Message from the Owner:
Hello everyone! You’ll see I have a new name for my business: Bohemian Alchemist. Why do this just a few months from opening? I thought a lot about the business and how it fit into the community. Two things ultimately drove the change: self-identity and sensitivity.
First, I don’t believe it’s a requirement to belong to any group to celebrate and respect it. And while I have Bohemian ancestry it doesn’t wholly define me, as I live my life beyond a label and encourage everyone to do the same. Given that Bohemian denotes both a lifestyle of artistic freedom and travel, and defines a place and people in the present-day Czech Republic, it made sense to be true to this in all ways and embrace Bohemian in our name. With our new name I want to honor Bohemian in all its meaning: diversity and a willingness to accept and be curious about many cultures, identities, and flavors.
Our previous name used the word Gypsy, which denotes a people and culture, as well as a lifestyle of artistic freedom and travel. Some folks believe this to be a derogatory term, others celebrate it and use it with pride. As such, while I wanted to engage with the Roma people I found the critics of our old name were self-appointed spokespeople and any further debate was outside the business’s mission.
The Alchemist part of our name happens when we blend flavors, recipes, ingredients, and processes into something truly magical.
Finally, as a Bohemian I invite all people, whether they have Bohemian ancestry or not, to use the adjective Bohemian freely and without fear of prejudice or attack.
I look forward to welcoming you to our shop so you can experience all sides of being a Bohemian Alchemist!
Much love,
Sarah Jaeger, owner
Bohemian Alchemist
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