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In August of 2021, Des Moines welcomed its very own tropical getaway, Kava DSM. A community collaboration, as their website states, Kava has partnered with several local Des Moines small businesses to create a café that includes smoothies and smoothie bowls, salads, soups, coffee and tea, gelato and even gluten-free waffles—all of which are special-diet safe. 

Ava Outlaw, the daughter of the owners, says that Kava’s customers really like the plants, the music and the overall vibe of the place. From floor to ceiling and everywhere in between, there are beautiful hanging and standing plants provided by a local Des Moines florist. These give the café a jungle-esque atmosphere, making it not only relaxing, but Instagram-worthy. 

Outlaw also mentioned that besides the atmosphere, the customers love the food. 

“Our food is really good, and they always come back for more,” Outlaw said. 

Employee Ashe Dail agrees with Outlaw that the food and atmosphere are unmatched. Dail has been an employee since October 2021, and as someone living with Celiac disease, they appreciate the accessibility to healthy, gluten-free foods. 

“I like that it’s kind of a niche that isn’t necessarily fulfilled on this side of town,” Dail said.

According to Dail, customers with health restrictions or special diets light up when they visit Kava. Having access to foods they normally don’t get to eat, like waffles or oat milk gelato, is something special.

The customer base is not limited to those with special diets. From med students to Sunday morning sketch artists, Kava has drawn the attention of the masses. Dail mentioned that it could be because of the free wifi, but also attributed their popularity to the overall atmosphere. 

Susan Smith, a regular customer turned part-time employee, just started working at Kava at the end of February. She was first intrigued by Kava’s promotions as she watched the area develop.

She stopped in one day, had some gelato, and the rest is history. 

As a customer, Smith, like Dail, was interested by the whole-foods aspect of the café. She enjoys Kava’s salads because they are fresh, organic and include nothing processed. Besides the salads, Smith has enjoyed almost everything on the menu. 

“They’ve got great coffee, they’ve got wonderful gelato, and they have it in the oat milk so it doesn’t have any dairy,” Smith said. 

Smith also mentioned that Kava’s prices are competitive with other similar spots around Des Moines. 

“I find their prices to be really comparable to what I might pay somewhere else,” Smith said.

Smith was in the market for part-time work, and Kava just so happened to fit the bill. 

“I was really wanting to be somewhere that had the same kind of values that I have, which is whole foods, more organic, not a lot of processed stuff,” Smith said. 

With a fully stocked menu to choose from, all three had a favorite menu item to share. Outlaw mentioned both the Choco Banana smoothie and the waffles as her favorites. Dail picked out the mushroom waffle toast—made with locally grown mushrooms, vegan cream cheese, and a special New Jersey salt to top off the savory treat. 

Because “all of it” wasn’t an option, Smith decided to name a few of her favorites, including the sweet potato soup, the oat milk latte, and the oat milk gelato.

“Oh, and the waffles! The waffles are to die for,” Smith said. 

Kava DSM’s unique atmosphere and health-forward menu make it a perfect spot to grab a bite to eat or to relax in Des Moines’ version of a tropical oasis. 

The owners of Kava DSM could not be reached for comment.