The Detroit Kombucha Brewing Company hopes not only to expose people to the positive powers of kombucha, but also to become a successful business in the community.
Co-founders Joanna Oaks and Kelley Davis Lyne started formulating the idea for the Detroit Kombucha Brewing Company, a.k.a. DKBCo, nearly three years ago.
Kombucha is a fermented beverage of black tea and sugar that contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and is prized by many cultures for its health-promoting properties.
“Our families have been fermenting foods and beverages for generations,” Lyne says. “Fermentation is not new to us. It has been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember.”
The slightly tart, slightly sweet fermented tea can be described as a “fizzy apple-y cider drink.”
The two business partners both come from families who have been fermenting foods, so it was only natural that they would continue to do the same.
According to Lyne and Oaks, kombucha is a vegan product. Often referred to as the “elixir of life,” it is linked to health benefits such as boosting the immune system, normalizing intestinal activity, and easing joint pain. In addition, the company’s kombucha is certified by the FDA and is 100 percent non-alcoholic.
“Kelley has always struggled with seasonal allergies since moving back to Detroit from the West Coast,” Oaks says. “She is happy to report that she no longer has allergies. We believe it is a result of her daily intake of kombucha.”
The slightly tart, slightly sweet fermented tea can be described as a “fizzy apple-y cider drink.” Lyne and Oaks agree the quality and freshness of kombucha is what sets them apart from other businesses.
The Detroit Kombucha Brewing Company is home to a variety of kombucha products with names that share a special connection to Detroit ranging from “Woodward Ave.” and “Big Three” to the “Dequindre Cut” and “Cadillac Gold.” While the “Cadillac Gold” is bursting with flavors of autumn, such as cinnamon and clove, the “Big Three” is filled with bright bursts of flavor, such as orange and lemon.
“Our ‘Dequindre Cut’ uses cuts of ginger,” Lyne says. “Our ‘Big Three’ refers to our automobile industry, strong and powerful, just like the flavors of ginger, lemon, and orange. Basically, all our flavors relate back to the city.”
Detroit Kombucha has recently been partnering with other organizations to help spread its name across the Motor City and the metro area. After initially partnering with Eli Tea Bar in Birmingham, they have also collaborated with Drifter Coffee.
Oaks and Lyne are also working to get their product into local neighborhood stores in Detroit. Their ultimate goal is to have a brick and mortar store, to be selling kombucha in their very own “kombucha-mobile” at markets and events as well as open their own café.
“Things are ramping up quickly; we have a lot of irons in the fire,” says Lyne.
Instead of only coming up with creative ways to grow their own business, Oakes and Lyne also find ways to support other start-ups.
One of their newest distributors will be Brush Park’s like-minded Chili Mustard Onions restaurant, which features “plant-based” products. The restaurant is scheduled to open this fall.
“We still consider ourselves as a start-up company,” Oaks adds . “We look forward to taking part in some of Detroit’s pitch competitions in the future. As a small business it is hard to keep up with social media, but we try our best to get the word out there.”
One of the biggest lessons this business has taught the two is to never give up. The love and support from their regular customers in the community has helped encourage the Detroit Brewing Company to keep going .
Instead of only coming up with creative ways to grow their own business, Oaks and Lyne also find ways to support other start-ups.
“During the winter months we’ll attend the Detroit Soup competition and share our kombucha with the audience,” Lyne says. “We just ask people to donate and at the end of the competition, we donate the money we collect to the winner of the competition. It’s our way of giving back to entrepreneurs like us.”
Through the Detroit Kombucha Brewing Company, Lyne and Oaks are committed to making the “best tasting” all natural kombucha as well as continuing to be a thriving start-up business destined to expand in the future.
Editor’s Note: To learn more about Bank of America’s many programs and resources for small business owners visit: https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness/business-financing.go
Lead image: Co-founders Joanna Oaks (left) and Kelley Davis Lyne (far right) credit the Eli Tea Bar for helping springboard their product, which is now available in a growing number of retail outlets including Market Fresh.
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