Kava & Co., the family-run alcohol-free lounge known for kava, kratom and botanical mocktails, has quietly slipped into the Jacksonville Beach nightlife mix, taking over the former Third Street Diner space. The new outpost is set up as a daytime co-working hangout and a bar-style social scene after dark, just without the alcohol.
The Jacksonville Beach location opened June 15 at 223 Ninth Ave. S., at the corner of Third Street South, and is co-owned by father-daughter team Giovanni and Cianna Bommarito. The Bommaritos launched the original Kava & Co. in Mandarin in June 2019 and followed with a San Marco spot in June 2020, as reported by Jax Daily Record.
From remote work to late-night sets
Kava & Co. leans into a split personality: quiet, Wi-Fi-friendly hours during the day for remote workers, then a livelier lineup at night with open-mic sessions and weekly pool tournaments. The company’s online calendar and location pages list daily hours starting at 9 a.m. and recurring events such as food-truck nights and live music, according to Kava & Company.
Old diner turned botanical lounge
The Jacksonville Beach lounge fills the former Third Street Diner footprint, reworked into a multi-purpose gathering spot. Earlier business coverage outlined the project as a makeover of a decades-old diner into roughly 4,100 square feet of hangout space, with plans for outdoor events and a small production area tied to the brand, per the Jacksonville Business Journal.
What’s on the menu
The beach menu sticks to nonalcoholic drinks: hot and iced coffees, six signature mixed drinks, smoothies and a frozen Red Bull slushy, alongside snacks like flatbread pizzas and acai bowls. Guests can customize drinks with add-ons such as kava, kratom, kanna, CBD or legal Delta/THC options, and can tack on $5 boosters or shots. The full menu and pricing are available via Kava & Company.
Buildout, capacity and live programming
Owners describe the renovation as extensive, saying nearly everything had to be replaced after years of neglect, and Cianna Bommarito pegged the remodel cost at about $275,000. The space now has a maximum occupancy of 104, employs eight people at the Jacksonville Beach location (28 across all three bars), and includes pool tables, a shuffleboard bowling game, a video game and a drum kit for open-mic nights. The Bommaritos plan to begin hiring bands in September, as reported by Jax Daily Record.
Why it matters
The mix of games, music and botanical drinks plugs into a broader “sober-curious” shift. Research from NielsenIQ points to rising interest in no- and low-alcohol options and a growing market for flavorful, nonalcoholic occasions. For Jacksonville Beach, Kava & Co. offers a late-night alternative for young adults and anyone looking to cut back on alcohol without stepping away from the social scene.
