Our Story: Alcohol-Free Drinks at Golden Hour
Meet the Founder
Chad Cate
Founder & Owner
Chad Cate is a 30-year-old Olympia native, entrepreneur, hospitality professional, and longtime enthusiast of natural products and botanical beverages. Attending North Thurston High School, Chad has deep roots in the South Sound community and a personal connection to the city he now calls home for his business.
With a background in fine-dining hospitality and more than five years working in the natural-products industry, Chad developed a deep appreciation for both the art of hospitality and the growing interest in botanical ingredients, alternative beverages, and wellness-focused lifestyles.
His connection to kava began while working at a kava bar in South Florida. What started as a professional experience quickly became a passion and a deep dive into kava culture. Over the years, Chad has visited more than 40 kava bars across 9 states, learning from different communities, exploring preparation methods, and experiencing the many ways kava bars create spaces for connection.
That experience eventually inspired him to bring the concept home to Olympia.
In 2024, Chad founded Golden Hour Tea with a vision of creating something different: a welcoming place where people could enjoy thoughtfully crafted botanical drinks, connect with their community, and have a great night out without alcohol being required.
Today, Chad remains deeply involved in the day-to-day operation of Golden Hour — from developing recipes and brewing systems to curating the menu, sourcing ingredients, training staff, and continually finding ways to improve the guest experience.
But more than anything, Chad sees Golden Hour as a community space.
A place to meet someone new, reconnect with an old friend or try something you've never tasted. A place together with friends and make new connections.
Golden Hour was built around the belief that going out doesn't have to mean drinking alcohol — it can simply mean being together.
Our Why
A Place to Gather Without the Pressure to Drink
Golden Hour was established in 2024 with a simple purpose: create a place where people can gather, connect, and enjoy great drinks without alcohol being required.
Inspired by kava bar culture and the idea of a true third space, we're all about community, conversation, and shared experiences.
Enjoy our micro-brewed sodas, tea, kava, games, pool, ping pong, or bring a meal from downtown and stay awhile.
Come for the drinks. Stay for the community.
What We Serve
At Golden Hour, we craft alcohol-free drinks with botanical ingredients and plenty of care.
Enjoy 11 micro-brewed sodas on tap, from simple botanical flavors to our signature Gourmet 7, featuring mushroom extracts and Passionflower. Not sure what to try? Ask for a sample and find your favorite.
Our loose-leaf teas are made to be savored, with many blends offering 3–5 steeps per serving. Explore our Olympia-inspired Capitol Lake Walk blend or our rotating local feature from Mad Hat Tea Co. in Tacoma, currently featuring 9 unique selections.
We also prepare Peruvian sea moss in-house, blended with mango and pineapple for a naturally tropical flavor.
Looking for something beyond our all-ages menu? Ask about our 18+ menu and retail selection.
Come for a drink. Stay for the experience.
Botanical products and supplements aren't right for everyone. If you're considering regular use, consult your healthcare provider.
Our Space & Community
Golden Hour is more than a place to grab a drink — it's a place to connect.
Our space brings people together through live music, open mics, art, games, conversation, and shared experiences. We're proud to be a welcoming third space in downtown Olympia where locals can meet, create, unwind, and feel at home.
Come as you are. Find your people. Stay awhile.