We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Makowski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It really stemmed from not being able to find what I needed for my body all in one location to be easily accessible. My story starts as a very healthy, thirty-something, with no health issues. After a minor surgery went wrong in 2013, my life completely changed. I went from a healthy thirty something corporate Buyer to a very sick human with very little energy – You could say I lost my “Spark”. The minor surgery ended up with me being in hospitals for 40 nights, 5 Ambulance rides,4 surgeries, Loss of some Organ function and my going away prize was an absolutely insane amount of prescription medications. The next 10 years were spent trying to figure out what was “Wrong” with me. Doctor after Doctor, Second and third opinions, Prescription med on top of Prescription Med – Each being prescribed to cover another “Symptom”. One day I looked at the medications I was taking and thought to myself, My Great Granny who is in her 90’s only takes one daily med, how is it I am in my 30’s and taking 12 plus! That day I threw them away, started researching Auto Immune Diseases, read SO many books (Grain Brain being a total fave!). I was obsessed and fascinated with the body, Auto Immune Diseases and food AS MEDICINE. However skeptical at first, as I implemented Fermented food and drink, Raw Juice, and all natural diet, and removed Gluten, Dairy, Processed foods and sugar it CHANGED MY LIFE. I went from being extremely ill, (my hair was breaking off and falling out from nutrient deficiency – My body literally couldn’t absorb the nutrients I was eating. I had rashes all over my hands, I could barely lift my arms from the inflammation, Had massive brain fog, dark circles under my eyes, Fatigue and so much more.) Weeks turned into months and into years and I am now FULLY off of any Prescription medication. Outside of a flare up here and there (Maybe once or twice every few YEARS) I am symptom free! I knew I needed to share this with others. To put myself in a place where I could educate and promote that same wellness that I found over the last 10 years. ENTER Boochie! This is an idea I created in my thoughts, I then put it together creatively on a vision board, then digitally, and then was able to open our physical location in January 2023. The idea was to create a Hyper-Local little wellness bar that would offer Kombucha off the tap, Raw Juices, Protein Shakes, Smoothies, Acai Bowls, Salads, Wraps, House made dressings, Fresh Guac and more. A place where we welcome those with any type of Disease, Auto Immune disorder, and Food allergy, where EVERYONE gets to hang out and feel welcome. This isn’t a “Take the Bun off” type of Gluten free – This is we make this All Natural beautiful food that is Gluten free for you! Kombucha is something that I am deeply passionate about. I had trouble finding an Organic, Low sugar, Low Caffeine option off tap. I researched it a ton and found Lively Up – A local Kombucha brewer out of Muskegon, MI. When we met to discuss Boochie Bar, I knew I had found the one. Zack Smith is the owner and his Kombucha just lined up perfectly with what we were trying to create. All Natural, Organic Low sugar Kombucha with beautiful and unique flavors! Kombucha quite literally changed my life as when I started drinking it, my body changed – My Microbiome was more balanced, My Gut was finally absorbing the good nutrients that I was eating and I could almost feel the life coming back inside me as I was drinking it. We wanted a space that is quite frankly the Anti – Big Corp, Anti – Franchise place. The Little Fish in the Big Pond. The place you walk in and say – Whooaaa this is different! We are super specific about what we offer and we use no Food Dyes, No Preservatives, No Artificial flavors, No GMO’s and we make everything TO ORDER. If your looking to walk in and out in 3-4 minutes like a McDonald’s – We wouldn’t be the place for you. We take pride in everything being fresh and prepared to order – Not pre-packaged! We created a funky little local spot where on the weekends you find music outside, yard games, a tent with a fresh Guacamole bar, we will have fresh flowers from a local farm this spring, fresh fruits and veggies “Farmers market style” and unique artisans on some weekends! If you haven’t given us a try, we would welcome you to come on in, We offer free Kombucha sample cups for you to try out our On Tap flavors! Bring a friend and come and get your Booch on!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have a pretty unique background starting in the corporate retail world. I worked at the corporate offices of some large retail giants. I was in Visual Merchandising and Branding to start and worked into being a Buyer, and then into leading entire Buying teams. I spent some time at Family Christian Corporate offices running the non Publishing side of the business. That was super fulfilling as we were able to do a ton of giving back! We helped children get adopted, Helped save children from the Sex Slave trade, fed many countries and villages overseas that were poverty stricken, and provided clean water to those without access. I also worked with a company called Active Faith Sports – It was a super cool online clothing company – Steph Curry was one of the investors. It was a high end Sports Apparel company that had Christian messaging built in – I got to meet tons of professional athletes and had an awesome time working with them! I think that leading companies and businesses has helped me understand Branding, The consumer, and the back end of running a successful business. Starting on the Creative side of retail corporations also is a huge asset, as I do all of my own Content creation, Social Media, and promotions. For a Super small, Hyper-Local company, those things come in handy and keep me within my budget! I have been able to start a concept and grow it into profitability in one year, and I know that is NOT the norm in this industry. I feel very Blessed that the concept has been so well received! Our Brand is truly all about living your best life, and feeling good from the inside out. We are accepting and inclusive of ALL members of our community and are also passionate about being sustainable. We Compost, We use all 100% Compostable bowls, cups, straws and spoons, and almost every item in Boochie Bar has been Upcycled, Recycled, or Re-furbed. Each Barstool is different from the other, and were found at different local second hand shops, None are perfect, each flawed a bit with a story to tell. Our plants in the space have been given to us by Community members who wanted them to create their new life in our space. Essential Oils fill the air and the lighting is soft. Its a unique VIBE and its all centered around Wellness from within! We’ve created a very unique approach to our Marketing strategy as well. We have spent zero $’s on Marketing. In a world where Paid Advertising, AI and Digital Marketing are all the rage, We decided to build a unique approach. We are a hidden gem you almost have to come and “Find” us. We treat people well, we make you feel good in our space, the food makes you FEEL good inside! When YOU feel great you tell your friend, your neighbor, your family, the word starts spreading with each community member telling the next one and so on… It creates this cool connection where each person walking in is somehow connected to the next. Each with their own story to tell. It’s a way to grow that’s sustainable and that allowed us to grow right along side them. We’ve remodeled twice to accommodate the growth. Just recently, over Christmas we added a new kitchen which allows us to move quicker and be more efficient while still maintaining our quality and our made fresh to order model. We understand that people are the backbone of our business, and we look forward to continuing to offer our fresh, made to order, healthy food to our community!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love our city of Rockford! I have raised my family here, coached here, and now started my business here! Some of my favorite spots are in this city, and I would say a GREAT day would include the following:
Start at Herman’s Boy for some local Coffee and breakfast!
We would stroll around and shop the area, The Old World Olive co is a favorite spot for flavored olive oils and the Rockford Cheese shop has some very cool and interesting cheeses from around the world.
Lunch is a no brainer – F ‘NK Tacos. Frank and Kaitlyn are the owners of this amazing little gem. Everything is made from scratch including the Tortillas!
We would walk the Rockford Dam, and of course grab some Ice cream from our local Custard by the Dam!
Dinner would be a toss up!
The Corner Bar is a super cool spot for local food and has a cool upper deck area!
and Rockford Brewing is a hopping spot and has a killer food and drink menu!
We would end with some fresh flowers from the tilted tulip and some homemade chocolates from Sweetlands!
This city really does have everything you could ever want – SO many Locally owned businesses – All unique in their own way! We are so honored to be a part of this community and for our business to be a part of this community!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few people who have been instrumental in the success and launch of Boochie! First and foremost it would be my husband Al. If it wasn’t for him, there is no way that this business could have gotten off the ground the way it did. He has a small business of his own and this one was “My baby” but when it started taking off he jumped in without even being asked and has been pulling double duty to help keep both businesses’ going – Along with being there for our girls and family while I was spending endless hours getting this off the ground! He’s the “Morning guy” and our customers have grown to love him! Also, I mentioned Zack before, but Zack the owner of Lively Up Kombucha has been a huge mentor for me in Kombucha itself. He has taught me SO much more than I knew previous and as we grew, He kept up with us, now even providing us with our own Proprietary House brews to offer! We truly appreciate him and his amazing Kombucha! Lastly, I had some pretty cool business mentors along my journey. Chuck Williams whom was a boss of mine when I was running the buying team for Family Christian stores. He was an amazing leader, and taught me a ton about determination, Grit, Balance, Being a great Leader and running a successful business while still allowing me to be Creative and unique!

Website: www.boochiebar.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/boochiebar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boochiebar?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rockfordboochiebar?_t=8hewlRju7pu

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