Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Brown.
Hi Luke, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi my name is Luke, I love getting outdoors and I am currently studying finance at the U of A. Last March, I lost my job via an email with a blank schedule for the week and effectively lost my means of supporting myself and my family at the drop of a hat. I was brewing a small 1 gallon batch of kombucha for my personal consumption when I began examining a bottle of commercial kombucha and thought to myself “I think I can do this.” While entertaining this thought, I peered down at the Buddha tattoo on my forearm and the name Buddha Brewing Co immediately came to mind and so I went to work. I started designing the website, business cards, stickers, shirts, labels, banners, and just about anything I could do to start building traction. I launched a T-shirt campaign and made $800 to kickstart my business from the support of family and friends.
I worked out of my house until August of 2020, when I was finally permitted by the Pima County Health Department and began working out of a commercial facility. At that point, I began doing local farmer’s markets at the St Phillip’s Plaza and continued to grow my process. The past year has truly been a challenge just attempting to stay afloat while starting a new business, going to school, and doing odd jobs to pay the bills. At one point, we even sold our couch for inventory. Fast forward to now, we now do 3 markets a week, offer our kombucha at 2 different local businesses, and I am preparing to write myself my first check! Owning a local business has been the scariest, most uncertain, and challenging task that I have ever done, but the feeling of making a product from scratch to finish and then witnessing the joy it brings is PRICELESS and the most fulfilling “job” I have had as a young 21 year old.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a small business during the COVID pandemic with no income was definitely one of my biggest struggles. At many points along the way, I could’ve easily quit and gone back to another dead-end job but my spirit kept me going. During the fall semester of 2020, I was taking 28 credits at school and worked countless side jobs just to fund the business and pay the bills. It was hard seeing people collecting $900 a week in unemployment doing nothing while I was working to the fringes of my capabilities just to stay afloat.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Buddha Brewing Co?
Buddha Brewing Co is a local kombucha brewing company located in Tucson, AZ. I have been born and raised in Tucson, a city that really prides itself on local products and gastronomy/culture. I kept this in mind while designing the logo and included a silhouette of the Tucson skyline on the label. We pride ourselves in being local, organic, and a healthy alternative beverage choice. All of our ingredients are always 100% organic and chemical/preservative free. Our strong taste, exceptional customer service, and mushroom infused kombuchas set us apart from the competition. We love partnering up with other local business and are currently developing kombucha krackers with My Rawsome Foods and infuse our kombucha with Desert Alchemist mushroom/herbal tinctures.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
@Buddha_brewing_co on Instagram
Pricing:
- $5 a bottle
Contact Info:
- Email: info@buddhabuchaco.com
- Website: buddhabuchaco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buddha_brewing_co/
