Kava bar: the new hotspot
I feel that government’s policy of closing nightclubs and bars at 1am worked to the advantage of kava bars around the country. Before, consumers used to drink grog first then go ‘washdown’ in the clubs
IN edition on January 29, we talked about the increase in kava bars in our local city area, and town centres simply because local kava dealers are now choosing to also cater to the demands of the local market.
One such kava dealer is Nausheem Ali, owner of Commercial Group of Companies which operates a mini-mart, an amusement centre, and a kava centre on the corner of Laucala Bay Rd, and Varani St opposite the University of the South Pacific (USP) Laucala pedestrian gate.
Mr Ali first opened the mini-mart as his first business where it is still located today.
It was operating well and being near the biggest USP campus in the Pacific, of course, the majority of its customers were students. And these were not just local students, but regional and international students as well.
It was during one-semester break that he noticed how regional students, who couldn’t travel back to their home countries for the school break, did not have many options for extracurricular activities on, or near campus.
“During the school break, we were sitting down and we noticed that some of the brothers from the other Pacific Islands couldn’t go home and they didn’t have much extracurricular activities to do here,” Mr Ali said.
“We then got to discussing the possibility of setting up an amusement centre here and that’s when the idea came to also include a kava bar.”
With a purpose in his heart, he invested close to $150,000 in December 2022 to set up an amusement centre, and a kava business. The spaciousness of the place made it possible for him to set up eight billiard tables inside, and 18 tables for kava consumers.
“When we first started, it took a bit of time for us to get the customer-base we wanted but I have to admit that hygiene played a big role in how fast we were able to attract a lot of people to this place.”
It was for this reason that he invested in buying a kava beverage maker, or ‘Magic Kava Bucket’ from the United States and having it shipped over.
The bucket has the capacity to make one gallon, or three litres of kava in one spin. The operator only has to pour the kava into one of two strainers that comes with the bucket, add the preferred amount of water into the bucket, put in the strainer that has the kava, close the top of the bucket with a lid, set the timer and the bucket will do the mixing for them.
This, according to Mr Ali, ensures process of preparing kava for their customers is hygienic and clean.
After the machine is done mixing, the strainer that now contains the kava residue is removed from the bucket and the residue is put in the bin, the mixture is strained again using the second strainer before it is poured into a basin and delivered to the customer.
“We make a sosoko (concentrated) mix and then if somebody wants it diluted, we add water. But, we have a standard mixture. There are three different mixtures that we provide for our customers and they choose which one they want. We have the sosoko mix, the normal mix, and the medium diluted (waicala) mix.
“When customers place their orders with our staff at the front, they let them know which mix they prefer. The staff, when taking their order will note down their preferred mix, and whether they want it to be a $10 mix or more. This order is then taken to the mixing room where the kava is prepared using the machine.
“I bought the machine from the US and it’s funny because even though Fiji and the Pacific are famous for grog, the machine to mix it was produced in the US. Hopefully within two weeks we’ll be able to bring in some more machines.”
For Mr Ali, hygiene is the essence of his kava bar and amusement centre and staff are encouraged to practice cleanliness always.
Sitting in the bar, you’ll see staff walking up and down with cleaning materials, making sure to catch even the slightest drop of kava on your table, or the floor, and ensuring that customers are enjoy their kava, and billiard sessions.
“We have employees who were doing the mix in the past. Bringing in these machines does not mean that they will lose their jobs because we will emphasise more on customer- oriented service.
“For our amusement centre, we close at 1am but people can sit and drink grog outside until early morning. In a day we could sell 200 kava bags, or 300 bags on a busy day.
“I feel that government’s policy of closing nightclubs and bars at 1am worked to the advantage of kava bars around the country. Before, consumers used to drink grog first then go ‘washdown’ in the clubs but now it’s the other way around.
“Consumers would return from the clubs at 1am and ‘washdown’ with grog, and this is a big change.”
He believes that the rise in kava bars will also help consumers save their money because it costs less than alcoholic beverages.
When asked about any intention of expanding his business, he said there are a few things in the pipeline “but it’s a step by step process for me. I am not going to rush into anything but plan things out properly before taking further steps”.
A basin of kava at Commercial Kava Centre sells for $10 and consumers can also play billiard, which is $1 per game, or watch National Rugby League on a big screen that’s stationed in the outside verandah, while enjoying their kava.
– Mr Nausheem Ali