A new kind of bar is about to open in Wichita -- one that doesn't serve any alcohol but will leave customers feeling good, its owner promises.
Kanna Cafe, which will start welcoming customers this month, is what owner Brett Harris says is Wichita's first "infused cafe and consumption lounge." Tucked in the back section of his 5-month-old KannaBliss store at 223 N. Hillside, the cafe will specialize in legal, canned cannabis-infused beverages, and the menu of options will include sports drinks, seltzers, teas, sodas, coffees and mocktails that people can purchase to go or enjoy in the cafe space, which has been furnished with tables, chairs and booths.
"This is where this industry is going," Harris said. ". . . All of these are going to be the next big phase in federally legal, farm-protected drinks."
Under federal law, hemp and hemp-derived products with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight are legal, and all of the drinks Harris is selling fall in that range, he said. The drinks he carries, with names like "Highbrau," "Feel Good" and "Flyers," start with 2.5 mg of THC (for a "slow & low newbie) all the way up to 75 mg (for more experienced users.)
The drinks are among the many infused items Harris sells at KannaBliss, which also stocks gummies, edibles and THCA flowers.
But the cannabis-infused beverage industry is quickly growing and expected to continue to rapidly grow in the coming years.
"The great thing about this is that it allows people to -- not in a gas station -- to sample these products with someone who has some knowledge, and we get to find out if this is right for you," Harris said.
Kanna Cafe will have a series of "holiday-infused tastings" throughout December, Harris said, then it will open for people to hang out starting in January. His December events -- which he'll start listing soon on social media -- will include education, games, comedy and samples. After that, the cafe will start off with a casual approach: People will buy their drinks in the front and take a table in the back. Harris will provide hemp-themed coloring books and games for customers to enjoy while at the cafe.
Once the cafe is up and running, it will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
Harris said he envisions the cafe growing over time, and he plans to eventually add table service and an expanded menu that will offer things like infused pastries and maybe even grab-and-go pizza. He also has plans to start serving cannabis cocktails.
The cafe also has a back patio, which Harris plans to open in the spring. It will have seating and be the site of special events and activities.
Kanna Cafe, Harris said, is designed for different types of customers, including people who feel THC helps them ease pain or maintain health and the "sober curious" who are trying to find alternatives to alcohol. Harris said he made a vow on his recent birthday to stop drinking alcohol and now is enjoying the THC drinks instead. His favorite is the margarita.
"I just want to give a drinking alternative, and maybe the other thing I think I really want to do too -- I think it's important to normalize this," he said. "And we're in a state right now where there's a huge stigma."
His ultimate goal, Harris said, is to add a rooftop deck to his Hillside building.
Kanna Cafe also will feature Saturday-morning tastings with "canna conversations," and the space will be available to reserve for parties.
Harris, a longtime Wichita radio personality who also works as an agent for Landmark Commercial Real Estate, got into the CBD business four years ago.
He also has plans to franchise his Kanna Cafe concept.
Initially, Harris was a Wichita franchisee for a chain called Your CBD Store and had three in Wichita. But last year, the chain sued him in federal court over more than $363,000 it said he owed after his franchise agreement was terminated. The company said in its suit that Harris was selling products not approved by the chain. Harries denies that claim.
Last year, Harris filed for Chapter 7 personal and business bankruptcy through his KannaCorp LLC/KannaBliss and Century Plaza Partners LLC/KannaBliss. Then, in November 2023, a district judge in Florida ruled in Your CBD Store's favor in the suit.
"It's all done," Harris said, saying that the lawsuit was a learning experience.
"There's more litigation in my industry of cannabis than any other industry," he said.
Harris also operates KannaBliss stores at 7130 W. Maple in Wichita and at 127 U.S. 54 in Andover.