Shark Tank Success Story see's rapid growth with new ownership
News provided by
Share this article
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Habib Bakshi, known throughout the fashion and luxury e-commerce community as an expert in revenue growth, recently finalized the purchase of the healthy living focused DTC company 'The Kombucha Shop'. In an episode of NBC's Shark Tank in 2018, The Kombucha Shop received worldwide acclaim when all four sharks tried to acquire an ownership stake in the company. Even without the help of the sharks, the company saw incredible growth of the past 2 years. (PRNewsfoto/SkyDiamond Elite)
The multi-million dollar acquisition highlights the incredible efforts of forward thinking entrepreneurs who see opportunity in light of the financial struggles that many companies are facing. When asked why Habib thought this was an acquisition worthwhile during a global pandemic, he responded:
'Our health means everything, perhaps now more than ever. The effects of superior brewed kombucha are clear and backed by numerous health experts.We live in a culture that is valuing personal health at the highest levels ever. I saw an opportunity to purchase and expand upon this growing health trend by using my digital marketing prowess to better reach those desperate to make an easy, affordable, and delicious lifestyle change.' For a majority of Americans embracing a healthy lifestyle, Kombucha is a critical element to their daily healthy living. One needs only to look at the endless shelves of $5+ bottles of kombucha in their local grocery store chain to witness its growing influence and demand on the marketplace. The Kombucha Shop specializes in kombucha home brewing kits that include premium all-organic ingredients. This is spearheaded by their own brewery that uses a proprietary blend of ingredients to create a superior SCOBY, the main catalyst to brewing consistently delicious kombucha. Within 8 months of new ownership, Habib Bakshi has taken the #1 selling kombucha home brewing kit both online and via Amazon, to new heights. The Kombucha Shop has become a burgeoning enterprise that has seen 3x sales thanks to the digital prowess behind its new ownership. About Habib Bakshi
Habib Bakshi is the CEO of a digital marketing agency focused on elevating ecommerce revenue for the fashion and luxury segment. Their expertise in brand amplification strengthens a brands digital footprint and deepens engagement fueling robust revenue growth. They manage over $1.8B in digitally driven revenue while maintaining a 97% client retention rate. Habib and his executive team create partner loyalty by consistently delivering wins through operational excellence via C-Suite level talent. About The Kombucha Shop
The Kombucha Shop is a kombucha home brewing supply company whose mission is to help people brew incredible kombucha at home. They design innovative and one-of-a-kind home brewing supplies to make brewing kombucha at home easy, affordable, and fun. TKS remains steadfast in their commitment to using organic ingredients and partnering with local U.S. businesses and manufacturers to build thriving local communities. Jonathan Szedeli

The Kombucha Shop Acquired by Serial ECom Entrepreneur and CEO of SkyDiamond Elite

This $75 komb... This $75 kombucha brewing kit will pay for itself after you make a few batches — I’ve already saved a ton of money by making my own
By
May 1, 2019
Insider Picks writes about products and services  to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives  a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our  links, but our reporting and recommendations are always  independent and objective. caption
The Kombucha Shop’s Deluxe Kombucha Brewing Kit (currently $74.99 on Amazon) is cheap compared to how much I’d spend buying kombucha at a grocery store. Yes, I did the math. source
Amazon
It includes a step-by-step guide that makes DIY brewing    effortless and fun, plus the kit has everything you need –    including swing-top bottles for storing your    concoctions. Though there is a reasonable upfront cost, you can continue to brew your own kombucha    indefinitely, so the kit essentially pays for itself within a    few batches versus buying store-bought drinks. Kombucha has become quite popular in recent  years. This fermented tea is brewed with a mixed culture of yeast  and bacteria, and claims to have a long list of  benefits , like  improving metabolism, digestion, immune system function, liver  function, and more. The verdict is still out on some of those benefits , but  one thing is certain – at  $3 to $5 for a 16-ounce bottle, kombucha isn’t cheap. Fortunately, there are a number of kits available that make it  easy for anyone to make kombucha at home, like The Kombucha Shop’s Deluxe  Kombucha Brewing Kit (currently $74.99) , which is one of the  highest-rated kits on Amazon with a 4.7-star average rating from more than 200  reviews. The Madison, Wisconsin-based company got its start in 2013 after  founder Kate Field decided to take her side hobby of brewing  kombucha to the next level. Her day job was a culinary and  nutrition educator for low-income families in Washington, DC, so  she parlayed both experiences into creating kits anyone and  everyone could access. Today, the company is one of the largest  home brewing kombucha enterprises and it sources all of its  supplies from US-based businesses. Below are my experiences with The  Kombucha Shop’s Deluxe Brewing Kit. Stainless-steel funnel and    strainer set
Bottle brush
The Kombucha Shop also offers the  Original Kit ( currently $44.99 on  Amazon ), which has  everything listed above except for the last three items – the  bottles, funnel and strainer set, and cleaning brush. Set-up process
caption
The swing-top bottles are great for fermenting your brew, and the kit includes six so you can make several concoctions at once. source
Amazon
Going into this, I had zero  brewing experience, but I do have a beer brewing kit that’s in its third  year of gathering dust. I was intimidated so I asked my  wife for help; she also happened to have grown up in a kombucha  brewing household. She silently supervised me throughout the  process, ready to chime in if I was screwing up. Thankfully, the instructions were  so clear that I didn’t end up needing her help. Setting up  the kombucha takes less than 30 minutes and is simple due to the  easy-to-follow instructions. First, you make your tea. A tea  blend is provided for your first batch, but after that, you can  use whatever tea you’d like. Then, add a cup of sugar and  transfer the contents to the brew jar along with two quarts of  cold water. The directions say to use filtered water, but I used  tap water and didn’t have an issue. Next, stick the temperature gauge  to the outside of the jar for easy monitoring;  you’re supposed to keep it  between 68  and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. After you add the SCOBY to  the mix and stir, you test the pH to ensure it’s at 4.5 or below. Finally, cover the jar with the included cotton cloth and a  rubber band to secure at the mouth. Now you wait. After seven to nine days, you’re  supposed to test the  kombucha to see if the flavor is where you want it. If it isn’t,  check again in a few days. Once the flavor is to your liking, you  carefully remove and set aside the SCOBY for your next batch  before bottling the current one. At this point, you can add your  favorite fruits, vegetables, juices, or herbs to the bottles and  let them sit for two to four days in a warm, dark place. After  this second fermentation, chill the bottles in the refrigerator  and enjoy. What makes this kit stand out
What I like about The Kombucha Shop’s kit is  that I can make all the kombucha I want without having to buy  additional supplies. Sure, I need to supply my own tea, sugar,  and water, but those are items I’d have around the house  anyway. Also, it costs much less making  my own kombucha than constantly shelling out $3 or more for a  single bottle. I did a little math and found that when you brew  your own instead of buying it, the kit pays for itself after the  fifth batch – which comes by quick. That’s a conservative  estimate assuming you pay $0.70 per pound of sugar, $20 per pound  of loose-leaf tea, and that a 16-ounce bottle of kombucha costs  $3 at your local market. I also like that as soon as one  batch is bottled, I can immediately turn around and start brewing  a new one. After my initial brew was done, I started a mint tea  concoction going and currently, I’m trying out a raspberry  zinger. You essentially “sprout” a new  SCOBY with each batch, so you have the option of making two  batches together (provided you have another brewing jar), putting  multiple SCOBYs into the same brew, or giving your friends a  SCOBY so they can start brewing kombucha too. Perhaps most importantly, I  appreciated that I could specifically tailor the tea to match my  tastes and each of my creations so far has been excellent. I like  to drink a 12-ounce glass each evening while I prepare dinner, it  reduces my cravings for alcoholic beverages and I’ve also found  that it makes me less likely to overeat, which has a constant  struggle for me. These were my personal  experiences after drinking my brew, so I can’t say everyone will  have similar experiences. caption
Cons to consider
The directions warn that you  should always keep the kombucha brew between 68 and 86 degrees  Fahrenheit. When brewing in the winter and early spring in  Michigan, it’s hard to find a spot in our home that maintains  that temperature. Fortunately, sub-68 degree temps just mean you  will need to brew the tea longer. Or, if you don’t mind spending  an extra $30, The Kombucha  Shop offers a heating wrap . The Cleveland Clinic warns  that pregnant women, children, people with compromised immune  systems, alcoholics, and those with certain chronic diseases,  such as HIV, kidney disease, or liver disease, should avoid  kombucha. This is likely due to the alcohol content (up to 3%)  and potential for contamination. Do not imbibe kombucha if the smell or color  is off, like if it smells like nail polish. I personally haven’t  experienced this with my home brews. As with all wellness-related  foods and beverages, check with your doctor first before  incorporating something new into your routine. The bottom line
Overall, the Deluxe Kombucha Brewing Kit is  a game-changer. Not only does it provide a more frugal  alternative to the pricey options at the local market, but the  process is so simple that it makes me want to try brewing and  fermenting other beverages. I also like how easy it is to  customize the drink to my tastes, I can make concoctions you’d  never find at the store. I strongly recommend The Kombucha Shop’s  kit to everyone who enjoys drinking kombucha. Pros: Easy to  use, can make batch after batch of kombucha for as long as you  want, pays for itself in the long-term
Cons: Kombucha  isn’t for some people, especially pregnant women, children,  people with compromised immune systems so definitely check with  your doctor first

This $75 kombucha brewing kit will pay for itself after you make a few batches — I’ve already saved a ton of money by making my own

This $75 komb... This $75 kombucha brewing kit will pay for itself after you make a few batches — I’ve already saved a ton of money by making my own
By
May 1, 2019
Insider Picks writes about products and services  to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives  a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our  links, but our reporting and recommendations are always  independent and objective. caption
The Kombucha Shop’s Deluxe Kombucha Brewing Kit (currently $74.99 on Amazon) is cheap compared to how much I’d spend buying kombucha at a grocery store. Yes, I did the math. source
Amazon
It includes a step-by-step guide that makes DIY brewing    effortless and fun, plus the kit has everything you need –    including swing-top bottles for storing your    concoctions. Though there is a reasonable upfront cost, you can continue to brew your own kombucha    indefinitely, so the kit essentially pays for itself within a    few batches versus buying store-bought drinks. Kombucha has become quite popular in recent  years. This fermented tea is brewed with a mixed culture of yeast  and bacteria, and claims to have a long list of  benefits , like  improving metabolism, digestion, immune system function, liver  function, and more. The verdict is still out on some of those benefits , but  one thing is certain – at  $3 to $5 for a 16-ounce bottle, kombucha isn’t cheap. Fortunately, there are a number of kits available that make it  easy for anyone to make kombucha at home, like The Kombucha Shop’s Deluxe  Kombucha Brewing Kit (currently $74.99) , which is one of the  highest-rated kits on Amazon with a 4.7-star average rating from more than 200  reviews. The Madison, Wisconsin-based company got its start in 2013 after  founder Kate Field decided to take her side hobby of brewing  kombucha to the next level. Her day job was a culinary and  nutrition educator for low-income families in Washington, DC, so  she parlayed both experiences into creating kits anyone and  everyone could access. Today, the company is one of the largest  home brewing kombucha enterprises and it sources all of its  supplies from US-based businesses. Below are my experiences with The  Kombucha Shop’s Deluxe Brewing Kit. Stainless-steel funnel and    strainer set
Bottle brush
The Kombucha Shop also offers the  Original Kit ( currently $44.99 on  Amazon ), which has  everything listed above except for the last three items – the  bottles, funnel and strainer set, and cleaning brush. Set-up process
caption
The swing-top bottles are great for fermenting your brew, and the kit includes six so you can make several concoctions at once. source
Amazon
Going into this, I had zero  brewing experience, but I do have a beer brewing kit that’s in its third  year of gathering dust. I was intimidated so I asked my  wife for help; she also happened to have grown up in a kombucha  brewing household. She silently supervised me throughout the  process, ready to chime in if I was screwing up. Thankfully, the instructions were  so clear that I didn’t end up needing her help. Setting up  the kombucha takes less than 30 minutes and is simple due to the  easy-to-follow instructions. First, you make your tea. A tea  blend is provided for your first batch, but after that, you can  use whatever tea you’d like. Then, add a cup of sugar and  transfer the contents to the brew jar along with two quarts of  cold water. The directions say to use filtered water, but I used  tap water and didn’t have an issue. Next, stick the temperature gauge  to the outside of the jar for easy monitoring;  you’re supposed to keep it  between 68  and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. After you add the SCOBY to  the mix and stir, you test the pH to ensure it’s at 4.5 or below. Finally, cover the jar with the included cotton cloth and a  rubber band to secure at the mouth. Now you wait. After seven to nine days, you’re  supposed to test the  kombucha to see if the flavor is where you want it. If it isn’t,  check again in a few days. Once the flavor is to your liking, you  carefully remove and set aside the SCOBY for your next batch  before bottling the current one. At this point, you can add your  favorite fruits, vegetables, juices, or herbs to the bottles and  let them sit for two to four days in a warm, dark place. After  this second fermentation, chill the bottles in the refrigerator  and enjoy. What makes this kit stand out
What I like about The Kombucha Shop’s kit is  that I can make all the kombucha I want without having to buy  additional supplies. Sure, I need to supply my own tea, sugar,  and water, but those are items I’d have around the house  anyway. Also, it costs much less making  my own kombucha than constantly shelling out $3 or more for a  single bottle. I did a little math and found that when you brew  your own instead of buying it, the kit pays for itself after the  fifth batch – which comes by quick. That’s a conservative  estimate assuming you pay $0.70 per pound of sugar, $20 per pound  of loose-leaf tea, and that a 16-ounce bottle of kombucha costs  $3 at your local market. I also like that as soon as one  batch is bottled, I can immediately turn around and start brewing  a new one. After my initial brew was done, I started a mint tea  concoction going and currently, I’m trying out a raspberry  zinger. You essentially “sprout” a new  SCOBY with each batch, so you have the option of making two  batches together (provided you have another brewing jar), putting  multiple SCOBYs into the same brew, or giving your friends a  SCOBY so they can start brewing kombucha too. Perhaps most importantly, I  appreciated that I could specifically tailor the tea to match my  tastes and each of my creations so far has been excellent. I like  to drink a 12-ounce glass each evening while I prepare dinner, it  reduces my cravings for alcoholic beverages and I’ve also found  that it makes me less likely to overeat, which has a constant  struggle for me. These were my personal  experiences after drinking my brew, so I can’t say everyone will  have similar experiences. caption
Cons to consider
The directions warn that you  should always keep the kombucha brew between 68 and 86 degrees  Fahrenheit. When brewing in the winter and early spring in Michigan, it’s hard to find a spot in our home that maintains  that temperature. Fortunately, sub-68 degree temps just mean you  will need to brew the tea longer. Or, if you don’t mind spending  an extra $30, The Kombucha  Shop offers a heating wrap . The Cleveland Clinic warns  that pregnant women, children, people with compromised immune  systems, alcoholics, and those with certain chronic diseases,  such as HIV, kidney disease, or liver disease, should avoid  kombucha. This is likely due to the alcohol content (up to 3%)  and potential for contamination. Do not imbibe kombucha if the smell or color  is off, like if it smells like nail polish. I personally haven’t  experienced this with my home brews. As with all wellness-related  foods and beverages, check with your doctor first before  incorporating something new into your routine. The bottom line
Overall, the Deluxe Kombucha Brewing Kit is  a game-changer. Not only does it provide a more frugal  alternative to the pricey options at the local market, but the  process is so simple that it makes me want to try brewing and  fermenting other beverages. I also like how easy it is to  customize the drink to my tastes, I can make concoctions you’d  never find at the store. I strongly recommend The Kombucha Shop’s  kit to everyone who enjoys drinking kombucha. Pros: Easy to  use, can make batch after batch of kombucha for as long as you  want, pays for itself in the long-term
Cons: Kombucha  isn’t for some people, especially pregnant women, children,  people with compromised immune systems so definitely check with  your doctor first

We define wellness tech as companies developing technology to help consumers improve their physical, mental, and social well-being. Companies in this collection play across a wide range of categories, including food and beverage, fitness, personal care, and corporate wellness.

Wellness Tech

Line of Credit

Angel

The Kombucha Shop offers at-home kombucha brewing kits that include a reusable glass jar and all the ingredients necessary to make one-gallon batches of the fermented tea drink.

Name	Habib Bakshi
Work History
Title	Chief Executive Officer
Status	Current

Wells Fargo Success Story

Professional Services

Platform Overview

The Kombucha Shop

Executives

The Kombucha Shop Management Team

1 Team Member

This profile has not been claimed.

Compare The Kombucha Shop to Competitors

Discover the right solution for your team