From Illinois to Florida: A Kavatender's Journey of Love and Adventure

Hi, I'm Laurelyn Weihmeir, your favorite Kavatender at Kava Luv!

How did I get here... Well, that's a great question! I am originally from Illinois, the home of not a single Kava Bar. I graduated high school in the middle of COVID and took some online classes for college, but eventually came to the conclusion that I was bored and needed a change. So, I packed up my little Ford Escape and headed to Florida to stay with my aunt. I didn't have a single plan, except to enjoy the sunshine state while it was snowing in Illinois.

I ended up stumbling upon a Kava Bar in Fort Myers. I had never heard of Kava or botanical tea, but I instantly fell in love. You're telling me that I can have a great feeling, talk to friends, meet new people, and there's no alcohol? YESSS!! I applied that day and got the job! I am so thankful for my time there as I was able to meet some of my best friends. I genuinely think my life in Florida would have been drastically different if I didn't find out about Kava Bars. But my plan was to only stay for five months, so as much fun as it was, it was time to go home.

I missed Florida so much. One thing led to another, without too much convincing, and I was going back... permanently. Mike already had a spot saved for me at Kava Luv. We met back in Fort Myers at the other Kava Bar, and he was convinced I'd come back and insisted that I come work for him. He was right, I couldn't stay away. So now, I work at Kava Luv, hands down the best Kava Bar in Southwest Florida... My unbiased opinion, of course... I mean, I have gone to most of them, and this definitely has the best drinks and the best people. The regulars are why I get excited to come to work every day. I feel like I get paid for hanging out with my friends!

I have also been running the Instagram for the Tea Time (a brand new delicious botanical tea seltzer), which opened up the door to run the Social Media and Marketing for Kava Luv. Now, honestly, the only experience I have is coming up with silly captions and pressing post. (I think they just gave it to the weirdest person on the payroll.) But here I am, making silly videos and posting them for our TikTok and Instagram followers to see, and I am so happy to say that I have so much fun at my job every day. And when I'm not working, I come in anyway because I don't want to miss one moment at Kava Luv.

So, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk... Ummm, I mean Blog.

See ya behind the bar,

Laurelyn