"They can bring it in and they can bag it up when they leave," Oteo says. "We can't touch it, store it or sell it, which is fine by us."
Although the spot won't be serving booze, Oteo says the kava-infused non-alcoholic beverages they will sell can substitute most of the effects of from alcohol. He recommends reading the warnings and side effects before you partake, but the kava root featured in the drink has been said to calm anxiety. In addition to the kava drinks, the lounge will serve a Hawaiian based tapas menu.
As far as entertainment goes, Oteo says the main goal of Kava is to fill a hip-hop void in Boulder while also bringing in EDM DJs to spin on the brand-new sound system. The early schedule features DJ Petey, 40oz Profits and House of Dub. Whiskey Blanket and Seth Abrumz are just a few of the acts who will be at three-night grand opening, which starts Thursday, April 24 and runs until Saturday, April 26 (and, again, presumably well into Sunday morning).
Because the building, which previously housed clubs like Elixir and Soma, is on Broadway between Pearl and Walnut streets, close to other bars in downtown Boulder, Otea thinks Kava is an ideal location for after hours traffic.
"The goal is to have entertainment all night long," Oteo says. "The goal is to keep it going the same steady pace all night.
Oteo was a promoter at Atmosphere Lounge in Denver (which was previously owned by Kava owner Iran Faamausili).
"They don't have anywhere to go or anything really to do so we're going to fill that void," he says. "Boulder's never seen anything like it before. It will definitely make an impact on nightlife."
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