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Ninja Kombucha owner Brett Nobile
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A mural on the side of Ninja Kombucha is by Erek Jones of Stachesquatch Designs.
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Ninja Kombucha is located at 126 W. Brookland Park Blvd.
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When Ninja Kombucha, opens they will start with six taps.
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The bar area inside Ninja Kombucha
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Inside Ninja Kombucha
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Another mural on the building by Erek Jones of Stachesquatch Designs
In 2015, Brett Nobile decided that, instead of reaching for a cold pint of beer, he wanted to enjoy a healthier sip. With a skill set in homebrewing and exposure to the microbrewery scene while living on the West Coast, he turned to kombucha.
Now, four years after founding Richmond’s first kombucha company, Ninja Kombucha, Nobile is bringing the slightly effervescent fermented tea packed with probiotics and live cultures to North Side. The forthcoming tasting room and production facility at 126 W. Brookland Park Blvd. will open in the next few weeks, he says.
“I can’t wait to have people in here,” adds Nobile, 35, a North Side resident. “I’m just looking forward to staring something new and the next chapter.”
People were first introduced to Ninja Kombucha, a name chosen simply for its fun nature, at farmers markets in Richmond and Williamsburg.
“I just wanted to pay rent,” Nobile says, laughing about those early sales as we sit inside the future tasting room.
“We got really good feedback, and it was like, 'OK, this is something I want to put my time and energy into because people really appreciate it,' ” he says.
The farmers market environment gave Ninja an educational platform to explain kombucha and form a loyal customer base. Nobile's beverages can be found on tap at local markets and eateries including Strawberry Street Market, Growlers to Go RVA, Perk! Bon Air and Nate’s Bagels.
Ninja eventually moved from production inside Nobile’s shared apartment kitchen to Createspace, a nonprofit co-working space on Wickham Street near Battery Park. But when a friend informed Nobile of a larger building that was available on Brookland Park Boulevard, he seized it.
“Until now, we’ve been so cramped and had no extra space,” Nobile says. The move to the new 2,000-square-foot venue will offer a number of opportunities.
“We haven’t packed [any kombucha] yet, and that will be a big thing with this new place,” shares Nobile of distribution and canning on site. Ninja plans to begin selling 16-ounce cans of kombucha, available in four-packs for about $12, in addition to offering growler fills.
“I think that will be really cool because you can take it to the river and not worry about breaking glass; it will be really awesome to have a can,” says Nobile, a former National Park Service employee who once worked in California's Devils Postpile National Monument as well as the Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve.
Initially, Ninja will start with a six-tap system in its tasting room, featuring popular flavors like Cranberry Lime Ginger and Blackberry Hibiscus, with space to add others. And kombucha fans in search of something new need not worry: Nobile has plenty of ideas brewing.
“Now we have the space and equipment to start doing experiments,” he says, noting that beyond kombucha he plans to make apple cider vinegars, tonics, switchels (drinks with vinegar and sweeteners) and shrubs (drinking vinegars).
On the drawing board are potential variations including turmeric-black pepper and lemon-ginger kombuchas, as well as garlic vinegars, and possibly using toasted oak, cedar or vanilla for seasonal sips.
Nobile says Ninja will partner with Black Creek Farm, their neighbor vendor at the South of the James Market, to source ginger and turmeric. He also sees the potential in teaming up with local breweries to collaborate on a beer brewed with kombucha.
Nobile's hope is that the tasting room will serve as a place for the community to hang out sans booze.
“I think there is a demand, and with the rise of breweries it’s only natural something can grow to balance that out,” Nobile says.
Nobile says he aims to curate a comfortable setting and foresees hosting events in the space as well as kombucha homebrewing classes. Large windows allow light to flood in the open building and offer a view onto Brookland Park Boulevard, while the dark wooden bar is accented with bricks of rose-colored Himalayan salt. Couches will soon fill the space, and with the addition of Wi-Fi and long tables, the vibe is cafe meets brewery.
Ninja Kombucha joins a number of fresh-faced businesses that have opened in North Side in recent months — Fuzzy Cactus, the restaurant, bar and music venue; Manchu, a fried chicken food truck turned takeout spot; River City Market, a health-conscious grocer; the forthcoming specialty food shop The Little Cafe; and Ms. Bee’s Juice Bar.
When Ninja Kombucha participated in the Brookland Park Community Celebration in September, Nobile says the experience gave him all the encouragement he needed.
“We got an awesome response from the community and talked to a lot of people who were trying it for the first time and really receptive, and a lot of people who already knew about it and were excited,” he says.
Nobile also hopes to offer discounts to residents who live in the Brookland Park Boulevard ZIP code. “This neighborhood is freaking awesome, and we want to make kombucha accessible to everyone.”
Ninja Kombucha will be open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
