A forest-inspired gathering space built around kava, kratom teas and botanical drinks is preparing to open its doors in Jacksonville Beach. Mystic Mud Kava & Tea Lounge is set up at 1054 3rd St. N. in the Sea Walk Village commercial area, promising a relaxed, nature-themed hangout where the traditional South Pacific drink takes center stage.
According to WhatNow, the lounge will combine traditional kava culture with botanical beverages and a relaxed social atmosphere. Kava, a traditional South Pacific root beverage, will be served in shells alongside the customary greeting “Bula,” the outlet reports. The business has been sharing updates of its developing interior on social media as it readies for debut.
Beyond kava, the drink menu will stretch into kratom teas, herbal teas, botanical drinks and Mystic Mud Shakes, per the same report. The lounge also plans to serve locally made Gator Ice Cream, giving visitors a sweeter option alongside the botanical beverages. A listing on happykava.app similarly describes Mystic Mud as a coming-soon Jacksonville Beach kava bar, with a menu broken into traditional kava, kratom teas, botanical elixirs, herbal teas and Mystic Mud shakes.
More Than Just Drinks on the Menu
Mystic Mud isn't positioning itself purely as a beverage counter. Per its website, the lounge plans to host acoustic performances, open-mic nights, sound baths and tarot pop-ups, leaning into the kind of community programming that's become a signature of kava culture spots. The venue is situated within the Sea Walk Village commercial area along 3rd Street North, putting it in close proximity to established neighbors.
Property materials from Hakimian Holdings, as reported by WhatNow, identify nearby tenants including Salt Life Food Shack, Mellow Mushroom, Cortello Salon and Gregory's Jewelers. Mystic Mud lists hours of 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday, stretching to 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday for those late-night sound baths or acoustic sets.
Jacksonville Beach's Growing Kava Scene
Mystic Mud won't be the only alcohol-free lounge vying for attention near the beach. Kava & Company, started by Cianna and Giovanni Bommarito as a locally owned, family-operated alternative to bars and nightclubs, already runs locations in San Marco, Mandarin and Jacksonville Beach, offering kava and kratom drinks alongside other zero-proof beverages. The company is also transforming a former 3rd Street Diner in Jacksonville Beach into a 4,100-square-foot herbal beverage lounge and gathering space, according to the Jacksonville Business Journal. That project aims to give Jacksonville Beach residents another alternative to traditional bars, the outlet notes.
State Regulators Tighten Rules Around Kratom Compounds
Mystic Mud's debut comes as Florida has ramped up scrutiny of certain kratom-derived products. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier signed an emergency rule placing highly concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, and related compounds under state control, according to the Florida Attorney General's Office. The rule places the covered compounds in Schedule I, enabling felony-level arrests, prosecutions, product seizures and shutdowns of illegal manufacturers and sellers, and it caps covered products at no more than 1 milligram of the specified chemicals per gram of solids or per milliliter of liquids.
Florida Poison Control received 95 calls involving 7-OH and related derivatives during the first four months of 2026, WUSF reported. Florida officials said 7-OH can be stronger than morphine, highly addictive and even deadly. The station also reported that product types potentially affected by the restrictions include gummies, tablets, drink mixes, shots, teas and concentrated liquid extracts. Separately, Florida lawmakers have moved to restrict how kratom can be mixed with other substances, with proposed legislation that would prohibit combining kratom with substances like caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or kava if enacted, according to News 13.
Whether Mystic Mud's kratom offerings fall under the new state rules or the proposed legislation isn't addressed in available reporting, and no opening date for the lounge has been confirmed. For now, the Jacksonville Beach community can watch Mystic Mud's social media updates as the forest-themed space takes shape inside Sea Walk Village.
