Like every good product, Tha Best Kombucha was born of good people and good ingredients. Family is a theme that stands out in the story of this business. And it’s a theme as familiar as an old-time melody in the blue-mountain farmland of Virginia’s Floyd County, where this young family has found a home, a homestead, a fulfilling business, and a supportive community.
In the spring of 2012, Brad and Kristi-Jo Procak felt they were at a fork in the road. With a 9-year-old looking forward to middle school, a second child on the way, and work that involved night shifts for Brad and commutes into New York City for Kristi-Jo, they were starting to wonder if they were losing touch with each other. “We were re-introducing ourselves to one another on the weekend,” says Brad. “For what we wanted as a family, it just wasn’t acceptable. We knew there was more out there for us.”
What they valued was personal health, family togetherness, and a place to give their kids a childhood of continuity. It seemed that the best time was now — before Karah-Jo started school before Khloe came into the world. “We had no place to live, no jobs lined up, but we believed,” recalls Brad. “Failure was not an option. We just had a strong belief that we were going to thrive in Virginia.”
Before they hit the road, they did some homework. With Kristi-Jo’s bent for research, they settled on Floyd as the best location for their Virginia life adventure. By June, they’d rented a place. Soon Brad was up and running with his own cleaning business. But, as promising as that may have been, it didn’t really reflect another strong family value: health.
Brad met a Floydian at the Farmer’s Market who’d been brewing kombucha for decades. The new friend provided Brad with a SCOBY (an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of friendly Bacteria and Yeast; think “starter culture”), and in short order, Brad was brewing kombucha at home for his family.
Well, the family shared it with friends, and friends shared it with friends, and everyone wanted more. You’ve heard the progression before, but it’s a tried-and-true (and “organic” in one sense of the word) path to a solid business foundation. Kristi-Jo suggested they “take it to another level.” Brad was up to the challenge.
“We did tons of research,” he recalls, “and kept brewing and experimenting, did some tail-gate marketing and began to scale up.” Soon Kristi-Jo and Brad were selling at the Tailgate Market in Floyd and then took aim at the Roanoke market. It worked. “We’ve established relationships with food stores, farmers markets, and restaurants, and we’re still growing.”
But Brad and Kristi-Jo are quick to add that the most important relationships they are building are with their customers. “We’re so grateful for the folks who spend their hard-earned money on our brew,” says Brad, “and we thank them all. We owe it to them to produce the very best kombucha.”
It’s apparent that the drink satisfies. “Our customers love it,” says Procak. “Folks come up to us at the markets and thank us for brewing such a great-tasting product. Many of them say they had always thought of kombucha as being ‘too vinegar-y,’ but ours isn’t.” Over and over again, you’ll hear that comparison when TBK drinkers relate their feelings about the drink. “It’s so smooth!” “This stuff is amazing. Love it!” “This truly is Tha BEST Kombucha!”
The Procaks enthusiastically tell of the high-quality ingredients they select, and hint at a unique brewing method, but what’s the Secret Ingredient? “Love,” asserts Brad. “We love what we do. We love our kombucha. It’s another child in our family.” And the truth is that their love extends to those they work with, those who enjoy their product, and the community they call home. It’s really all a family.