Atlanta’s kava enthusiasts present the drink to first-timers with plenty of disclaimers: Yes, it’s ancient. No, it won’t get you drunk. Yes, it can make your tongue numb. Yeah, sometimes it tastes like dirt.
You’re going to love it.
It’s a necessary hurdle for the newly opened kava bar Tea’z Social in Little Five Points, aimed at bringing the popular global kava scene to the heart of Atlanta. The kava bar and restaurant took over the shuttered Camelli’s Pizza storefront that closed after 26 years of business in late 2022.
Kava bars have exploded in coastal cities all across Florida, but the non-alcoholic drink has yet to reach major popularity in Georgia. There’s Kava Mama on the west side, the city’s first kava bar, and a few other kava shops in the area. But the national drink of Fiji is still relatively underground in Atlanta. Tea’z Social hopes to change that.
Co-owner Joe Lewis opened the spot in December with Casey Deyton after wanting a change in their career behind the bar. They were inspired by the bustling kava scene in Florida and decided to bring the drink back home.
“Being able to get Atlanta on board is the biggest thing,” Lewis said. “It was this ongoing education of this new concept.”
Kava isn’t actually a new drink. It comes from the kava plant in the pepper family and has roots dating 3,000 years back. The plant originates from Oceania through selective cultivation. Once turned into a drink, kava is said to have mild sedative and “euphoric” effects. Lewis said in the Pacific Islands, it’s common to open a bottle of kava instead of a bottle of wine.
Lewis said it takes some work to convince people to try the drink in Atlanta. In the United States, it gained some popularity as an alternative to alcohol for the sober and “sober-ish.” It does not make people drunk, but it does have a mild calming effect.
“I tried it in early college, and it didn’t do anything; I didn’t understand it,” Lewis said. “I didn’t touch it again for years.”
Eventually, Lewis cut down their alcohol intake and gave kava another try. Within months, their blood pressure went down, and they lost 20 pounds. Lewis was sold on kava. Still, it wasn’t until their job in the acting industry was heavily impacted by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strikes that Lewis and Deyton decided to pivot into bar ownership.
“I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years, I was just ready for a change,” Lewis said. “We were curious to see if other people were too.”
Creating an approachable kava menu for newcomers and enthusiasts alike would be another hurdle. The team crafted a menu of drinks ranging from house kava served in traditional shells to “Kava-ritas” and adventurous flavors like “Strawberries and Cream.”
Tea’z Social bartender Carmen Luse said kava functions as the base for many Tea’z Social drinks, much like liquor. Other drinks add kava to beloved drinks like Thai tea turned into the “Thai Me Up.”
But what does kava taste like? The bartenders won’t lie. On its own, kava is “earthy” and tastes like a mouthful of dirt. The pure drink is an acquired taste for some. But the specialty drinks, called “ALT-Tails,” transform kava entirely.
The “Strawberries and Cream” with kava, strawberry syrup and cream tastes reminiscent of powdered Yoo-hoo strawberry milk. The “Kava-rita” tasted like a bit of tea mixed with a non-alcoholic margarita.
A few sips of kava have little to no impact on the body, but a few drinks left a slight “buzz.” Not quite like alcohol, but a lightness and looseness on the muscles. Some enthusiasts say it’s safe to drive after drinking kava, but some experts say the drink still impairs drivers by slowing reflex times. The effect fades within an hour or two and leaves no hangover effects.
Once kava is explained and demystified, it’s easy to see why there is such a dedicated following of kava drinkers across the country. But Lewis wants to make Tea’z Social a destination for everyone — not just seasoned drinkers.
“We’re trying to help sober-ish happen,” Lewis said.
Co-owners Lewis and Deyton wanted to make Tea’z Social a true “hangout spot.” It’s open from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. for daytime and evening crowds. It can be a coffee shop feel, or it can be a bar.
Kava bartender Luse was drawn to the spot as an alternative to a typical bar. She doesn’t drink, but many of her friends do. Luse spent most of her time at bars with people significantly more intoxicated than her. When she discovered Tea’z Social, she found the social aspects of a bar without alcohol.
“This is exactly what I was missing,” Luse said.
She said the kava helps with her social anxiety. The calming effect helps her be more chatty and sociable.
But to be a social space, the team first had to turn the former pizza place into a more bar-like atmosphere. The original booths were cleared out to make space for a stage, pool table, couch and gaming area.
There are shelves of board games for customers to choose from and a communal switch for gaming. The entire first floor is decked out with neon lights and fake plants. The second floor has a smaller bar themed after “Alice in Wonderland.” That’s where high-end drink events will occur. The team aims to open the upstairs outdoor patio in time for the summer.
There’s a do-it-yourself charm to the interior. Each bathroom is themed with paint and decor, as is the upstairs bar. It feels like a hangout space created by hand instead of a design team. The energy changes throughout the day, too. The natural light and greenery add to the “day bar” feeling, while the neon light and eclectic decor push it into a nighttime bar feel.
There are traces of the former pizza place inside, but Tea’z Social is carving its own path. The bar and restaurant has a full food menu with breakfast, salads, sandwiches and surprisingly good pizza. It also hosts a roster of events, including “trippy trivia” on Thursday nights, game nights every Wednesday, Tuesday drag bingo, live music and discussion-based gatherings.
Lewis aims to make Tea’z Social a safe, eclectic space for everyone. It helps that they opened up in Atlanta’s bohemian Little Five Points neighborhood, known for oddball businesses, festivals and a “weird” sensibility.
“It’s such a great, perfect fit for us with a community that has been on the forefront of being alternative, cutting edge and even just cool,” Lewis said.
Editor’s note: In the interest of full transparency, Carmen Luse is the daughter of Maria Saporta.
