Business Monday: Ola! New kava bar in Hilo creates welcoming space for relaxation

As the kava tender serves the kava concoction in a shell, everyone in the new bar in the heart of Hilo will then say ‘Ola!’ before drinking together.

The Fijian word, ‘bula,’ is traditionally used to cheer with kava, but the new family-owned Kava Republic is using the ʻōlelo Hawai’i word ola for its Hawaiian-grown kava.

The father-daughter duo Larent and Yaelle Olivier recently opened Kava Republic at 301 Keawe Street. On Friday, they will host a grand opening to showcase the place that provides a sorely-missed piece of Polynesian heritage and a space for community connection and relaxation.

Many customers already have shown their support for the new business, which is filling a void that has been felt since the closure in 2020 of Hilo’s last such bar, Bayfront Kava Bar.

Laurent Olivier, who originally is from New Caledonia, a French territory comprising dozens of islands in the South Pacific, said he saw a need for a kava bar when he first moved to the United States in 2000.

“In America, it felt like everyone was in a rat race, like everyone was always moving or stressed,” he said. “I realized they just needed to drink some kava.

Laurent Olivier used “his roots” and opened one of the first kava bars on the mainland in 2002 in Boca Raton, Fla.

The 60-year old said it was difficult to start his first bar because in the beginning no one wanted to try kava, a drug made from the ground roots of the plant found in the South Pacific that is taken as a drink, supplement or extract.

“Three months after we opened, kava was flagged by the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration],” Laurient Olivier said. “Every news outlet was at our kava bar since we were the only one.”

In 2002, the federal government issued a consumer advisory warning about the potential for liver damage from kava-containing dietary supplements. While this seemed negative at the time, the publicity actually helped Laurent Olivier receive a boost of curious customers now interested in trying kava.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published a memorandum on kava that says it is not safe for human consumption and is classified as a dietary supplement, the Hawai’i Department of Health has stated that kava prepared in the traditional method – mixing the noble variety of ʻawa (kava) root with water or coconut water – meets the “Generally Recognized as Safe” standard.

In 2009, Laurent Olivier opened his second kava bar, Bula Kafe, in St. Petersburg, Fla., which is still open today. After raising two daughters and living on the mainland since emigrating from New Caledonia, he knew in 2017 that it was time to return to an island.

“Because I’m an islander, I was ready to come back to somewhere familiar and to grow kava somewhere I knew it could thrive,” Laurent Olivier said. “I started to grow the Hawaiian ʻawa myself, but it was a lot of work. And with the lava, it is not easy to find good soil.”

Kava was a canoe crop for Hawaiʻi’s earliest Polynesian settlers voyaging alongside kalo, ʻulu (bread fruit) and sweet potatoes among other key crops.

The root was prominent in Kanaka Maoli culture and used in social, medical and religious and ceremonial settings. It had virtually disappeared from everyday life by the mid-1900s, with only isolated communities keeping the tradition and culture alive until its revival during the Native Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s.

Kava as a drink is derived from the roots and the bottom portion of the plant stem, which gives it an earthy flavor. Those who consume the drink know it works when the mouth or tongue begin to feel a little numb and the body relaxes, but the mind remains stimulated for the day ahead.

After a few years of developing his farm, Laurent Olivier is now one of the biggest ʻawa farmers in Hawai’i, the only place where kava is grown in the North Pacific.

When he found an opportunity to occupy a vacant space in downtown Hilo, Laurent called his 27-year old daughter and asked her to quit her engineering job in Florida and move to Hawai’i to start Kava Republic together. Although unexpected, it was an easy choice for her.

“He always told me to go to school for a good degree in case the FDA takes away kava, so that’s what I did. Next thing you know, December 31 is my last day and I’m on a plane on January 4 this year,” Yaelle Olivier said. “I grew up around the kava bars, but this is the first time my dad and I have gone into business together and we’ve been able to get this place put together in only 2 months.”

Since starting this new venture, Yaelle Olivier has helped Laurent create a menu of different types of kava, coffee, kombucha and other non alcoholic drink options.

They also hired a staff of six people and have created an authentic kava experience with a space where people can chill or chat with old and new friends.

“Kava helps you relax and feel mellow, but it is also more than that,” Yaelle Olivier said. “It’s the atmosphere and we hope people come in with curiosity to learn about the history and culture behind kava.”

Laurent Olivier said it is important for people to have a community space to just sit and relax after a long day full of stress.

“There aren’t many places that can offer that without alcohol,” he said. “I want everyone to appreciate kava, but more than that I want customers to feel that we’re serving them happiness in a place where they feel safe and can be themselves.”

The duo has been planning weekly events to host at Kava Republic and has held a pop-up open mic night to see if people were interested in that type of event.

“Kava and music go well together, because people tend to want to sing more when they are more relaxed,” Yaelle Olivier said.

“I think having Open Mic Nights, poetry slams, art shows, and anything that gives people a place to mellow out after a long day,” she added. “We also have a quiet corner with plenty of outlets, free wifi and public restrooms. The idea is that you come in to stay for a bit with no rush to leave.”

Kava Republic will be opening from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day in Hilo beginning on Friday. Follow the kava bar’s Facebook or Instagram pages to stay up-to-date on the new business.

“We’ve poured our hearts into creating a space that honors the tradition of kava and provides a welcoming environment for the community,” Yaelle Olivier said. “We’re thrilled to share our carefully crafted kava and the culture it represents with Hilo.”