Whether you’re a teetotaler or simply curious about socializing without alcohol, Beyond the Bar may be just the spot for you.
Located in downtown Richardson, this new concept store specializes in zero-proof spirits and is set to open its doors sometime in April at 101 S. Sherman St., per Community Impact.
Co-founded by Reid Robinson and Julie Wade Robinson, who previously owned two side-by-side bars in Richardson, the spot is a fun and inviting space that leans towards mixology and education, per Culture Map Dallas.
Beyond the Bar is a venture from Beyond Booze Beverage Co.
The company launched an alcohol-free pop-up concept at a Dry January event in Dallas, serving up botanical elixirs, mocktails, hop water, and more.
The success of the pop-up gave the founders the confidence to take the next step and open the first alcohol-free bottle shop in Dallas.
A few similarly sober partners will be joining the Robinsons in their venture, including zero-proof producers Starla Wines and Lyre’s, as well as Dallas-based Brewed, TLC Vegan Café, and Dude, Sweet Chocolate.
The result will be an array of offerings for customers.
“We have a tasting room as well, so people can sample and purchase individual beverages,” Julie Wade Robinson told Dallas Culture Map.
Approximately 60% of Americans aged 21 and up drink alcohol, according to a 2021 survey from Gallup. This was a notable decrease from the two-decade high logged in 2010 of 67%.
A larger cultural shift toward low- or no-alcohol lifestyles could be in progress, possibly encouraged by the recent spike in alcohol-free beverages on offer.
Reid Robinson suggested that the change is generational.
“Gen Z and younger millennials are not drinking like we did when we were young. For example, my son is 14 and he has no interest,” he told Dallas Culture Map.
Beyond the Bar will offer a space for those who still like that bar atmosphere but are looking to have something more exciting than a Diet Coke or water to drink.
The location of the bottle shop is also prime, finding itself in what was rebranded as downtown Richardson’s Core District.
The Robinsons purchased a brise soleil building built in 1958 and have been doing interior design work to bring it up to snuff with their zero-proof aspirations.
“I’ve had a crush on this endangered property for nearly 20 years, and am so excited that it will be the home of Dallas’ first alcohol-free bottle shop and tasting space,” Reid Robinson told Dallas Culture Map.
