A Passion for Wellness with Matt Jewison of Kowabucha Kombucha
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of entrepreneurs and small business owners! We recently chatted with local entrepreneur and co-founder of Kowabucha Kombucha, Matt Jewison.
Image contributed by Matt Jewison.
Matt Jewison, along with Mark Martincek, started their small scale kombucha business, Kowabucha Kombucha, in 2021, though it was not Matt’s first local business venture.
In 2016, Matt moved to Rochester from his family farm in southern Wisconsin, where he worked for several years following his graduation from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in business with an emphasis on marketing. Ready to give up farming and move to a larger city with more opportunities, Matt chose Rochester due to having some family in the area and having visited the city many times in the past.
In 2017, Matt opened his first of two Anytime Fitness locations in Rochester, which he finds to be a good fit for both his gym and kombucha based business pursuits.
“Rochester is full of young professionals who are dedicated to fitness and staying healthy. Opening gyms here made a lot of sense to me given the health care focus. I feel that people here are open to and interested in natural remedies like kombucha too. There’s also a great culture of support here for a lot of local businesses.”
Growing up, Matt suffered from some stomach pain and trouble with his gut, which sparked his initial interest natural, live probiotics, which helped remedy the issue. Around the time he moved to Rochester, he tried kombucha for the first time and not long after started making it for himself at home.
Photo contributed by Matt Jewison.
“My first batch was a major failure; the bottles I put it into exploded from over-carbonation. Thankfully I ended up meeting my friend and now business partner, Mark, who taught me a lot about making kombucha and developing good flavor profiles.”
After some years of practice making kombucha for themselves, Matt and Mark decided to start expanding their kombucha to sell to people that they knew.
“At a certain point we realized that there was no one making kombucha locally, and we already loved making it. It has since then turned into such a fun side business. We’re just two good friends making kombucha and sharing a product that we’re passionate about.”
Eventually they decided to make their side hustle official and pursued a cottage food license. From there they began selling at the farmers market and at some pop-up events around town.
Photo contributed by Matt Jewison.
“At first we weren’t even sure that our product was good enough, or if there was a need and demand for it in Rochester. But the response has been really great and has given us the confidence to keep growing and moving forward.”
With this growth came a need to stop brewing kombucha out of jars stored in their homes. Luckily, Matt owned a building where one of his gyms was located and had some additional space that could be converted into a small brewing area.
“It was a good opportunity to give brewing on a slightly larger scale a try. If it didn’t work out, it wasn’t going to be the end of the world.”
Though Matt was already a business owner at the time, starting a food based business provided some new and unfamiliar challenges, such as applying for licenses and learning how to test their product for pH and alcohol levels. But along with those challenges came some fun ones as well, like developing flavors and experimenting with new ingredients.
Currently, Matt and Mark predominantly sell their kombucha directly to customers through online sales, which they deliver locally, as well as making occasional appearances at farmers market and local events. They hope to expand to sell at some local food stores and shops in the future.
Photo by Ben Zastrow.
To those considering starting their own businesses, Matt said, “Make sure that you’re passionate about the business you want to start. There are a lot of ways to make money in the world, and I think that making a point to work hard at something you love is really important. Starting a business is a lot of work, and often really draining. But putting effort into something you love and are passionate about is a lot more rewarding than just working toward dollar signs.”
Outside of work, Matt enjoys listening to and performing live music, snowboarding, hiking, and spending time with friends, his fiance, and their two dogs.
For Matt, the most rewarding part of brewing kombucha is sharing it with others in the hopes that it has the same positive impact on their health as it did on his.
“I really am passionate about the health benefits of kombucha. For many people it has helped improve gut health, which in turn provides a better immune system, a clearer mind, better sleep, and more energy. It has had that effect on me, and I really hope to be able to provide that to others through our kombucha.”
Thank you for taking the time to read Matt’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also find out more about Kowabucha Kombucha by clicking the link below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
