worked very unique jobs before that don’t exist in most towns, such as processing motion picture film in a darkroom, so random stuff like that showed me it was possible to create a job for myself in a place where the job had never existed before.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Yes, up until only a few months ago actually this was not financially my main job. I started the business with very little startup funding, it took up just 5 square feet as a portable bar that I would pop-up across Louisville with. I think that really helped spread awareness of kava in town and get my name out there in the right communities. Plus I was in a race against time to secure bragging rights as Kentucky’s 1st kava bar, which worked out in my favor because shortly after I launched my business there was someone in Georgetown, Kentucky who tried to start a kava bar there. They eventually rebranded as a café and currently Cave Valley Kava is the only kava specific business here. That was an exciting time to be a mobile vendor in Louisville alongside so many cool small businesses. Not only was I operating one of the maybe two or three bicycle carts in town, also less than a year after opening I was able to join a long list of my peers who were going brick and mortar.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Yes, I am the only kavatender in Louisville right now. That means I am brewing my own kava using ancient methods, and developing a growing menu of kavatails for a more modern twist. Brewing kava is so much fun! I think that’s why more and more of my customers keep getting the necessary supplies from me so they can do it themselves at home. My kava is really strong. I only did brief market research in Asheville, Orlando, and Tallahassee before I launched Cave Valley Kava so I wasn’t someone going out to a lot of kava bars acclimating myself to their flavors and such like many other kava bar owners. I kind of leaned more on what made me feel good when I was coming up with recipes and I like strong kava.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cvklou.company.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cavevalleykava
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/people/Cave-Valley-Kava/100089075743850/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cavevalleykava?si=lpospMa71jSBSsti