The group was inside Kava Culture Kava Bar on Industrial Street in Denton. The space is surrounded by white walls, hanging lights, several lounge areas and a bar top that resembles the ocean. A unique hybrid of a coffee shop and bar, this location aims to be a culturally diverse gathering spot for the community, says owner and Allen resident David Darrigan.
Aromas of sweet treats mixed with kava hang in the air while voices of the “kava-tenders” echo in the room. This spot came to Denton in November 2021 and has since introduced its culture and menu to Dentonites. The drinks here are made with kava, a root from the South Pacific that is “made in the traditional way of squeezing the root” according to their site. Kava is supposed to serve as a muscle relaxer and provide a sense of calm or well-being.
Elixir, another drink on tap at Kava Culture, is a tea leaf from Southeast Asia “with deep roots in Chinese and South Asian medicine,” according to the website. This tonic is an “immune-boosting miracle plant" that is brewed into teas.
Kava had its breakthrough in the U.S. about five years ago but has been around for centuries in Fiji, South Asia and Hawaii. In these places, it’s common to see a kava bar on a local corner.
Customers can choose from kava on tap or a variety of mixed drinks ranging from This $h!t is Bananas (a creamy chocolate, banana and almond cream fusion) to Fijian Sunset (an island fruit blend mixed with raspberry flavoring). When ordering, customers can also pick their desired feeling: joy, relaxation, energy, stamina or social, without fear of hangover or alteration of the central nervous system.
“Anyone who’s anxious [or] tight, kava’s very good to relax them, which then makes them more apt to be social,” Darrigan says. “A lot of the same reasons people drink alcohol, they drink kava to replace it.”
Darrigan says he wants the location to become an all-purpose shop for people to rejuvenate in a matter of minutes. Ideally, Kava Culture aims to have people in-and-out of the shop consistently from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., working or studying in the morning and afternoon, then returning to enjoy events, music and game nights in the evening.
“It’s a place where you can still come and be social and have fun and have the traditional bar experience, but in a calmer, safer environment where there’s no fights because the drinks don’t change your personality,” Darrigan says. “[They] just affect your mood.”
Darrigan broke into the kava industry after spending some time in Florida during his main gig as an emergency room doctor and supervisor. While he was there, he discovered kava while exploring Florida and found it to be relaxing, leading him to open Kava Culture’s first franchise in North Texas.
“I thought, ‘Man, I really wish we had one back home in Texas,’” he says. “I looked it up [and] we didn’t really have any here, so I thought, ‘You know, it might be a good idea.’”
Despite living in Allen, Darrigan spent months screening the Dallas area for the home of Kava Culture, and that is when he came across Denton. He found the vacant space on Industrial Street and spent about three months transforming it.
As a franchise owner, he was equipped with the drinks and supplies to make the Denton location consistent with its Floridian roots.
Before opening, Darrigan led construction efforts including painting the building, marketing the drinks and events, hiring personable employees and getting the staff excited about kava. He says the staff is a crucial part of the business as they guide people to a valuable kava experience.
“We’re building some regulars, but still every day it’s somebody’s first time [for the] new experience,” he says. “We take them through what kava is, what elixir is, how to navigate the menu and answer any questions.”
Kava Culture manager Caro Kauffman was brought on board during the opening process to handle day-to-day duties around the shop.
“There are all different kinds of things to learn and try,” Kauffman says. “Get to know your kavatender and they will help guide you through the menu.”
Kratom is another substance sold at Kava Culture, and its benefits, along with elixir, depend on what time of year it’s harvested. There’s one vein for mental focus and clarity, one for joy, one for physical energy and another for total body relaxation to aid aches and pains.
“There’s a lot of negative stipulations out there about kratom, but that’s really the kind of gulper manmade kratom that you get at the smoke shops, totally different from what we have,” he says. “Ours is 100% brewed tea form that’s not addicting, and it’s just a tea.”
The drinks served at Kava Culture are tea-based and are shipped to Denton from the South Pacific in a powder form that is used to make large batches of tea in a matter of one-to-three hours, depending on the drink. This is then shaken with different flavors to make a milky, mixed beverage.
Kelly Gage, a Kava Culture regular and Texas Woman’s University graduate student, says her favorite thing to order is the cherry limeade tap drink, especially on Thursday bingo nights; a bingo card and a drink are just $10.
“I like going because it’s really cozy,” Gage says. “[It] has couches and comfy seating, good music and free WiFi. The drinks do calm you.”
In the future, Darrigan hopes to open more locations throughout Dallas, as long as the Denton location is “turning some profits.” He’s looking at Texas Christian University or Southern Methodist University campuses to bring the horned frogs and mustangs a similar experience that UNT students get.
“It’s given me a whole new avenue of learning,” he says. “[...] It’s nice to have something relaxing in the evening or if you’re stressed and not have to turn to alcohol.”
Kava Culture, Kava Bar, 109 Industrial St. (Denton), 8 a.m. - 12 a.m. Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 2 a.m. Friday - Sunday
