Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristina Ivory.
Cristina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today? Angry Booch came to life through my passion for health and fitness. After the birth of my child, I found myself overweight and unhappy. I decided on a fresh start and decided to change my diet and exercise. I soon began teaching fitness classes at FIU and LA Fitness. I read about kombucha and the benefits of probiotics for overall health, nutrient absorption, and weight loss. I began buying store-bought and it was one of those things that didn’t taste so great I had to get used to. One day I went to a farmer’s market and tasted a local vendor’s kombucha and was amazed by how good it was. I figured it couldn’t be that hard to make on my own, so I bought some SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) online and got to work! I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to make, and it tasted great. I started to bring it to my office and share with coworkers for feedback and people told me I should start selling it! July 2015, I decided to start a company “Angry Booch” that made and sold kombucha at farmers markets. I was working full time, juggling late nights of kombucha making at home and Saturdays at the market. The customer feedback was so encouraging to keep persisting so I did. Over time I was selling more and more, and there was demand for wholesaling and events that would overlap with work and the market. I could never deliver on these requests because I didn’t have space or time to produce those volumes. I was too scared to quit my job and leave the security of a nice paycheck every two weeks and remained in a job that didn’t make me feel fulfilled. It got to a point where I was unhappy and tired of all aspects of my life, luckily my boyfriend that had met me when I started and been by my side throughout the whole journey told me what I know I needed to do — quit my job. Two years later in August 2017, I put in my notice and we leased a property that we would turn into a brewery and Miami’s 1st kombucha taproom.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? HA – If it were easy, everyone would be doing it! Other than weather volatility of the markets, there have been a few bumps in the road. There were times where I had to work late nights and weekends at my office job to fix emergencies that would be catastrophic for the company. I’d have to use my lunch break to go on Costco and bottle runs, deliver bottles to customers and even take a food safety exam so I could rent a commercial kitchen! Sharing a kitchen wasn’t easy and space was limited. We could only make kombucha when the kitchen wasn’t in use which would be evenings after 6 or Sundays before noon. We were limited to one shelving unit that was in the common area of the kitchen where messes were inevitable, so we had to ensure everything was covered and tamper proof. There have also been hurdles to obtain all proper licensing and permits, in the beginning, and as of late – although these are necessary they’re still nerve wrecking.
Angry Brooch – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition? Angry Booch is a kombucha and fermented food creator located in Miami, Florida. We are known for our great tasting kombucha, and flavors you can actually taste. We strive to be ethical and fair to our customers and planet. We have a bottle recycling program where customers can buy a bottle they can continuously refill for a discount. We compost all the materials we use in preparing our ferments to give back to the earth we have taken from. Our taproom bar and window counter are made from 100% reclaimed wood. Angry Booch is a woman and minority-owned in an industry full of men.
What is “success” or “successful” for you? Success for me is having happy, satisfied customers that keep returning for more. If our products are well received and the business needs to produce more to keep up with demand we are succeeding. Even better than that is being able to provide for our family with this business and live a life we are all happy with.
Contact Info:
- Address: 16936 S. Dixie Hwy
Palmetto Bay, FL 33157 - Website: www.angrybooch.com
- Phone: 3055463315
- Email: angrybooch@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angrybooch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angrybooch/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/angrybooch
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/angry-booch-palmetto-bay
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