To the needle-averse, voluntarily shelling out more than a hundred bucks so that a nurse can hook you up with an IV bag loaded with saline solution and vitamins you could buy in chewable form may sound extreme.
As the rapid growth of Denver-born Hydrate IV Bar demonstrates, there are plenty of people in the Mile High metro willing to deal with a little sting — to their arms or their pocketbooks — to get water-soluble vitamins and nutrients pumping through their veins.
Founded and owned by former Denver Broncos cheerleader Katie Wafer, Hydrate IV opened its first location in Bonnie Brae in April 2016, then a sister location in Highland the following June.
In April, a third Hydrate opened inside the Live Love Lash day spa in Cherry Creek. The growth has all come without the burden of debt, according to the 30-year-old entrepreneur.
Bar No. 4 isn’t far behind. It is slated to open at 1655 Folsom St. in Boulder — across the street from McGuckin Hardware — in early August, just after fall semester starts at the University of Colorado.
“We have a lot of health-conscious adults and promote an active, fun lifestyle,” Wafer said of the metro-area market she’s been serving the last three years. “Think of us as a smoothie bar. Some ingredients are for your immune system, some for mood. This is just a more effective delivery system. It fills your tank to full.”
Formerly in medical sales, Wafer said she decided to break into the burgeoning hydration bar market after seeing establishments popping up in other cities. In Las Vegas — a town know for overindulgence — partiers can get an IV aimed at soothing their hangovers right on the strip.
With Hydrate, Wafer focused on creating an atmosphere that is more formal than a partier recovery zone. (The company does offer a $99 intravenous cocktail Wafer says is ideal for speeding recovery from hangovers and dealing with altitude sickness, but the $169 anti-aging mix is a much more popular purchase.)
But Hydrate is also more casual than a medical clinic. Employing more than 30 nurses and backed by a doctor, Hyrdate aims to provide professional service in laid-back digs. It now has well over 500 members signed up for monthly visits, Wafer says.
“I think a lot it has to do with the space we provide and the experience,” she said of Hydrate’s growth.
On Thursday, 32-year-old Kara Dingboom, a Hydrate client since it opened in 2016, stopped in the Highland location for a session focused on boosting her immune system before a work trip to the United Kingdom.
“I try to stay on top of it and do some preventative maintenance. It seems to keep me healthy,” Dingboom said. “The staff is so friendly. They make you feel so comfortable.”
Hydrate can’t claim to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition. Wafer and her nurses emphasize to customers that getting IVs needs to be part of a healthy lifestyle that includes proper diet, exercise and sleep.
Hanah Polotsky, a doctor of internal medicine for Kaiser Permanente Colorado, said research does not support a link between regular injections of intravenous vitamins and a healthier life. The same goes for oral vitamin supplements.
Eating plentiful fruits and vegetables should give most people all they need. For people that are dehydrated, Polotsky said she’s much more likely to recommend a Gatorade than an IV. At least there is no needle breaking the skin in that case.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Kara Dingboom receives a bag of health and wellness Ð, a mix of B-complex, vitamin C and magnesium sulfate Ð, at Hydrate IV Bar on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
The menu at Hydrate IV Bar on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
The sign at Hydrate IV Bar on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Bags of saline and various cocktails at Hydrate IV Bar on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Registered nurse Rachel Fleishaker prepares an IV at Hydrate IV Bar on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Kara Dingboom prepares to receive a bag of health and wellness Ð, a mix of B-complex, vitamin C and magnesium sulfate Ð, at Hydrate IV Bar on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
An IV at Hydrate IV Bar on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
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“I think of them like oxygen bars,” Polotsky said. “If if you makes you feel great, that’s awesome, that’s business. Does it have medical evidence behind it? No.”
Wafer sees her business as part of the larger health and wellness trend that is driving people to boutique fitness studios and natural food grocery stores. They’re not cheap and aren’t essential to living a healthy life, but they are building blocks for personal well-being.
As competing hydration bars also proliferate, Wafer sees more growth ahead for her business.
“We are so passionate and confident in our service, I truly think we’re just scratching the surface,” she said.
