Today we’d like to introduce you to Joyci Borovsky.
Joyci, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Years ago, while in college, I found Kava & Kratom. I fell in love with these substances the minute I tried them. They helped me relax and focus at the same time. I was able to be productive without feeling intoxicated/sick/hungover/etc. whatsoever. I moved to NYC to go to school and decided to take a chance and open my own Kava bar because NY at this moment in time, only had 1 in Manhattan.
When I say took a chance, I really mean, took a chance. I didn’t have any business background knowledge. I didn’t go to school for business (I was a biology major). But even though I was somewhat clueless, I was determined and knew that this would work. I wanted to help people in the way that these substances helped me. I knew that once people tried them, they would love them!
Eventually, after a couple of hard working months, the business took off. People feel in love with what we sold and how passionate we were about the experience. It kept people at the bar. We made somewhat of a small, new, community, in a very hectic city.
Once the business grew enough, I decided to move back home (to Miami) and open up a second location! Which brings us to this moment here in time!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been somewhat of a smooth road, but with everything, there are always obstacles and challenges. Owning a business is hard. There are many things you have to take care of on a daily basis. As well as, many people you are responsible for. It takes time away from your life, and it’s easy to lose yourself, especially in the beginning.
I faced many challenges! I opened up a small business and in the beginning had to work there alone for 12 hours a day, while also juggling everything else. Whether it was the constant struggle of juggling school, my business, and a second job or worrying about paying bills to the point where you have to decide whether you’ll eat seven days this week or just 4… It didn’t stop me from trying to make this business successful.
On top of those issues, dealing with people in the food industry can be somewhat draining. You spend all day pleasing people and hoping they enjoy themselves, so they come back. You stop having time for yourself. That’s why I said it’s easy to lose yourself. It’s easy to lose sight of self-care and the importance of your own health.
And last but not least, not only is the turnover rate very high for employees but those said employees, can also quit on you, in the blink of an eye and you have to be ready to drop everything and jump in and be there for your business, so it doesn’t fail.
In the end, though, it was all worth it, and I do not regret anything. My goal in life was to somehow make a difference, and even if it’s not a HUGE difference, it’s still something! I believe I’ve changed a good amount of people’s lives for the better, and continue to do so on a larger scale, in one way or another.
Syndicate Kava Bar & Tap Room – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I own an alternative alcohol bar/restaurant. We provide our customers with a similar experience to a regular bar but without the intoxication part. We are a Mixology Kava bar and only specialize in substances that aren’t too harmful for the body in the long run. People love coming here because, they get to enjoy themselves and still feel ok to drive, be productive the next day (no hangover), be safe because there’s no intoxication, etc.
We have grown a lot, and our menu has too. When we first opened, we had five items on the menu. Now we have over 20! It’s taken us a long time to experiment with these substances and perfect them. But I’m confident enough to say that we have achieved our goals with our brewing methods and recipes. They are very, very different, compared to other Kava bars.
We are the only Kava bar that I know of that actually gives the consumer a tasty, mixology take, on these substances. And trust me, I’m not just saying that, I’ve been to many, many kava bars on the east coast.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being asked to be a part of many articles, including ones with, Forbes magazine and Viceland!
Viceland did two pieces on us, one of which was on TV on their network show “Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia” and the other was on their health forum online called “Tonic.”
But the biggest accomplishment to this day has been, opening up our second location after being open for only two years! It’s been a crazy ride, but we made it!
Contact Info:
- Address: 219 NW 20TH ST Miami FL 33127
- Website: Syndicatewynwood.com
- Phone: 3059607689
- Email: info@syndicatewynwood.com
- Instagram: @Syndicatewynwoodmiami
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/syndicatewynwood/
Image Credit:
Joyci Borovsky, Arleen Gonzalez, Humberto Clavijo, Darron Byrd, Nandy Vides
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