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WORCESTER — A bar serving a nonalcoholic drink known for its relaxing qualities is planned for the location of the former Canal District institution, Harding Tire Co.
Thursday, the License Commission approved a common victualer license for the planned Root Awakening Kava Bar at 180 Harding St.
After remaining open for over 90 years as a family business, Harding Tire Co. closed in 2022.
Sitting near the heart of the Canal District, the tire company was a constant presence throughout the neighborhood’s development from a quiet part of town following deindustrialization to a growing hub for commercial and recreational activity in the city.
At the time of closing, sister owners Debbie Feingold and Anne Mack were in the process of selling the property to a new owner.
Root Awakening Kava Bar opened its first location in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 2022. The bar sells kava, a nonalcoholic beverage made from the piper methectic shrub with origins in the South Pacific.
Kava is described as having mildly psychoactive ingredients. Kava, along with herbal extract kratom, is used as an alcohol replacement.
Both kava and kratom are subject to restrictions in Florida.
In 2002, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory that dietary supplements containing kava may be associated with severe liver injury. However, a 2016 Verge article reported that scientists have not come to a conclusion about whether the plant is toxic.
Kava consumers associate the drink with promoting a positive well-being without impairing judgment. The drink has grown in popularity in the U.S., especially in Florida where a 2018 Tampa Bay Times article called St. Petersburg the kava capital in the continental U.S.
However, Root Awakening claims it is the first kava bar in New England and that the Worcester location is the second in the region.
Root Awakening owner Gregory Gately told the License Commission that he was excited to bring Worcester residents together at the kava bar.
“We’re excited to bring this to the city and pull the community together with a new vibe,” Gately said.
Gately said former Worcester Councilor-at-Large Mike Germain has been a “silent partner” in bringing his business to Worcester.
License Commission Chair Anthony Vigliotti said he was happy to see Germain’s involvement.
In addition to kava, the website for Root Awakening’s Nashua location says the bar also sells cold brew coffee, kombucha and some snacks.
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